Regional Freight and Logistics Status
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171 I Page May 2021 Appendix B Tech Memo #1: Regional Freight and Logistics Status Buffalo-Niagara Regional Freight Plan Tech Memo #1: Regional Freight and Logistics Status Abstract This report provides an update to the current freight and logistics conditions facing the Buffalo-Niagara region and prepares an assessment to support subsequent opportunities, challenges, and recommendations. The update to the current freight and logistics conditions were derived from a combination of technical resources, publications, and stakeholder input. Section 1 provides an overview of recent freight transportation projects that were identified in the 2010 Niagara Frontier Urban Area Transportation Study and are complete or currently underway. This section also describes the projects that were identified in the 2010 plan, but have not been implemented. Section 2 describes regional economic development in the Buffalo-Niagara region and have the potential to influence freight patterns. Section 3 describes improvement or expansion projects planned for nearby intermodal, air, or water port facilities that are likely to impact the freight and logistics industry of the Buffalo-Niagara region. Section 4 provides an overview of the Buffalo-Niagara region freight conditions. This section includes an analysis of recurring and non-recurring freight congestion and an analysis of border crossings. Section 5 discusses the cross-border conditions relating to freight and logistics. Section 6 offers a look at freight flows (historical, current, and projected) for the Buffalo-Niagara region. Section 7 describes the provisions initiated under Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century and the related impacts to funding programs and state and MPO planning. Section 8 describes the national freight and logistics trends as seen from various industry perspectives to provide context for freight decision-making in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Section 9 provides an overview of the regional and statewide studies and plans that influence the freight and logistics industry in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Section 10 provides an overview of freight planning considerations including the issues related to freight and environmental sustainability, including air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, safety-related concerns – crash data and the transport of hazardous materials, and security concerns. Section 11 presents measures that can be used to track the performance of a freight system. Section 12 describes the outreach and engagement activities conducted, including meetings and a survey. The stakeholder outreach has provided valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities for both the existing and an expanding future freight and logistics industry in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Tech Memo #1: Regional Freight and Logistics Status Table of Contents Section Page 1 Transportation Improvement Projects ............................................................................ 1 1.1 PROJECTS COMPLETED OR UNDERWAY ____________________________________________________ 1 1.2 UNCOMPLETED PROJECTS ______________________________________________________________ 3 1.3 OTHER PROJECTS ______________________________________________________________________ 4 2 Regional Economic Development .................................................................................... 7 2.1 SHOVEL-READY SITES __________________________________________________________________ 7 2.2 NEW YORK BUILD-NOW SITES ___________________________________________________________ 7 2.3 MEGA SITES __________________________________________________________________________ 9 2.4 FOREIGN TRADE ZONES ________________________________________________________________ 9 2.5 MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ________________________________________________________ 9 3 Nearby Port Facility Expansions and Plans ..................................................................... 10 3.1 LAKESIDE COMMERCE PARK TRANSLOADING FACILITY _______________________________________ 10 3.2 DEWITT YARD _______________________________________________________________________ 10 3.3 PORT OF BUFFALO ____________________________________________________________________ 10 3.4 PORT OF HAMILTON __________________________________________________________________ 11 3.5 BUFFALO-NIAGARA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT _____________________________________________ 11 3.6 NIAGARA FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ________________________________________________ 11 4 Buffalo-Niagara Region Freight Conditions .................................................................... 12 4.1 FREIGHT NETWORK ___________________________________________________________________ 12 4.2 REGIONAL FREIGHT ACTIVITY ___________________________________________________________ 12 4.3 BOTTLENECK ANALYSIS ________________________________________________________________ 14 5 Cross-Border Freight Assessment .................................................................................. 18 5.1 PORTS OF ENTRY FOR FREIGHT__________________________________________________________ 18 5.2 CROSS-BORDER FREIGHT VOLUME _______________________________________________________ 19 6 Freight Flow Analysis .................................................................................................... 22 6.1 AIR CARGO __________________________________________________________________________ 22 6.2 WATERBORNE FREIGHT _______________________________________________________________ 22 7 FAST Act and National Freight Provisions ...................................................................... 25 7.1 FUNDING ___________________________________________________________________________ 25 7.2 DIRECT IMPLICATIONS FOR MPO PLANNING _______________________________________________ 26 7.3 INDIRECT IMPLICATIONS FOR MPO PLANNING _____________________________________________ 26 8 National Freight and Logistics Trends ............................................................................ 27 8.1 GENERAL TRENDS ____________________________________________________________________ 27 8.2 TIGHTENED CAPACITY AND RISING RATES _________________________________________________ 29 8.3 TECHNOLOGICAL DISRUPTORS __________________________________________________________ 32 8.4 CHANGING BEHAVIORS ________________________________________________________________ 37 9 Regional and Statewide Studies .................................................................................... 39 9.1 NEW YORK STATE FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PLAN (2019) __________________________________ 39 9.2 MOVING FORWARD 2050 (2018) ________________________________________________________ 41 9.3 INITIATIVE FOR A SMART ECONOMY 2.0 (2017) ____________________________________________ 42 9.4 A STRATEGY FOR PROSPERITY – WNY REDC STRATEGIC PLAN (2017) ___________________________ 42 9.5 ONE REGION FORWARD (2015) _________________________________________________________ 42 A p p e n d i x B | i Tech Memo #1: Regional Freight and Logistics Status 9.6 INTERNATIONAL TRADE GATEWAY ORGANIZATION STRATEGIC PLAN (2014) _____________________ 42 9.7 WNY REGIONAL SUSTAINABILITY PLAN (2013) _____________________________________________ 42 9.8 NIAGARA FRONTIER URBAN AREA FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PLAN (2010) _____________________ 43 9.9 NIAGARA COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY(2020) ________________43 10 Freight Planning Considerations ................................................................................ 44 10.1 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY __________________________________________________ 44 10.2 SAFETY _____________________________________________________________________________ 50 10.3 HAZARDOUS MATERIAL _______________________________________________________________ 54 10.4 SECURITY ___________________________________________________________________________ 55 11 Freight Performance Measures .................................................................................. 57 11.1 FEDERAL OVERVIEW __________________________________________________________________ 57 11.2 STATE OVERVIEW ____________________________________________________________________ 59 11.3 PEER REVIEW ________________________________________________________________________ 60 11.4 BUFFALO-NIAGARA REGION OVERVIEW __________________________________________________ 62 12 Stakeholder Observations and Findings ..................................................................... 65 12.1 KEY OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS ______________________________________________________ 66 12.2 ON-LINE FREIGHT SURVEY _____________________________________________________________ 68 Figure Page Figure 2-1: Empire State Development Shovel Ready and Build Now Sites _______________________________ 8 Figure 4-1: Freight Activity in the Greater Buffalo Region ____________________________________________ 13 Figure 4-2: Recurring Congestion in the Greater Buffalo Region _______________________________________ 15 Figure 4-3: Non-Recurring Congestion in the Greater Buffalo Region ___________________________________ 16 Figure 5-1: Value of Exports to Canada Handled by Ports of Entry in the Buffalo-Niagara Region ____________ 19 Figure 5-2: Value of Imports from Canada Handled by Ports of Entry in the Buffalo-Niagara Region __________ 20 Figure 5-3: 2017-2018 Change in Overall Trade by Customs Port Sector ________________________________ 20 Figure 5-4: Export Value of Goods Passing through Buffalo-Niagara Ports of Entry (2018) __________________ 21 Figure 5-5: Import Value of Goods