Pilots' strike strands city: Duluth residents relying on cars, buses for Minn. commutes

DULUTH, Minn. - Mike McNamara's vision for the future of this LakeSuperior port city included two industries: airlines and technology.

Next Wednesday, 25 European executives are scheduled to fly in forthe groundbreaking of a $30 million software park. But withNorthwest Airlines - the only carrier serving the city - on strike,the executives are scrambling to make other plans. And McNamara'svision was fading.

"We wanted to transform Duluth from an international seaport to aninternational information port," said McNamara, the city's economicdevelopment director. "But you need to get into a port."

Duluth is one of the many cities around the country completely …