TENNESSEE STATEWIDE MULTIMODAL FREIGHT PLAN Tennessee Statewide Multimodal Freight Plan
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TENNESSEE STATEWIDE MULTIMODAL FREIGHT PLAN Tennessee Statewide Multimodal Freight Plan CONTENTS 1. Strategic Goals .......................................................................................... 1-1 2. Economic Context of Freight Transportation Planning ........................... 2-1 3. Freight Policies, Strategies, and Institutions ........................................... 3-1 4. State Freight Transportation Assets ........................................................ 4-1 5. Conditions and Performance of the State’s Transportation System ...... 5-1 6. Freight Forecast ........................................................................................ 6-1 7. Overview of Trends, Needs, and Issues ................................................... 7-1 8. Tennessee’s Freight Transportation System Strengths & Challenges ... 8-1 9. The State’s Decision-Making Process ..................................................... 9-1 10. Tennessee’s Freight Improvement Strategy .......................................... 10-1 11. Implementation Plan .............................................................................. 11-1 Tennessee Department of Transportation Tennessee Statewide Multimodal Freight Plan CONTENTS 1. Strategic Goals.................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Relationship to fixing America’s surface transportation (FAST) Act ................ 1-2 1.3 Strategic Goals for Freight Transportation ........................................................ 1-2 1.3.1 National Multimodal Freight Policy Goals ....................................................... 1-3 1.3.2 National Highway Freight Program Goals ........................................................ 1-4 1.4 Strategic Goals Related to Guiding Principles for Tennessee’s Transportation System ................................................................................................................. 1-5 TABLES Table 1-1 National Highway Freight Program Goals ............................................................................. 1-4 Table 1-2 Freight Goals Relative to Guiding Principles ........................................................................ 1-6 Tennessee Department of Transportation 1-i Tennessee Statewide Multimodal Freight Plan 1. Strategic Goals 1.1 INTRODUCTION Freight transportation, including air, water, road, and rail systems, is a critical part of economic development, job creation, and global growth for the state of Tennessee. Efficient movement of goods to, from, and through Tennessee is also closely linked with manufacturing, which supports jobs throughout the state. Due to the heavy reliance of the state’s economy on freight transportation, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) established a guiding principle to provide for the efficient movement of people and freight. TDOT recognizes the importance of planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining freight related projects to sustain mobility and accessibility for the future growth of the state’s population and industries. Freight-related sectors across Tennessee have seen steady growth in employment since the global economic downturn, which occurred from 2007 through 2009. Employment growth data for key freight industry sectors, including warehousing, manufacturing, and wholesale trade (as defined by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis) shows that these sectors exhibited considerable decline through the peak of the recession (2008-2009). Following the recession, these same sectors began recovering. This increase in employment in the Tennessee freight sectors is likely indicative of increased production and consumption of commodities, linked with manufacturing. The State Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for these key freight industry sectors accounts for nearly 40 percent of Tennessee’s total GDP, which is higher than the percent of total GDP in the U.S. for the same industry sectors (35 percent)1. This metric further strengthens the need for TDOT to evaluate current and future freight projects for efficient movement of people and goods to, from, and through the state. The purpose of this freight plan is threefold: 1) Define strategic goals for the Tennessee freight system; 2) Establish a strategy to achieve freight-related goals that align with TDOT’s guiding principles; and 3) Fulfill the requirements of the FAST Act. Building on input from public and private freight stakeholders this plan inventories the existing assets of the freight transportation system, evaluates the economic benefits of the system, anticipates future trends and economic growth, and determines implementable strategies for Tennessee to improve freight movement across all modes of transportation, as well as the equally important connections between modes. This plan culminates with a list of short- and long-term projects that address future needs of the Tennessee freight system. 1 Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2012 Tennessee Department of Transportation 1-1 Tennessee Statewide Multimodal Freight Plan 1.2 RELATIONSHIP TO FIXING AMERICA’S SURFACE TRANSPORTATION (FAST) ACT In July 2012, when the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) was signed into law, the importance of freight transportation planning on the national level was acknowledged. The requirements of MAP-21 respond to the increasing number of trucks on the roadway and the need to plan for a freight transportation system that is inclusive of all modes. MAP-21 did not require states to develop a freight plan. However, freight projects were required to be identified in a state plan to qualify for an increased federal funding share. The law encouraged states to develop comprehensive freight plans to guide state investments and requires a national freight strategic plan to be developed in cooperation with states and other stakeholders. Meeting the requirements set by MAP- 21, TDOT adopted the Tennessee Statewide Multimodal Freight Plan in 2016. Since the adoption of the Tennessee Statewide Multimodal Freight Plan, the FAST Act transportation authorization has been enacted. The FAST Act, signed on Dec. 4, 2015, builds on the freight initiatives that began under MAP-21. This piece of legislation, which governs current funding and program requirements, provides new requirements and guidance for State Freight Plans. With this new authorization, state freight plans are required to be developed by states that receive funds under 23 U.S.C. 167 and must be updated every five years. It also requires the development of a National Freight Strategic Plan and encourages states to create and utilize state freight advisory committees. Section 167, the National Highway Freight Program, created a formula program dedicated to freight specific projects. The FAST Act created a National Multimodal Freight Network (NMFN) with the intent of strengthening the contribution of this network to the economic competitiveness of the country. These funds may be spent on the National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) portion of the NMFN, which consists of the Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS), Critical Rural Freight Corridors (CRFCs), Critical Urban Freight Corridors (CUFCs), and the remainder of the Interstate Highway System not already designated as part of the PHFS. A state may not obligate these funds unless the state has developed a freight plan in accordance with section 70202 of title 49 of the FAST Act. This requirement serves as the impetus for updating the currently adopted statewide freight plan. By updating the Tennessee Statewide Multimodal Freight Plan to meet FAST Act requirements, Tennessee’s freight planning processes will align with goals established in the National Strategic Freight Plan. Updating the statewide freight plan to FAST Act compliance will enable Tennessee to achieve National Freight Policy goals by implementing projects funded by the National Highway Freight Program. A summary of how this statewide freight plan update meets FAST Act state freight plan requirements is available in Appendix 1. 1.3 STRATEGIC GOALS FOR FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) National Freight Policy goals align closely with TDOT’s guiding principles. These national goals are intended to guide future needs of a national freight system including Tennessee roads, rail lines, waterways, and air freight movement. Similarly, TDOT’s guiding principles are intended to focus the transportation system improvements on areas of Tennessee Department of Transportation 1-2 Tennessee Statewide Multimodal Freight Plan importance to the residents and economy in Tennessee. Aligning Tennessee’s guiding principles with the national freight goals enforces the direction of freight planning and projects for efficient movement of people and goods. 1.3.1 National Multimodal Freight Policy Goals As transportation planning moves towards performance based metrics, goals are defined in a manner to measure success from current existing conditions. TDOT wants to determine if freight policies and programs are helping the department meet these established goals. The ten National Multimodal Freight Policy Goals, which Tennessee has adopted, are listed below: Identifying infrastructure improvements, policies, and operational innovations that— o strengthen the contribution of the National Multimodal Freight Network to the economic competitiveness