NJTPA Freight System Performance Assessment
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North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority FINAL SUMMARY REPORT NJTPA Freight System Performance Assessment prepared by Cambridge Systematics, Inc. with Edwards and Kelcey, Inc. A. Strauss-Weider, Inc. Moffatt and Nichol Engineers, Inc. R.L. Banks and Associates, Inc. April 2005 NJTPA Freight System Performance Assessment Final Summary Report Table of Contents 1.0 Why is Freight Important?........................................................................................... 1 2.0 Overview of Regional Freight Movement................................................................ 2 3.0 Freight Forecasts............................................................................................................ 7 4.0 Freight Transportation System Performance ........................................................... 9 4.1 Trucking................................................................................................................... 9 4.2 Rail............................................................................................................................ 13 4.3 Marine System........................................................................................................ 17 4.4 Air Cargo ................................................................................................................. 21 4.5 Warehouse/Distribution....................................................................................... 22 5.0 Interregional and Institutional Factors ..................................................................... 24 6.0 Freight Issues, Needs, and Strategies ........................................................................ 28 7.0 Critical Path Action Items............................................................................................ 35 Cambridge Systematics, Inc. i NJTPA Freight System Performance Assessment Final Summary Report List of Tables 1. Approximate NJTPA Regional Freight Tonnage....................................................... 5 2. Unconstrained Freight Forecasts for NJTPA Region................................................. 7 3. Highest Volume Truck Segments, Year 2000 ............................................................. 9 4. Projected Rail Capacity Needs Within the NJSSA, Year 2030.................................. 16 5. Types of Marine Cargo .................................................................................................. 17 6. Estimated NJTPA Waterborne Traffic, Year 2003 (Tons and Units) ....................... 19 7. Container Terminal Capacity and Demand in the PONYNJ Region...................... 20 8. Highway System Needs, Issues, and Strategies......................................................... 29 9. Rail System Needs, Issues, and Strategies .................................................................. 30 10. Marine System Needs, Issues, and Strategies ............................................................ 31 11. Air Cargo System Needs, Issues, and Strategies........................................................ 32 12. Warehouse and Distribution Needs, Issues, and Strategies..................................... 33 13. Interregional and Institutional Needs, Issues, and Strategies.................................. 34 Cambridge Systematics, Inc. ii NJTPA Freight System Performance Assessment Final Summary Report List of Figures 1. NJTPA Region Employment in Manufacturing, Wholesale, and Retail Trades (2000) ................................................................................................ 3 2. NJTPA Regional Gateway Transportation Facilities................................................. 4 3. Originating and Terminating Truck and Rail Tons by County ............................... 6 4. Modeled AM Peak Truck Volumes (2030), Scenario 1.............................................. 11 5. Modeled AM Peak Truck Volumes (2030), Scenario 2.............................................. 12 6. The NJTPA Region’s Major Rail Lines and Railyards .............................................. 14 7. Rail Traffic Density by Line, Year 2000 ....................................................................... 15 8. Location of PANYNJ Marine Terminals in NJTPA Region...................................... 19 9. Location of Major Warehouse and Distribution Facilities........................................ 23 Cambridge Systematics, Inc. iii NJTPA Freight System Performance Assessment Final Summary Report 1.0 Why is Freight Important? The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority region is one of the busiest freight handling centers in the nation. Goods from all over the world enter and leave the United States through its marine terminals; raw materials and finished products arrive and depart through major rail freight terminals; high-value, time-sensitive commodities are shipped via air cargo through the region’s airports; and seemingly innumerable trucks carry goods within and through the region. All metropolitan areas experience freight movement, but the NJTPA region – hosting a major international seaport, serving as the eastern terminus of the nation’s east-west rail system, providing through routes for truck traffic moving between New York City/New England and the rest of the country, and being home to residents and businesses that consume and produce millions of tons of goods each year – experiences it far more intensely than most. This situation – which has evolved from a combination of geographic, demographic, and economic forces over the last 150 years – has negative and positive aspects. On the negative side, we see decreased transportation system performance (from congestion and incidents associated with trucks, and from conflicts between rail freight traffic and other activity), as well as increased environmental impact (noise, vibration, air emissions, wetlands impacts, community and neighborhood quality of life, etc.) On the positive side, we see a huge boost to the regional economy. There are direct jobs associated with cargo handling by the region’s marine terminals, airports, railroads, and truckers; there are indirect jobs associated with re-handling and value-added processing of that cargo through the region’s warehouse/distribution and processing centers; and there are jobs created by the region’s producers that are made possible because of excellent, cost- effective access to regional, national, and international markets. The region’s status as a freight hub is a key advantage in retaining and attracting businesses, and in supporting its overall economy. Regardless of whether one believes that we have too much freight movement, or not enough, one thing seems certain – freight is not going away anytime soon. Freight happens, and it will continue to happen as long as the region’s residents and businesses consume, produce, and transport goods. Moreover, most forecasts call for a doubling or even tripling of freight demand over the next 25 years. If growth in freight movement cannot be reversed, it can – and must – be effectively planned and managed, so that its negative aspects are minimized and mitigated at the least public cost, while its positive aspects are promoted to achieve public benefits and public goals. Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 1 NJTPA Freight System Performance Assessment Final Summary Report 2.0 Overview of Regional Freight Movement Freight movement studies tend to use their own descriptive terms, and there is some variability in how they use them. Here are some general definitions: • Freight movement – This can be defined generally as the physical movement of commercial commodities – materials, products, and/or property – between two points. Waste products with commercial value – such as scrap metal, waste paper, and recyclables – are considered freight. Municipal waste is generally not considered “freight,” and may not be represented in freight statistics. • Freight modes – These are the ways that freight can be physically carried, and include air, water, truck, rail, and pipeline. • Freight networks – These are point-to-point freight transportation systems that link specific geographic origins and destinations, and include waterways, highways, rail lines, and pipelines. • Interchange points or nodes (not to be confused with modes) – These are specific locations where freight is exchanged between modes, or undergoes some sort of processing or handling activity, such as airports, seaports, rail terminals, and warehouse/distribution centers. These activities are often clustered due to zoning, transportation factors, and/or operational and marketing advantages. • Intermodal freight – Most broadly, this is freight that moves from origin to destination using a combination of modes (truck-air-truck, truck-rail, seaport-rail, etc.). In a more limited definition, it is freight moved within an intermodal shipping container that can be easily transferred between vessels, trucks and railcars. • Freight volume – U.S. freight movement is generally measured in terms of weight (metric tons, long tons, short tons, or pounds), value, units (number of containers, automobiles, etc.), value, vehicles moved (railcars, trucks, vessels, etc.), vehicle miles of travel (VMT), and ton-miles (tonnage times miles of travel). Container volumes are often measured in TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) because containers come in a variety of lengths. Liquid bulk may also be measured in barrels (42 gallons). All tonnage quoted in this document represents short tons (2,000