Erie Railroads The Erie West Subdivision railroad line of CSX Transportation, a railway freight transportation company which serves most of the East Coast, runs directly through Erie southwest along the shore of Lake Erie to Cleveland, Ohio along the former New York Central Railroad main line. Amtrak, the national railway passenger service, also uses the Erie West Subdivision railroad line for its Lake Shore Limited route. This train service calls twice daily at the Art Deco-style Union Station at 125 West 14th Street in Erie, between Peach and Sassafras Streets, and can take travelers to Boston, Albany, New York, and Chicago.
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 Bayfront Parkway Until recent years, Interstate 79 ended at West 12th Street. The completion of the Bayfront Parkway in 1990 opened Erie’s waterfront to citizens and visitors to northwestern Pennsylvania. Linking communities east and west, it also created new business interest along the bayfront.
In fact, the Parkway is a classic example of how transportation can drive economic investment in the form of new office buildings, residential construction, retail establishments, and recreational opportunities. The 35-mph speed limit means this road is a Parkway, not a highway.
At the intersection of East 12th Street, the Bayfront Parkway turns into the Bayfront Connector, a 5.34-mile four-lane expressway that connects Interstate 90 to downtown Erie. This highway, constructed between 1998 and 2005, helps to relieve the traffic congestion problems previously experienced on the east side of Erie and provides smoother access into the city.
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Erie Highways  Erie has three Interstate highways that pass through the city and county and provide vital connections between three states:
• Interstate 79 (also known as the Raymond P. Shafer Highway and the Pittsburgh-Erie Expressway) is the main north-south artery for Western Pennsylvania. Built between 1961 and 1976, this 183-mile highway extends all the way from the West Virginia state line in the south to PA 5/PA 290 and the Bayfront Parkway in Erie in the north. In 2003, construction was completed connecting Interstate 79 directly to the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
• At 7.30 miles, Interstate 86 (the Hopkins-Bowser Highway) is the shortest two-digit Interstate in Pennsylvania. It begins in the east at the New York state line south of North East, and terminates in the west at I-90 in Erie.
• The 46-mile Interstate 90 (also known as the AMVETS Memorial Highway and the Erie Thruway) connects Pennsylvania to Ohio three miles west of West Springfield, and to New York two miles east of North East.
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 Erie Shipping Industry Located midway between New York and Chicago and boasting the only Great Lakes port in Pennsylvania, Erie offers shipping access to 85 million people within a 500-mile radius via the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway System. This makes it a convenient cargo shipping hub for major industries, offering accessible entry to major markets such as Detroit, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., and parts of Canada. The Port of Erie, located on the southeast shore of Lake Erie, has a 29-foot-deep harbor entrance channel and is home to several ship service related industries such as Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair and Erie Sand & Gravel Company.
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