|
Building New Partnerships - The Freight Railroad Industry and Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Click HERE ffor graphic. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION SECTION 1: An Overview of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act A. The Role of the MPO B. The Clean Air Link C. Intermodalism: The Freight Connection D. ISTEA Freight Planning Factors E. Management Systems SECTION 2: Current State of Practice A. Overview B. Examples of Railroad Participation in MPO Efforts Oakland, CA Albany, NY Atlanta, GA Detroit, MI Chicago, IL St. Louis, MO Pittsburgh, PA New York, NY Seattle, WA SECTION 3: MPO Case Studies Case Study #I: The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission's Goods Movement Task Force Case Study #2: Columbus, Ohio's Inland Port Project Case Study #3: A Railroad/MPO Partnership in Toledo, Ohio Case Study #4: Freight Planning Efforts in Kansas City Case Study #5: A Work Plan for Freight Planning in Southern California Appendix: Table Indicating MPO Freight Planning Activities INTRODUCTION In 1992, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded a contract to the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) to investigate how to enhance the relationships between Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOS) and the freight railroad industry. Recent federal legislation including the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) and the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) have numerous provisions that are changing how transportation plans, programs, and policies are developed and implemented in urbanized areas. These statutes open up the planning process and planners are building new partnerships in addressing them. In developing this contract, NARC and FRA recognized that, historically, the freight railroads generally have had little involvement in public sector transportation planning. But, with the passage of ISTEA, the level of participation from the freight community is increasing. The purpose of this document is to examine how the railroad industry is becoming more active in metropolitan planning and to provide practical examples for MPOs to follow in developing or revising strategies to bring the railroads to the table in establishing freight planning processes to improve decision making. This document has been organized in three major sections. Section I will provide an overview of ISTEA. Section 2 will address current state of practice concerning how MPOs and railroads have worked together since the passage of ISTEA. This section will discuss the results of a research assessment conducted by NARC, as a part of the contract, providing numerous examples of MPO/freight railroad interaction in planning activities. Section 3 will provide detailed case studies that provide more in-depth information about how to involve the freight industry in metropolitan transportation planning. The Appendix includes a table presenting the results of NARC's nationwide survey of MPOs and their freight planning efforts. NARC would like to thank all the MPOs who participated in the research assessment and the two MPOs where site visits were conducted: the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) in Philadelphia, PA and the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) in Toledo, OH. DVRPC and TMACOG staff gave up a significant amount of time in their busy schedules to provide excellent information during the visits. For additional information or comments concerning this document, please contact FRA at (202) 366-0344 or NARC at (202) 457-0710. Please call the MPOS referenced in this report for updated information. For other examples of continually evolving MPO- freight relationships, call FRA or NARC. 2 SECTION 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE INTERMODAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCY ACT With the passage of ISTEA in December of 1991, transportation planning and programming took a dramatic, visionary step forward. It is probably the most revolutionary transportation bill enacted since the beginning of the interstate era in 1956. It represents the end of that great era and the beginning of a new one that will provide the foundation for moving people and goods more effectively from now into the 21st century. ISTEA authorizes the spending of federal dollars in transportation over a six year period and mandates many new guidelines and requirements in planning and programming transportation improvements. The purpose of this section will be to examine some of the most important changes found in the Act and their relationship to the participation of the freight community in planning activities. These changes involve new decision making roles for MPOS, the linkage of environmental and transportation concerns, the emphasis on intermodalism, freight planning factors, and the development of management systems. A. The Role of the MPO In the past, decisions concerning the planning and programming of transportation improvements were made largely by state departments of transportation. ISTEA changes this by requiring a decentralization of the decision making process to the MPO at the local level. The MPO is the transportation planning agency designated, in urbanized areas with over 50,000 people, by the Governor and local governments representing at least seventy-five percent of the population. It typically operates through several committees. A policy committee comprised of local elected officials and state and local transportation agency officials is generally the decision making body in developing transportation plans and programs in the metropolitan area. The policy committee is often supported by technical committees which oversee technical work and citizen advisory committees which provide public input. Most MPOs have a technical staff comprised of professional planners and engineers that provide expertise and support to these committees throughout the plan and program development process. ISTEA requires the development of two different plans: the Long- Range Plan, which includes future transportation improvements to be programmed in the metropolitan area over a twenty-year period and the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) which is the more immediate three-year program of transportation projects to be implemented. Projects for the TIP are selected from the Long-Range Plan. Since 1962, MPOs have been performing transportation planning functions as required by federal legislation. However, until the passage of ISTEA, they generally provided technical support and review activities only. ISTEA bolsters MPOs and provides them with greater authority in making decisions concerning the implementation of transportation projects in 3 urban areas. In areas greater than 200,000 people, ISTEA provides the MPO with the lead role in MPO/state DOT decision making partnership in developing plans and prioritizing and selecting projects for implementation. For areas under 200,000, the Act requires the state DOT to collaborate with the MPO in making decisions. B. The Clean Air Link ISTEA and the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) link the development of transportation plans and programs to improve the nation's transportation system with the attainment of national air quality standards. The CAAA requires tighter integration of transportation and air quality planning processes than preceding clean air legislation. For the first time regional and state transportation plans must be consistent with state air quality plans that include strategies to meet or attain federal air quality standards. Strict federal penalties including the withholding of federal funds may be imposed if the requirements provided in the CAAA are not met within prescribed deadlines. In regions classified as non-attainment areas because of unacceptable pollution levels, the plans must include strategies such as ridesharing, high occupancy vehicle lanes, busways, reduction of rail/highway bottlenecks, etc. that will help the area reach acceptable air quality standards within a time period prescribed by the legislation. In these non-attainment areas, ISTEA reinforces the CAAA by requiring that any new highway project increasing single occupant vehicle capacity must be offset by other strategies that reduce auto pollution. ISTEA creates a new funding category, the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program, which provides federal dollars for funding the above strategies as well as others that reduce pollution. In addition, it requires consistency of transportation planning with applicable federal, state, and local energy conservation programs and policies and the consideration of the overall energy and environmental effects of transportation decisions in planning processes utilized in metropolitan areas. C. Intermodalism: The Freight Connection As its name implies, ISTEA goes beyond the traditional highway/transit focus in transportation and requires that all modes and the linkages between them be considered in the planning process. It recognizes the need to look at the complete transportation system broadening the focus beyond the movement of people in automobiles and transit vehicles on highway and transit systems to include all facilities utilized for the movement of people and goods. It highlights the fact that the metropolitan transportation system also includes intermodal terminals, rail facilities, freight distribution networks, airports, and seaports. It requires that plans address them. In general, ISTEA recognizes that improving intermodal transportation is one of the keys to increasing productivity and improving competitiveness of U.S. industry worldwide. 4 D. ISTEA Freight Planning Factors ISTEA establishes a rigorous set of planning requirements to ensure that national as well as local objectives are met in developing long-range plans and transportation improvement programs. Section 450.312 of the Metropolitan Planning Regulations specifically indicates that "the development of the plan and the TIP shall be coordinated with other providers of transportation, e.g. sponsors of regional airports, maritime port operators, rail freight operators, etc." In addition, fifteen key factors must be considered in developing planning products. Several of these factors specifically address freight shipping including the consideration of congestion management strategies to improve the mobility of goods, and the examination of access to international border crossings, ports, airports, intermodal facilities, and freight distribution routes. ISTEA elevates goods movement into the mainstream of the planning process. It also indicates that the long-range plans and TIPs must be financially constrained to reflect revenues reasonably expected to be available over the time periods they cover. This makes planning a realistic endeavor. Planning products become implementation documents. Private sector participants will be involved in a process that tightens the connection between planning and decision making and produces results that will be implemented. E. Management Systems ISTEA requires the development and implementation of six management systems: pavement, bridge, safety, congestion, public transportation, and intermodal. The systems establish processes for monitoring transportation system performance. The data collected in developing them should support the selection of appropriate strategies to improve or correct corresponding problem areas in the transportation network. In general, the management systems have been created to more effectively monitor the transportation network and to provide more information in determining appropriate solutions to identified problems. Freight railroads can provide useful information, that can be utilized in developing the management systems. For example, the intermodal management system will focus on the linkages between modes of transportation used to move people and/or goods. This system will be developed by the state with input from the MPO and stakeholders. Many states have hired consultants to assist in developing these systems. 5 SECTION II: CURRENT STATE OF PRACTICE A. Overview Since the passage of ISTEA a little over two years ago, the process of building partnerships with the freight community and developing approaches to freight planning has been evolving slowly. Some areas are clearly ahead of others. There is a lot of cross- training taking place as planners, engineers, and shippers become more educated about what each other do. The previous, somewhat fragmented analytical approaches used to examine the various systems comprising the overall metropolitan transportation network are starting to be integrated and consolidated. MPOs encounter various challenges as they change and broaden their planning processes to reflect ISTEA. This section of the document will include a discussion of some of these challenges, and examples from the research assessment conducted by NARC of what MPOs are doing in this area. The next section will involve more detailed information about rail freight planning at five MPOs. In many areas, the increased attention placed on freight movement is a new phenomenon. Past efforts in this area were generally ad hoc in nature consisting of special studies with little consistent integration of goods movement issues and projects into the MPO planning process on a regular basis. MPOs need to understand more about the overall picture of how freight moves in regional, national, and international markets. A better understanding is needed of the global nature of the shipping market and how it relates to the regional economy. In the past, MPOs have spent a considerable amount of resources compiling data and evaluating current and future movements of people on highways and transit systems. Traffic counts and vehicle forecasts by facility, ridership counts and projections on transit lines, travel time studies, and highway intersection analyses that highlight current and future congestion and efficiencies in the system have been conducted. This type of scrutiny has not been directed to the movement of goods prior to ISTEA, and it probably does not need to be done at the same level as for the passenger transportation system according to MPO officials across the country. What is needed, however, is a broad review and examination of the freight distribution system so that impediments to effective service, bottlenecks, and other constraints can be identified. A general understanding of how the overall system operates should be developed prior to launching any major data collection initiatives or to designing transportation projects that affect the freight sector. In addition, the freight community needs to be educated concerning how MPOs operate in developing plans and programs for metropolitan areas. ISTEA requires intermodal planning to incorporate the impact of freight shipping in the MPO project selection process. In working with the freight community, some MPOs have established stronger relationships recognizing the economic, congestion reduction, and air quality benefits of rail projects. Some MPOS, such as the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, look at the long-term view in working with the private sector in this 6 area. As indicated in the case study later in the report, DVRPC believes freight funding will be dealt with more extensively in the next reauthorization and its work with shippers now to develop project lists is "setting the table" for the future. As a part of NARC's contract with FRA, a research assessment of approximately thirty MPOs was conducted during 1993 to identify how railroads were participating in the planning process. Some brief examples of this participation are provided below. The assessment was also used to identify case study candidates. The case studies, located in Section 3 of the document were developed from interviews and data collection efforts conducted with the selected MPOS. In addition, NARC examined freight planning at MPOs as a part of a comprehensive national survey conducted in 1993. Over 80% of the MPOs responded to the survey. The Appendix of this document includes a table that identifies freight planning activities at MPOS, including phone numbers. It is important to note that while the survey was conducted in 1993, changes in freight planning are continuing to take place at MPOs across the country. NARC and FRA can be contacted for updates. B. Examples of Railroad Participation in MPO Efforts Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Oakland, California The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in Oakland, CA has established a Freight Advisory Council as an outgrowth of a broader partnership effort undertaken following the enactment of ISTEA. The Council has had an important role in identifying key components in the freight portion of the Metropolitan Transportation System (MTS) which is the core of the regional transportation plan and has identified a "top ten" list of freight projects for consideration. MTC has also developed a sophisticated multimodal project evaluation system that is used for TIP project selection and prioritization. For more information, contact MTC at (510) 464-7700. Capital District Transportation Committee, Albany, New York The Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) in Albany, NY has integrated goods movement concerns in the development of its long-range plan. The plan includes a section called Commitment to Intermodal Facilities with subsections on current conditions and needs, program commitments, outstanding issues, and planning initiatives. It has also formed a task force on goods movement which includes representatives from Conrail and CP Rail as well as truckers, shippers, the port and airport, the New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Thruway Authority. For more information contact CDTC at (518) 458-2161. 7 Atlanta Regional Commission, Atlanta, Georgia The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) organized a work team that included representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, Georgia DOT, Norfolk Southern, and CSX in conducting a study for a multimodal terminal in Atlanta. The use of freight railroad tracks for passenger service was a key issue. For more information, contact ARC at (404) 364-2526. Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments, Detroit, Michigan The Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) received railroad input in the NHS designation process in the Detroit area. SEMCOG also organized an effort with the City of Detroit and Michigan DOT representatives and FRA to discuss funding and the need for double stack tunnels in Detroit to improve automobile industry shipment capabilities and to enhance economic development activities in other areas. It has had railroad participation on its technical committee for the past ten years. For more information, contact SEMCOG at (313) 961-4266. Chicago Area Transportation Study, Chicago, Illinois The Chicago Area Transportation Study's Policy Committee reserves a rotating seat for Class I railroads to obtain their input. In addition, previous long-range planning efforts have established special subcommittees to directly address the interests and concerns of the freight industry. CATS also has a limited inventory of commercial vehicle travel data for use in travel demand modeling. For more information, contact CATS at (312) 793-3460. East-West Gateway Coordinating Council, St. Louis, Missouri The East-West Gateway Coordinating Council in St. Louis maintains and provides a staff function for the Gateway Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Network. This public/private group includes representatives from freight railroads (Union Pacific, Alton & Southern, Burlington Northern) as active participants along with other industries. It has also served as the Local Emergency Planning Committee for four counties in Missouri and has previously developed a Hazardous Materials Emergency Plan with railroad participation. For more information, contact E-W Gateway at (314) 421-4220. Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission, Pittsburgh, PA The Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission (SPRPC) in Pittsburgh held a freight transportation conference on April 8, 1993 to begin a dialogue between shippers and the MPO. The conference was structured to educate 8 industry representatives on the requirements of ISTEA and the roles of various public agencies in carrying out these requirements. It also included opportunities to allow freight industry representatives from various modes to educate the public sector officials about the future of their business and how transportation improvements in the region should respond to those needs. SPRPC also has formed three freight transportation working groups: Motor Carrier, Rail, and Air Cargo to assist the agency's ongoing long-range planning process. Finally, it has developed a freight transportation guidebook that includes company profiles on 600 freight transportation businesses in the region. For more information, contact SPRPC at (412) 391-5590. New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, New York, NY The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, in developing its long-range plan, organized a freight movement group to examine the problems of truck and rail transportation in the congested metropolitan area. In addition, many shippers have had an opportunity to review the agency's draft long-range plan. For more information, contact NYMTC at (212) 938-3390. Puget Sound Regional Council, Seattle, Washington The Puget Sound Regional Council in Seattle has defined a freight and goods movement study element for inclusion in its work program. The purpose of the study will be to produce a freight and goods database, a freight forecasting model, and the development of freight facility and access design guidelines for local government growth management planning. For more information, contact PSRC at (206) 4647090. 9 SECTION III. MPO CASE STUDIES Introduction This section contains five case studies that provide more in-depth information about how to involve the freight industry in metropolitan transportation planning. The MPOs identified in each case study provided information directly to NARC during 1993 as a part of the research effort for this contract. The case study formats vary because of the different types of information that were submitted from each MPO. The MPOs and corresponding phone numbers to contact for more information are provided below. CASE STUDY #1: The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (215) 592-1800 CASE STUDY #2: The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (614) 228-2663 CASE STUDY #3: The Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (419) 241-9155 CASE STUDY #4: The Mid-America Regional Council (816) 474-4240 CASE STUDY #5 The Southern California Association of Governments (213) 236-1800 10 CASE STUDY #1: THE DELAWARE VALLEY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION'S GOODS MOVEMENT TASK FORCE A bi-state public agency created in 1965, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) develops regional policy and provides information, technical support, and coordination to both public and private sector leaders. As the federally designated MPO, DVRPC addresses a range of development issues related to transportation, land use, and the environment. The DVRPC region encompasses nine counties and more than five million people in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The region includes the counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer in New Jersey. Setting the priorities for DVRPC is an 18 member Board of Commissioners and a 10 member Executive Committee. The Board establishes regional policy, defines the duties of specialized DVRPC committees, and adopts the annual work program. The Executive Committee oversees the general conduct of DVRPC operations, manages fiscal affairs, and adopts the annual budget. One of the priorities in the annual work program in 1992 was the establishment of a freight planning forum as a part of the agency's transportation activities. Incentives for Creating the Task Force Several key events helped to initiate the creation of the Delaware Valley Goods Movement Task Force in December of 1992. One was obviously the passage of ISTEA in 1991. Many of the freight- related provisions indicated in Section I of this document provided the regulatory incentives necessary to help get the effort off the ground. The second key event was the successful partnership the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PENNDOT) entered into with several railroads in developing a successful public/private venture to improve railroad tunnel clearances throughout the state. A major consultant study was completed for PENNDOT that examined, in detail, the cost, feasibility, and economic development impact of this kind of improvement. Pennsylvania manufacturers needed improved clearances to move oversize loads and the state was particularly interested having double stack clearances to make the Port of Philadelphia competitive with other ports on the east coast. It has experienced a dramatic decrease in population and jobs over the past fifteen years and recognizes the importance of infrastructure improvements in regaining its competitive economic status. Double stack trains and wide loads were unable to fit through the existing tunnels at various key locations in the state, forcing shippers to use longer, less direct routes to reach their destinations and denying them the benefits of less expensive double stack service. Increased shipping times and delays were making the state less attractive to potential new businesses and those considering relocation to that region. A consultant team working with PENNDOT, 11 affected industries, and the railroads selected three routes used by Conrail, Canadian Pacific, and CSX that should be cleared to double stack heights to handle intermodal, auto traffic and wide loads. PENNDOT concluded from the study that the tunnel improvements were feasible and would greatly benefit the state in terms of job creation and economic development. The project is now underway and is being funded by state and private funds. Capitalizing on the momentum of this successful partnership with the railroads, PENNDOT, in the fall of 1992, talked with DVRPC representatives about contacting major players in freight shipping businesses in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area in order to organize a group to participate in working with the freight planning provisions in ISTEA, and to elevate goods movement planning and project development into the mainstream of the MPO's planning process. PENNDOT and DVRPC, through practical experience, recognized the need to provide the region's goods movement community with an action-oriented forum and a designated role in the metropolitan and state planning processes. DVRPC identified approximately 100 key federal, state, and local government, and private sector individuals as potential participants in this group. The first meeting of this group was scheduled for December of 1992. DVRPC staff thought that the identification of these participants was a useful starting point, but that the group should be given a great deal of freedom and self determination in developing its purpose, objectives, membership, and participatory strategy. DVRPC decided to allocate 75% of one staff person's time to serving as key staff and liaison to the group. Task Force Composition and Objectives At this first meeting several major issues were addressed so that the group could move forward. It was decided that the group would be called the Delaware Valley Goods Movement Task Force. Its purpose as defined by the members would be to maximize the Delaware Valley's goods movement capability by sharing information and technology among public and private freight interests, promoting the region's intermodal capabilities and capacity, and developing and implementing a regional goods movement strategy. It would focus on freight movement within and through the region via plane, rail, ship, truck, and intermodal facilities. Membership would be open and include area trucking firms and associations, Class 1 and short-line rail operators, port operators and oversight agencies, air freight shippers and airport operators, commerce organizations, state departments of transportation (Pennsylvania and New Jersey), MPOS, and federal, county, and city agencies. Products developed by the task force would include recommended capital improvements, improved dialogue, and input on long-range planning. Co-chairs for the overall task force would be the Deputy Secretary of PENNDOT and the Executive Director of DVRPC. The task force designated the following three subcommittees to pursue its objectives: Long-Range Planning, Chair: CP Rail representative Data Sharing, Chair: Delaware River Port Authority representative Objectives, Chair: Industry representative 12 It was decided that the task force would meet for topical presentations, discussions, and decision making every 2 to 3 months. Subcommittee meetings would be held at similar intervals, at the discretion of the subcommittee chairs. Finally, to provide an overall framework to guide the task force in pursuing its mission, four primary objectives with supporting action steps were identified. The four objectives (in their order of importance) are provided below. Objective 1: Insure participation of the goods movement industry in the regional and state planning processes and make recommendations for the allocation of ISTEA funds. The Task Force will promote industry involvement in the MPO process including long-range plan and transportation improvement program development and in responding to the various planning provisions found in ISTEA and the Clean Air Act Amendments. The group will also work to assure technical and policy input on Pennsylvania and New Jersey long-range transportation plans. Objective 2: Identify impediments and recommend improvements for efficient and safe freight movements The task force will form a working group to develop recommendations to address Center City Philadelphia truck delivery concerns. It will also monitor federal traffic safety studies, review transportation plans to insure sufficient freight shipper access, and support actions to eliminate delays in freight shipment by all modes. Objective 3: Promote a regional incident (accident) and congestion management program. The task force will set up committees of motor carriers to work with NJDOT and PENNDOT on the South Jersey Incident Management Program and I-95 Corridor Coalition, respectively, to identify locations with high frequencies of accidents, to assist in developing strategies for the creation and maintenance of traffic congestion control mechanisms (e.g. roving tow trucks, roadside call boxes, and message boards) on major interstate facilities, and to create and maintain carpool parking areas, and fund carpool information, coordination, and promotion activities. Objective 4: Improve communications, data, and technology sharing between public and private freight interests. The task force will work to set up training programs on various regulatory issues, to notify and provide a process for surface transportation companies to have input on planning alternative travel routes during reconstruction of highways, to provide an opportunity for all transportation modes to participate in the long-range planning process at state, regional, and local levels and to develop an index of transportation data that is available from task force members. 13 In subsequent meetings early in the task force development process a considerable amount of time was spent on educating the membership concerning MPO operations and vice versa. The MPO staff conducted slide show presentations indicating how the agency is organized, how it carries out its responsibilities under ISTEA and the CAAA, how long-range plans and TIPs are developed, and how decisions are ultimately made. Demographic, banking, and other experts were brought in to provide a general picture of the economy in the Philadelphia area including its strengths, weaknesses, and potential opportunities for improvement. They provided job statistics and explained how the region's growth is anticipated to occur. PENNDOT staff provided input concerning statewide planning activities and their relationship to the MPO's efforts. Finally, the freight shippers provided overviews of how they operate and what key issues most dramatically affect their operations. Accomplishments So far, the task force, through its long-range planning committee has identified twelve freight-related projects for possible inclusion in the TIP. Included in this project list are several rail projects. One involves providing a rail spur and siding and upgrading pavement to improve access to a port facility. Another would add an additional railroad connection to improve rail line access to and from a CSX intermodal facility. The current track configuration necessitates backing trains up between the facility and a river crossing. Finally, a project to preserve railroad rights of way to safeguard abandoned rail lines for future transportation uses has been included. The MPO serves as a coordinating mechanism providing a direct line of communication between the task force and the policy board as the group attempts to advance its projects. Funding While securing federal funding for freight projects is a source of concern, the MPO has decided to move forward regardless of funding uncertainties while federal eligibility determinations are decided on a separate track. DVRPC feels that regardless of existing funding opportunities, the task force is helping provide a catalyst for encouraging USDOT to revise its freight project funding requirements as it moves through ISTEA into the next reauthorization. Currently, rehabilitation costs for the existing highway and transit systems in the Philadelphia region are staggering, with intense competition among member jurisdictions for project advancement. However, while freight projects face stiff competition in this environment, the PENNDOT/railroad partnership is a good example of how freight-related projects can proceed with a combination of public and private funds. DVRPC Insights Concerning Task Force Operation DVRPC staff provided various insights concerning the operation of the goods movement task force so far. They believe a sincere effort must be made to listen to the private sector. By 14 devoting a staff person to provide assistance to the group on a nearly full-time basis (providing coordination, administrative, research, and technical assistance support), a clear positive message is sent to shippers that their input is important and that DVRPC will assist in integrating it into the planning process. Being action and product-oriented has been critical in maintaining interest. The shippers want to get things done and the development of the freight improvement package of projects for consideration in the TIP development process is an excellent example of an important product that helps clarify the task force's practical mission. DVRPC feels that in terms of freight data needs for planning, one needs to understand the overall picture of freight movement in the region before launching into significant data collection efforts that may have little relevance to identifying needs. Because it has far more experience in examining person travel, the MPO feels that the freight sector's expertise should be allowed to help establish a framework for identifying what data are important. Allowing for evolutionary development of the task force and assuring its participation in the project prioritization and selection process has been a key factor in the success of the initiative at this time. 15 CASE STUDY #2: COLUMBUS OHIO'S INLAND PORT PROJECT The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) is the federally designated MPO for the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area with a population of approximately 950,000 people. Working closely with the Ohio Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Central Ohio Transit Authority, MORPC coordinates transportation planning and programming for the region. Its transportation program is divided into three major areas: highway planning, mass transit planning, and special projects. ISTEA recognizes the importance of planning effectively for freight movement in enhancing the nation's economy and has provided a catalyst for MORPC to develop special projects that address the flow of commodities in the region. One of the projects, described below, involves the development of an inland port in the Columbus area. Officials from the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce began in 1991 to develop the idea of having Columbus, Ohio function as an inland port and distribution center for east and west coast ports. This would increase imports and exports thereby adding jobs in central Ohio. The Columbus area enjoys an attractive geographical location in relation to goods movement. One day of travel distance by truck reaches fifty percent of the nation's population and sixty percent of the manufacturers. New York, Atlanta, and Chicago are all one day's drive away. Columbus is also served by excellent freeway connections, three railroads (Conrail, Norfolk Southern, and CSX), two major airports, and numerous intermodal facilities, truck terminals, warehouses and distribution centers. Agreements with coastal ports are a key element to making Columbus a significant inland port. Through the marketing efforts of the Chamber of Commerce, two seaports recently signed joint marketing agreements: New York/New Jersey and Los Angeles/Long Beach. Officials say the sister-port relationships will allow for the shipment of international freight to Columbus for distribution throughout the Midwest in a timely and less expensive manner. The concept of the inland port involves linking air, rail, and truck modes with computerized information to import and export goods, as well as distribute them, from Columbus. A customs clearing point is a necessary part of this operation and in a key decision, the U.S. Customs recently declared 1,640 acres at Rickenbacker Airport in Columbus as a free trade zone. Recognizing the economic benefits an inland port could bring to the region, the Chamber, the city of Columbus, the state of Ohio and Franklin County created the Greater Columbus Inland Port Commission in 1992. More than 40 representatives from both the public and private sectors were appointed to the commission and charged with coordinating various tasks associated with the inland port program, one of which was the Inland Port Infrastructure Study. As the region's MPO, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) agreed to 16 manage the study and at the same time carve out a new role for itself in the transportation planning arena. MORPC provided a forum throughout the effort, which began in March of 1993, where the public and private sector could work together in analyzing the transportation system and recommending improvements. In addition, the MPO provided early assistance in advocating the inland port concept to state and federal officials in Ohio and Washington, D.C. The focus of the study was to determine the condition of the existing freight infrastructure, and the cost or extent of any needed improvements. The scope of work was comprised of three critical components including an assessment of current assets - intermodal transportation facilities and the interconnecting railroads and highways; analyzing the impact of trade and commerce on commodity flow in the region; and identifying improvements to the infrastructure to promote reliability, economy, and efficiency in commodity flow. The main freight handling facilities examined included the Rickenbacker Airport, the Port Columbus International Airport, Conrail intermodal terminal, Norfolk and Southern intermodal terminal, the Marysville Honda railroad ramp, truck terminals, and interconnecting railroads and interstate highways. The $300,000 study was funded by both federal (80%) and local funds (20%). The federal funds were from the Surface Transportation Program (STP) and the local match was provided by the Rickenbacker Port Authority, Franklin County, and the City of Columbus. The study was completed in the Spring of 1994. It concluded that the inland port was feasible in Columbus and that the infrastructure investments required to make it happen are moderate and within the funding capacity of the local jurisdictions and the state. 17 CASE STUDY #3 A RAILROAD/MPO PARTNERSHIP IN TOLEDO, OHIO The Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) is an association of local governments in a six county region in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan with a population of approximately 470,000 people. The counties include Erie, Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, and Wood in Ohio and Monroe in Michigan. This region is an attractive shipping corridor for goods moving through the Midwest. The railroad industry has a significant presence in the region and is crucial to its economic vitality. In fact, this region is the third largest rail hub in the country with six railroad corridors crossing through the city of Toledo. Recognizing that the economic strength of the region has been greatly influenced by its ability to ship goods effectively by rail, TMACOG organized a railroad task force in 1984. A description of the task force and its activities are provided below. The Railroad Task Force was created in 1984 when 80 representatives from railroads, businesses, and governmental agencies met to discuss rail-related issues on which to work together. The initial list of issues included improved communications; grade crossings; economic development; reciprocal switching; and coordination, consolidation, and abandonment. Out of this initial dialogue, a "white paper" was prepared on each of these issues. After careful review and debate, the papers were adopted and became TMACOG's railroad work program for 1985. The Task Force has met on a bimonthly basis since the initial meeting. TMACOG provides staff support for each meeting and corresponding activities. Membership includes authorized representatives from the railroads serving the six counties of the region; elected and/or administrative officials of all local governments within the region; representatives of businesses or industries within the region who receive or ship by rail; and representatives from economic development agencies. The Task Force is led by a Steering Committee which is elected annually to create long-range goals, to suggest short-term objectives and implementation strategies, to develop meeting agendas, to establish working committees as needed, and to serve as speakers for the group. Current activities of the group are focusing on the following four areas to be discussed in greater detail below: 1) ongoing communication among railroads, shippers, and local government; 2) developing the Long Range Transportation Plan; 3) projects to reduce rail/highway conflicts; and 4) projects to improve rail and intermodal facilities and services. Ongoing Communication The railroad representatives attending the meetings are usually the local superintendents, although some of them also send local operations staff or division engineering and government relations personnel. The Task Force has been very successful in improving communications among the participants and is an effective means of involving railroads in regional transportation planning. Local government officials have been very supportive of 18 the important role this forum plays in improving relationships with the railroads on ongoing issues. Further, the group has legitimacy in the eyes of state and federal government officials, which increases the likelihood of obtaining funding (for example, the railroad corridor study outlined below) and of pushing for needed legislation. As an example of the latter, the Task Force currently has the support of a state senator and the Ohio DOT rail division to draft legislation concerning out-of-service crossing signage. An obstacle that has been overcome is convincing federal, state, and local officials that expenditures to maintain this process are legitimate transportation planning expenses. TMACOG has an ongoing battle to maintain funding for the group vis-a-vis other competing priorities and planning mandates. Participation in Long-Range Planning The year 2010 Long-Range Transportation Plan includes a railroad element. The Task Force worked with TMACOG staff to identify rail- related problems in the metropolitan area, generating a series of technical reports on local railroad facilities, operations, and sources of rail/rail and rail/highway conflicts. One result of this work was to identify the rail corridors with the most significant delay and safety problems. The goal of identifying where rail/highway grade separations are needed in these corridors was incorporated into the long range plan. An ongoing obstacle is the definition of where corridor planning ends and where project engineering begins, especially as it relates to environmental analysis. In developing the next plan, it is anticipated that the railroad industry will play a significant role in addressing local rail and intermodal transportation issues. Projects Reducing Rail/Highway Conflicts To accomplish the goals of the long-range plan rail element, TMACOG is currently conducting a railroad corridor study of the six corridors identified in the plan. This study was funded in ISTEA as a demonstration project for applying corridor analysis procedures to a rail line in an urban area. The study of the first corridor is nearly completed with the second one underway. The Task Force sets the priority order and makes recommendations to TMACOG concerning the final report for each. A study team is created for each corridor, representing major groups affected by railroad operations. These include local government, emergency services, schools, business and industry, and residents. The railroad companies' commitment and enthusiasm is critical to the success of the study and a potential problem to be solved. An "in charge" person such as the local superintendent, assisted by track maintenance and operations staff, can provide the insights and information needed to recommend changes that improve not only highway but also rail transportation. If this is lacking, communication with the railroad can be very difficult. Also, when identifying who will implement the recommendation, the commitment of the railroad decision makers is needed to move quickly toward engineering and construction of improvements such as an overpass. It is anticipated that the corridor study will be completed within two years. 19 Rail and Intermodal Services TMACOG is working with the railroads, local governments, and economic development agencies to plan for more efficient rail traffic routes and improved intermodal facilities. A recent TMACOG Alternate Rail Route Study recommended abandoning a section of tracks through the City of Toledo, opening up land for economic development and a proposed street project; relocating a Conrail intermodal facility to a more accessible site; and building new rail connections into the facility. The MPO staff is playing a key role in implementing the study by working to secure consensus and commitments from the affected parties. Players include two railroads at their local, regional, and national levels as well as local and state government officials. As part of this project, TMACOG arranges for negotiating sessions and is researching potential funding mechanisms. A regional freight transportation directory is being developed with the assistance of the University of Toledo. Railroad Task Force members are helping to identify the types of information needed in the directory. In general, in discussing participation in the Task Force with railroad representatives, they indicated it was in their interest to participate because their input was being utilized and the effort was having a positive effect on their operations and the community. They also felt that over the long-term, they were positioning themselves as a player at the decision making table to have greater influence in bringing freight issues to the forefront and having rail projects compete for a place in future plans. Finally, they said that the task force was extremely beneficial in improving communications between railroads in the region and reducing duplication of efforts in responding to certain issues. 20 CASE STUDY #4: FREIGHT PLANNING EFFORTS IN KANSAS CITY The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) serves as the association of city and county governments and the MPO for the bi-state Kansas City region. It represents eight counties and 114 cities in Kansas and Missouri with a population of approximately 1.2 million people. Since the passage of ISTEA, MARC has been involved with railroads in a variety of transportation planning activities as described below. Historically, in the Kansas City area, there has been less direct interaction between the railroad industry and the MPO primarily because transportation planning was legislatively directed toward the expenditure of public funds for highways and transit services and not for rail services. Railway concerns about at-grade crossings were viewed from the highway safety perspective rather than an improvement in freight shipping operations. Public policy actions related to regional rail improvements have been more closely linked to local land use planning and economic development initiatives than to transportation planning. However, ISTEA has begun to influence these historical patterns. Current freight railroad related efforts in the region described below involve hazardous waste issues, the creation by MARC of an ad hoc focus group to identify key freight issues in the region, and an Inland Port/Intermodal Task Force initiated by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to produce a report on the feasibility of the inland port concept. Hazardous Waste Issues Concerning hazardous waste, Union Pacific Railroad has provided resources and instructors to assist in conducting emergency response training exercises concerning how to deal with regional incidents that involve rail transport. Also, Burlington Northern Railroad's training facility, including a tanker car designed to simulate accidents, is utilized by MARC in training local organizations. Long Range Plan Movement of Goods Focus Group The Long Range Plan Movement of Goods Focus Group includes representatives from local governments, railroads, airports, the port authority, UPS, Federal Express, automobile manufacturers's, trucking companies, and other businesses. The group identified the following factors that should be considered in developing transportation plans and programs: The current and future importance of air cargo movement in the region. The air quality impact of moving goods. Trucks are the final stage of the delivery of goods and they need adequate facilities and access. Access to rail intermodal facilities handling trailer-on-flat- car and container-on-flat-car 21 needs to be maintained and improved. Transportation access to heavy industry sites is a key factor in retaining and expanding Kansas City's industrial base. Roadway improvements that are planned for the Kansas City area should be designed with vehicle characteristics and weight requirements in mind. Kansas City should position itself to take advantage of the increasing trade that will move north and south with the advent of NAFTA. Railroads are using hub centers based in Kansas City to serve a market within 200 miles. Long range transportation planning efforts should enhance the efficiency of these hubs instead of working to re-invent the concept. Repair and maintenance of existing infrastructure should have as much priority as new projects. Long range transportation planning efforts should accommodate an increase in intermodal shipping in the region in the future. Chamber of Commerce Inland Port/Intermodal Task Force The Inland Port/Intermodal Task Force was created by the Chamber's Board of Directors in January 1993 to address provisions in ISTEA to facilitate a national trend in improving freight movements utilizing different modes, i.e. ship to rail to truck for transporting containers. The purpose of the task force was to investigate the feasibility of Kansas City becoming a major center for intermodal freight technologies or an inland port, and if feasible, to make recommendations on how to best pursue such concepts. For the next six months, the task force, comprised of shippers, railroads, trucking firms, consultants, economic development experts, and government officials, met at least once a month to accomplish its objective. It also surveyed 148 shippers and distributors in the Kansas City area for their input. The task force concluded that Kansas City has a vast potential to continue to be an important distribution center and that its importance can be enhanced through the development of an intermodal strategy or an inland Port concept building on existing strengths and assets. These strengths and assets need to be aggressively marketed nationally and abroad, as well as to companies already doing business in the region to make shippers and distributors aware of Kansas City's unique advantages relative to rail service, highway access, trucking services, airports, river navigation, location, demographics, logistics, labor, and cost. In pursuing these conclusions, the task force recommended the following: 1. The Chamber should publicize the results of the task force's survey that demonstrates the Kansas City area is already a premier distribution center. 2. The Chamber's Surface Transportation and Aviation committees should develop an inventory of the area's transportation and distribution resources and publish them as a "Logistical Services Resource Guide for the Kansas City Area." 22 3. The Kansas City Area Development Council should include the resource guide and other information about Kansas City's logistical strengths in a program specifically focused at distribution companies and domestic and international shippers. This type of marketing approach has been successful in cities such as Memphis and Columbus. 4. The Chamber should develop a media plan for publicizing the task force's report and the importance of the region's freight transportation industry. This should include the national media. 5. The Chamber should develop ways to highlight area companies that have selected Kansas City as their distribution centers, emphasizing jobs and investment and economic impact. 6. The Chamber should encourage an "intermodal series" to be developed by major newspapers in the area. 7. An intermodal/inland port study should be done by professionals to examine industry specific analyses, current industry trends, new technologies or other innovative approaches. The study should determine specific market possibilities based on Kansas City's transportation infrastructure and users of such services; make specific recommendations regarding inland port strategies; and develop an improvement program tied to national and state legislation, as well as local planning initiatives, to implement the recommendations. Such a study could incorporate questions for other transportation data desired by the Chamber, i.e. economic impact of the freight transportation industry in the region. Utilizing the Mid-America Regional Council, federal, state, and local funds should be sought to fund the study on a bi-state basis. The Chamber should be prepared to solicit funds from the private sector to match or enhance public funds, probably raising $25,000- 50,000 for a $75,000-200,000 study. 8. The Chamber's Government Affairs Department should work with appropriate legislative leadership to implement intermodal strategies in the region and to enhance existing corridors. 9. The Chamber's Surface Transportation Committee should begin to position the Kansas City area as a major freight corridor for the legislation that will succeed ISTEA. 10. A separate Chamber task force should be developed to consider the potential for a multi-modal passenger facility and transportation strategy in the region. 23 CASE STUDY #5: A WORK PLAN FOR FREIGHT PLANNING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the MPO for a six-county area, that includes Los Angeles, with a population of about 13.7 million people. Its membership is made up of local elected officials - mayors, council members, and county supervisors that participate in three Policy Committees involving Transportation, Economic Development, and the Environment. In relation to its transportation planning activities, SCAG recognizes the importance of freight shipping operations to the region's economy and is planning a major study to evaluate the existing freight shipping system in the metropolitan area and to test recommended future scenarios for improving it. This case study will examine the work plan developed for conducting this effort. To address the impacts of goods movement on the region's mobility and economy, SCAG established a subcommittee comprised of representatives from the freight shipping industry. This group and SCAG developed a work plan designed to evaluate the relationship between goods movement and the region's mobility, economy, and air quality. Specifically, the subcommittee was interested in obtaining a better understanding of the characteristics of freight shipping in the region including the level of inter- and intra- regional demand for service by all modes, available capacity, and capacity utilization at the terminals, rail yards, transfer facilities, etc. This would provide a basis for understanding the benefits and probable consequences of future changes in the goods movement environment in Southern California. It would also assist in answering how various policy decisions and intermodal improvements would influence the region's ability to meet its projected freight handling needs and support the desired manufacturing base and the burgeoning growth in demand for international trade. A description of the work plan, produced in 1993, which could be used by other MPOs for developing similar efforts, is provided below. SCAG has developed an RFP around the work plan and pending funding will hire a consultant to proceed with the project. The work plan describes the tasks necessary to assess current freight operations (base case scenario) in the metropolitan area and how to test potential future scenarios for improving shipping in the region. 24 WORK PLAN FOR ANALYZING GOODS MOVEMENT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TASK 1: REVIEW OTHER FREIGHT PLANNING STUDIES AND REFINE STUDY APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY Compile a bibliography of other freight planning reports, studies, and surveys conducted in Southern California and in other areas of the country. Prepare a synopsis of report contents, methodology, findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Identify the categories of goods examined in these studies and the applicability/availability of data to the current study. Evaluate the methodology(ies) used in the study(ies). Consider how the ease or difficulty in collecting data affected expense. Identify what impediments existed, if any, to completion of the analyses and other elements of the study. Prepare an overview of the committee formats, responsibilities, goals and goals attainment, and group dynamics. Identify the methodologies in current use by California agencies and other agencies in major metropolitan areas across the country for modeling multimodal goods movement system capacity, demand, operation, performance, and assessing the impacts of goods movement on air quality, mobility, and the economy. Identify drawbacks to existing methodologies and the necessary improvements to enhance the reliability of the analytical tools. Determine whether models exist to evaluate mode shift for goods movement and to evaluate the factors that influence mode shift. Evaluate the applicability of these models, if any, for analyzing goods movement in the SCAG region. Assess the compatibility and potential for cross-application of existing methodologies and data used by the various modes. Product: Report on Past and Current Efforts Related to Goods Movement and Their Applicability to This Study TASK 2: DETERMINE PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND METHODOLOGY FOR EVALUATING CURRENT (BASE CASE SCENARIO) OPERATIONS Identify and evaluate performance measures/economic indicators which reflect the operation of current freight shipping efforts. Indicators may include: -rates or tariffs to import and/or export from the region by mode 25 -monetary values of commodities shipped by mode -the number of jobs in related sectors of the economy -tax expenditures associated with goods production, shipping, and receiving -efficiency of existing distribution system -mode efficiencies and relative competitiveness of the different modes -mode shares After evaluating for appropriateness to reflect economic conditions, recommend suitable indicators. Identify the level of effort necessary to collect the data specified. Develop methodology for evaluating the operation of the existing goods movement system (the base case scenario) for the purpose of establishing the potential economic impacts. Determine the required data and the availability of the data. Data needs may include: -capacities by mode -total loads, volume by mode, volume per specified time period, inbound, outbound, through traffic -freight routes, corridors, schedules -capacity utilization by mode -major shipping and receiving locations, capacities, and schedules relative to mode -time required for hauling and transfer by mode -origin and destination zones for goods -data regarding the operation of support infrastructure, e.g. transfer facilities, highways, traffic volumes, etc. -correlation of volumes, loads with local and import manufacturing and shipping base, transport requirements, and shipping schedules. Identify the level of effort necessary to collect the data specified. Economic indicators/performance measures, methodology, and data for base case analysis must be reviewed and approved by SCAG's Goods Movement Subcommittee prior to use in the analysis. Product: Working Paper Which Identifies Economic Indicators, Recommended Methodology, and Data Requirements to Evaluate the Existing Freight System TASK 3: EXAMINE POLICIES RELATED TO GOODS MOVEMENT Identify existing national, regional, and local regulations which have affected the shipping, hauling, transfer, and receiving of goods, including those regulations related to noise, time of day travel, weight, safety, route, and emissions. Determine any restrictions that limit capacity utilization, including restrictions at transfer location, regulations on goods transport 26 by type, nature of goods, etc. Identify the known and probable impacts that these regulations have had or may have on the shipping and receiving business, on the regional economy, on air quality, and other relevant factors. Product: Document Detailing Impacts of Regulations and Restrictions on Goods Movement TASK 4: ESTABLISH THE BASE CASE SCENARIO Establish the base case scenario which characterizes the existing goods movement system and facilities in the region. Facilities to be considered include major seaports, airports, railroads, intermodal facilities, and major truck routes of the regional road network. Prepare an analysis of the linkages between different components of the goods movement system and depict the system graphically as to location, mileage, service area/activity center densities, levels of service, etc. For all major carriers, transfer points, and major industrial receiving locations, measure the current capacity and capacity utilization. Describe the support systems required by each freight hauler type and receiver type to facilitate the movement of goods. Determine how support systems required by each carrier and receiver type relate for the modes and facilities involved in intermodal transfer. Describe the other relevant support systems, e.g. the safety and emergency systems that each mode, transfer station, and receiving station has to operate efficiently. Establish whether freight activities have increased or declined over a specified period of time and describe the associated growth or decline in the transport traffic and infrastructure. Establish the reasons for growth or decline, how shippers have dealt with it, and governmental responses to changes in freight shipment activity. Product: Technical Paper and Graphics Documenting the Base Case Scenario and Related Trends TASK 5: EVALUATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXISTING ECONOMY AND THE BASE CASE SCENARIO Classify the various sectors of the regional economy by their shipment and receipt of goods via each mode. Determine the volume of goods moved by each mode for each sector. Identify growth trends in the structural base of the economy and correlate these trends with their existing primary mode of transport. Identify the implications of the changes on the mode split and associated goods movement infrastructure. 27 For the purpose of understanding the importance of each sector and respective commodities to the local economy, develop appropriate methodology for classifying goods by type and market served. Identify trends in these markets and how they may affect mode split and the infrastructure. In conjunction with TASK 3, analyze the impacts of policies on the markets identified in this task. Evaluate the goods movement patterns in the region. Graphically depict the spatial distribution of major shipping zones and receiving zones and provide overlays which depict the mode(s) that serves the respective zones and SCAG activity centers. Determine the geographic origins and destinations of goods to reflect their inter-and intra-regional movements. Plot the routes employed and the volume of traffic on those routes. Consider the shipping characteristics of each mode, i.e. container vs. non-container. Note the points of intermodal transfer. Determine what factors drive the goods movement business, including service requirements of customers and how these factors may affect the potential for recommending improvements in the supporting infrastructure. Product: Reports, Graphics, and Computer Files, of the Analysis of the Region's Economy and the Base Case Freight Shipping System TASK 6: IDENTIFY FUTURE SCENARIOS FOR TESTING Identify planned or proposed major future investments in freight shipping infrastructure to add to current operations in developing a future scenario. Scenarios should consider other major, regionally significant transportation improvements that have been programmed for implementation in the next twenty years such as the Alameda Corridor. Scenario should consider projected changes in regulations (i.e. NAFTA), the region's economic structure, and links to global markets. Each scenario should consider the likely future operating conditions, roadway congestion, technological changes, alternative fuels, required auxiliary infrastructure, and cargo terminals relative to each mode given projected travel demand and associated conditions. Consultant will develop scenarios in cooperation with SCAG staff and the Goods Movement Subcommittee. Product: Approved Future Scenarios to Test Against Base Case Scenario 28 TASK 7: EVALUATE IMPACTS OF FUTURE SCENARIOS IN COMPARISON WITH CURRENT FREIGHT SYSTEM OPERATIONS Evaluate comparative impacts of implementing a future scenario versus the base case. Impacts to be addressed may include the following: Freight System/Mode Performance and Operating Impacts For each scenario, determine the changes in system and mode performance and operating characteristics compared to the base case. Economic Impacts For each scenario, identify any changes in regional economic performance measures that occur as a result of system/mode changes. Assess the overall value and need for investments included in the scenario in relation to projected trends in the regional economy and the potential the investments have for attracting national and international trade. Air Quality and Congestion Impacts For each scenario, evaluate the impact that changes would have on pollutants emitted by mode, reductions in levels of congestion, and competitive positions of modes in identified corridors and markets. Assess the possibility of diversion or attraction of freight traffic to or from other areas/markets. Product: Technical Report on the Impact of Implementing Various Goods Movement Scenarios Click HERE ffor graphic. Click HERE ffor graphic. Click HERE ffor graphic. Click HERE ffor graphic.
