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From page 103... ... 103 This chapter explains the case study selection process, mode shift policies, recent developments, and lessons learned for each of the six freight mode shift case studies selected for this project. Identification and Selection of Case Studies Transportation policymakers are often interested in implementing policies that will create mode shift in order to realize a variety of benefits, including congestion mitigation, reduced road wear, emission reductions, and economic development. Read the entire page →
From page 104... ... 104 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts Methods for Identifying Mode Shift Case Studies To identify examples of freight mode shift, the research team compiled a list of projects culled from a wide range of sources. This section documents the approach, which included these activities: • Interviews with subject-matter experts, • Online research and literature review, • Analysis of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Read the entire page →
From page 105... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 105 Interview Date Organization Summary of Results 12/10/2013 ALK Technologies This GPS/routing service/logistics company was not aware of any specific examples of mode shifts. Read the entire page →
From page 106... ... 106 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts identifies potential mode shift case study projects. A later section of this chapter reviews "The Case for Freight" documents. Read the entire page →
From page 107... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 107 tonnage to double from 15 billion tons a day to 30 billion tons a day. The four major drivers of freight demand include the following: • Consumption. Read the entire page →
From page 108... ... 108 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts peas, and lentils are bound for overseas. The project will revamp the over 30-year-old container dock, and reroute Idaho State Highway 128 to improve truck and intermodal connectivity. Read the entire page →
From page 109... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 109 improve rail service in the region. The Kansas City Terminal Railway and the member railroads and agencies in Kansas and Missouri formed an organization called the Kansas City Intermodal Transportation Corporation (KCITC) Read the entire page →
From page 110... ... 110 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts • Pooled shipping projects at the Port of Vancouver. The facility will pool rail carloads of grain arriving at the Port of Vancouver irrespective of the originating railway and grain company terminal to reduce congestion. Read the entire page →
From page 111... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 111 ID Project Name State(s) Region Rural/ Urban Project Description P or t R ai l T ru ck B ri dg e 101 Alameda Corridor East Colton Crossing CA West Rural Eliminates mainline at-grade rail crossing of UP and BNSF Railways in San Bernardino County Y 103 Appalachian Regional Short Line Rail Project KY/WV/ TN Central Rural Rehabilitation of 100s of miles of track on 5 unconnected short-line railroads in 3 states Y Y 109 California Green Trade Corridor - Marine Highway CA West Urban Develop a marine highway system as an alternative to existing truck and rail infrastructure Y 110 CREATE Program Projects IL Central Urban A package of 78 projects that address freight rail congestion in Chicago Y Y 111 Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Rail Project TN/AL South Urban Two new intermodal facilities in Memphis and Birmingham, part of NS Gulf to Mid-Atlantic route Y 114 Fast Track New Bedford MA East Urban Reconstruction of four inadequate freight rail bridges that only allow 5 mph trains Y 129 National Gateway Freight Rail Corridor OH/PA/ WV/MD East Rural Infrastructure and intermodal projects on 3 CSX corridors will allow double-stacked containers Y 135 Port of Gulfport Rail Improvements MS South Urban Upgrades to the KCS Line will accommodate double-stacked containers Y 141 Revitalizing Maine's Ports ME East Rural Advances Maine's 3-Port Strategy with upgrades at Ports of Portland, Searsport, and Eastport Y 145 S.W. Read the entire page →
From page 112... ... ID Project Name State(s) Region Rural/ Urban Project Description P or t R ai l Tr uc k Br id ge TIGER ROUND II (2010) Read the entire page →
From page 113... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 113 Analysis of AASHTO's The Case for Freight Reports (AASHTO 2010a) In 2010, AASHTO published a series of over 30 reports entitled The Case for Freight (AASHTO 2010a) Read the entire page →
From page 114... ... 114 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts Source: (AASHTO 2010a) Figure 33. Read the entire page →
From page 115... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 115 – Investments in short-line railroads or individual rail segments. – Those encompassing rail shifts involving more localized rail projects, such as upgrades to rail bridges or rail crossings. Read the entire page →
From page 116... ... 116 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts region, the team classified projects as urban or rural. The classification of projects by region can be subjective, given that some projects cross boundaries between rural and urban locations or include both. Read the entire page →
From page 117... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 117 Policy North and East South Central West Urban Rural Urban Rural Invest in Cross-Country Corridor National Gateway Freight Rail Corridor Invest in Intracity Corridor Invest in Short-Line Rail The Harlem Corridor Aroostook Rail Preservation Coos Bay Rail Line (Coos, Douglas, Lane Counties) Central PA Rail and Road Expansion Palouse-Coulee City Short-Line Rail Northern Vermont Freight Rail Project Siskiyou Summit Railroad Revitalization Invest in Rail Bridges and Crossings Hunts Point Freight Rail Improvement Project (Bronx) Read the entire page →
From page 118... ... 118 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts Selected Case Studies The six case studies selected are described below, along with the lessons learned from each study. Following each is a two-part "Epilogue" describing additional information about each case study from 2014 to present and detailing additional lessons learned since 2014. Read the entire page →
From page 119... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 119 system, connects three separate railroads located in Spokane, Lincoln, Grant, and Whitman counties. These tracks include the following: 1. Read the entire page →
From page 120... ... 120 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts In 2008, Grant County, Lincoln County, Spokane County, and the Port of Whitman County signed an agreement to form the PCC Rail Authority. Today, WSDOT is responsible for overseeing the facilities and regulatory portions of the operating leases. Read the entire page →
From page 121... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 121 The initial motivation for this project was not to cause mode shift, but rather to prevent it. WSDOT's purchase of the PCC, spurred by the potential abandonment of the rail system by its owners, prevented a modal shift from rail to a combination of mostly truck and barge. Read the entire page →
From page 122... ... 122 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts the short line is captive to a single mainline railroad, its financial viability may be at their mercy. In addition, diversity of commodities is a positive factor, as it lowers risk. Read the entire page →
From page 123... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 123 addition, WSDOT will continue to manage the programs that support short-line rail freight, such as the Freight Rail Investment Bank program, the Freight Rail Assistance Program, and the Grain Train program. WSDOT will also continue to manage and make improvements to the state-owned PCC rail system. Read the entire page →
From page 124... ... 124 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts unit train and to negotiate the most favorable shipping rates. In addition, the commodity can be stored at the grain terminal allowing the owners to play the commodity market and improve their profitability. Read the entire page →
From page 125... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 125 According to NS, the Crescent Corridor's benefits and anticipated impacts include the following (NS 2014a) : • Creating nearly 123,000 jobs across the rail network by 2030. Read the entire page →
From page 126... ... 126 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts to trucks, in terms of speed and reliability, at below-market prices. For lanes that NS determined could be competitive, NS worked with shippers to see if they would be interested in intermodal service and with federal, state, and local governments to make the necessary investments in terminals and track infrastructure so that they could offer competitive services (Wilson 2014) Read the entire page →
From page 127... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 127 Crescent Corridor improvements. NS developed separate traffic forecasts for 63 different origindestination movements between rail hubs from Texas to New Jersey. Read the entire page →
From page 128... ... 128 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts The project would also result in a reduction of 196,762,103 vehicle miles. By 2030, the project will create 122,000 jobs. Read the entire page →
From page 129... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 129 NS officials have stated that there is potential for more growth through Greencastle, Pennsylvania; Hagerstown, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and Baltimore, Maryland. In addition, as trucking companies and their drivers face increasing regulation, the potential for moving freight off the highways and onto rail lines continues to grow. Read the entire page →
From page 130... ... 130 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts public-private partnership completed in 2010, the corridor connects the Port of Virginia to major destinations in the Midwest including Chicago, Detroit, Columbus and Cincinnati (FHWA 2014c) Read the entire page →
From page 131... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 131 Lessons Learned The motivations for this project or policy encompass a variety of goals for which mode shift represents an overall proxy. The goals include reductions in fuel use and emissions, easing of congestion, improvements in safety, increases in carrier efficiencies and concurrent reductions in shipper costs, and positive contributions to economic development. Read the entire page →
From page 132... ... 132 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts The Heartland Corridor also included the following: • West Virginia's first intermodal terminal, the Heartland Intermodal Gateway (HIG) Read the entire page →
From page 133... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 133 Corridor owned by NS (Edmonson 2018) Read the entire page →
From page 134... ... 134 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts $3.8-billion public-private partnership consists of over 70 different projects (see Figure 41) Read the entire page →
From page 135... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 135 Following the completion of just 20 of the projects, the CREATE program achieved a significant reduction in delays experienced by freight and passenger trains, as well as freight trucks and passenger automobiles. For example, before CREATE, it took approximately 48 hours for freight trains to pass through the Chicago intermodal rail terminal. Read the entire page →
From page 136... ... 136 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts In 1999, the "New Year's Blizzard" struck the Midwest with 22 inches of snow that crippled the region's rail system. Freight trains were stalled or delayed 12 to 24 hours, causing shipment delays between the East and West Coasts lasting 1 to 4 days. Read the entire page →
From page 137... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 137 companies involved. On the other hand, the model of collaboration and cooperation, coupled with the public and private partnership, may offer guidance and promise for smaller mode shift projects in other urban areas. Read the entire page →
From page 138... ... 138 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts Epilogue -- Lessons Learned The CREATE program is an example of a successful public-private rail partnership that recognizes the challenges of accommodating both freight and passenger rail needs in a highly congested environment (Goetz et al. Read the entire page →
From page 139... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 139 freight railroads, yet they are going to pay a measly 25 percent (approx.) of the project" (Wronski 2018) Read the entire page →
From page 140... ... 140 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts recent shortage in truck drivers (Franchini 2014) Read the entire page →
From page 141... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 141 reduce air emissions and traffic congestion. The CDTC estimates that a barge carrying only 100 containers once a week would eliminate 100 tractor-trailer trips. Read the entire page →
From page 142... ... 142 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts Epilogue -- Recent Developments The plans to restart the Albany Express Barge service that began in 2014 had yet to reach fruition by 2018. The Port of Albany is known for its ability to handle oversized, heavy pieces of equipment -- in addition to grain and other commodities -- making it a so-called "major heavy lift project cargo port." The Albany Port District Commission undertook a strategic assessment and growth strategy in 2016 to understand market opportunities and potential growth patterns. Read the entire page →
From page 143... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 143 The Trump administration's tariffs on foreign goods are yet to be felt, but have administrators concerned. Epilogue -- Lessons Learned The major lesson learned through this case study is that mode shift from truck to COB is difficult to establish and, in many instances, has yet to prove successful. Read the entire page →
From page 144... ... 144 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts Key short-term results included the following: • The New York City DOT incorporated truck route summons into TrafficStat, resulting in a quadrupling of citywide off-route violations from August 2006 to January 2007 (increasing from 860 to 3,419) Read the entire page →
From page 145... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 145 • The city designed and built its streets to accommodate the trucks and commercial vehicles of 20 to 30 years ago. While New York City can rebuild street segments adjacent to the construction of redevelopment projects to meet design standards for large trucks, similar improvements to all of the truck routes were not possible. Read the entire page →
From page 146... ... 146 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts Within New York City, tractor-trailer combination vehicles operating on most truck routes and Interstate highways may not exceed 55 feet in total length. Trucks with 53-foot trailers, which is today's standard trailer length nationally, may only travel on the portions of I-95, I-695, I-295, and I-495 that cross the city between the Bronx-Westchester County line and QueensNassau County line for through movements to and from Nassau and Suffolk counties and are not permitted to serve locations in the five New York City boroughs. Read the entire page →
From page 147... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 147 to the need to load and reload several times. Barge is also less able to balance and take advantage of the back and forth of the sand versus the gravel, leading to more empty backhauls. Read the entire page →
From page 148... ... 148 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts Epilogue -- Recent Developments The most salient freight statistic for New York City is the heavy reliance on trucks, which move almost 90 percent of the city's freight tonnage. Geography presents a challenge for goods delivery, as trucks can only enter and exit the city via a few bridges and tunnels. Read the entire page →
From page 149... ... Freight Mode Shift Case Studies 149 environmental impact statement. The environmental impact statement is looking to expand the cross-harbor project, either by increasing railcars on barges or by building a long-discussed and ambitious cross-harbor freight tunnel. Read the entire page →
From page 150... ... 150 Impacts of Policy-Induced Freight Modal Shifts • Reduction in freight and land-use conflicts; • Improvements in truck access to industrial areas, marine terminals, and airports; • Expansion of off-hour deliveries; and • Exploration of micro freight and waste collection centers. Truck size and weight policy should be an integral item on this list. Read the entire page →

From page 103...

... 103 This chapter explains the case study selection process, mode shift policies, recent developments, and lessons learned for each of the six freight mode shift case studies selected for this project. Identification and Selection of Case Studies Transportation policymakers are often interested in implementing policies that will create mode shift in order to realize a variety of benefits, including congestion mitigation, reduced road wear, emission reductions, and economic development.