November 2017 Connecticut Statewide Freight Plan This page intentionally left blank. LIST OF ACRONYMS AHTD – Annual Hours of Truck Delay ATA – American Trucking Association BPA – Bridgeport Port Authority CIP – Capital Improvement Plan CMAQ – Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program CNG – Compressed Natural Gas COG – Council of Governments CPA – Connecticut Port Authority CRA – Connecticut Railroad Association CRFC – Critical Rural Freight Corridors CTDOT – Connecticut Department of Transportation CUFC – Critical Urban Freight Corridors CVISN – Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks DECD – Department of Economic and Community Development DEEP – Department of Energy and Environmental Protection DMV – Department of Motor Vehicles EJ – Environmental Justice EPA – United States Environmental Protection Agency FAA – Federal Aviation Administration FAST Act – Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act FHWA – Federal Highway Administration FMCSA – Federal Motor Carrier Administration FRA – Federal Railroad Administration FTA – Federal Transit Administration FTIP – Freight Transportation Improvement Program GIS – Geographic Information System GPS – Global Positioning Systems HCAADT – Heavy Commercial Average Annual Daily Traffic HHS – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HOS – Hours of Service HSIP – Highway Safety Improvement Program ITS – Intelligent Transportation Systems LEP – Limited English Proficiency LRP – Long Range Plan MAP-21 – Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act MPG – Miles Per Gallon MPH – Miles Per Hour MPO – Metropolitan Planning Organization NAAQS – National Ambient Air Quality Standards CONNECTICUT STATEWIDE FREIGHT PLAN Page i LIST OF ACRONYMS NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement NBI – National Bridge Inventory NECR – New England Central Railway NERFG – New England Regional Freight Group NFAC – National Freight Advisory Committee NFSP – National Freight Strategic Plan NHFN – National Highway Freight Network NHFP – National Highway Freight Program NHL – New Haven Line NHPA – New Haven Port Authority NHPP – National Highway Performance Program NHS – National Highway System NHTSA – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NMFN – National Multimodal Freight Network NSB – Naval Submarine Base OSOW – Oversize-Overweight PHFN – Primary Highway Freight Network PHFS – Primary Highway Freight System PHMSA – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration PPPs – Public-Private Partnerships PTC – Positive Train Control RQI – Ride Quality Index RRIF – Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing STF – Special Transportation Fund STIP – State Transportation Improvement Program STRAHNET – Strategic Highway Network TEP – Tax Exempt Program TIFIA – Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act TIGER – Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery TRANSCOM – Transportation Operations Coordinating Committee TTTR – Truck Travel Time Reliability USACE – United States Army Corps of Engineers USDOT – United Stated Department of Transportation WIM – Weigh-in-Motion Systems Page ii CONNECTICUT STATEWIDE FREIGHT PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Freight movement is invisible to most of us, yet we expect much from it. Think about the last time you ordered a gift for someone at the last minute that was delivered within a single day of your order. Making deliveries happen so efficiently and seamlessly takes advanced logistics and a well-functioning and well-integrated system of roads, rail, ports and airports. The State of Connecticut operates and maintains much of that system, and partners with the private sector to maintain and operate some of it as well. This system must be fast, but it also needs to be safe for everyone. Connecticut lies in one of the largest economic regions of the world, and is a major supplier and importer of goods and services, all of which rely on a properly functioning freight network. In order to keeps this system working safely and efficiently both now and in the future, Connecticut must formulate the right policies, technologies and investments to operate, maintain and expand the system that is in place today, and be prepared for the changes that are coming. The Connecticut Statewide Freight Plan is part of that preparation. It reviews the State of Connecticut’s multi-faceted and interconnected freight system and sets a direction for policies, technologies and investments that will help the state meet the future and thrive in it. OVERVIEW OF FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION IN CONNECTICUT . Connecticut’s freight system is comprised of public and privately owned infrastructure. As discussed in more detail in chapter 5, the operations for freight movements are almost entirely conducted by the private sector, with public or quasi-public entities providing much of the infrastructure. In 2014, the shipments of commodities on Connecticut’s freight system contributed to business activity valued at $58.1 billion. About one-quarter of business activity in the state is directly related to goods movement. Trucks move most of the freight that travels in Connecticut. Nearly 94 percent of the freight that travels to, from or through Connecticut does so by truck (Figure ES-1). Trucks also move over 84 percent of the fuel oil that is shipped to the state. Connecticut is part of a national network and a gateway for freight, connecting some of the nation’s most productive population centers just beyond our borders to the north and south with the rest of the nation. Forty-four percent of freight movements in Connecticut are through trips. However, Connecticut’s roads, and especially the Interstate System, carry a disproportionate burden of this through traffic - trucks transport over 99 percent of the freight that passes through Connecticut. Rail accounts for a relatively small share of freight by weight. Two-thirds of Connecticut’s rail freight shipments consist of wood products, gravel, chemicals, plastics fuel and scrap metal. Clearance restrictions, weight restrictions, and low operating speeds diminish the effectiveness of the 648 miles that comprise Connecticut's freight rail network. CONNECTICUT STATEWIDE FREIGHT PLAN Page iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Final Report Figure ES-1: Connecticut Major Freight Flows by Tonnage (left) and Value (right, $Millions) Source: CDM Smith and IHS-Transearch data, 2914 . Connecticut's pipeline system brings 97 percent of the state's natural gas shipments into the state. The pipeline system is limited in its capacity to meet growing demand. Scrap metal is Connecticut’s largest single export commodity by weight. Half is exported through the Port of New Haven to international destinations. The balance is exported by truck to New England states. In 2016, over $2.3 billion worth of petroleum products including fuel oil was shipped through the Port of New Haven. JFK is a major source of air cargo that travels to and from Connecticut by truck. Bradley International Airport shipped over $172 million in high-value goods in 2014, consisting of high value components such as aircraft components, electrical and machinery parts as well as consumer goods. The Port of New York and New Jersey is the major conduit for waterborne freight to/from Connecticut by truck. Trucks encounter significant delay in the peak hours of travel on Interstate roads around Connecticut’s urbanized areas. In 2016, truck delays were greatest along Interstate 95 between New York and New Haven, and I-84 near Danbury, Waterbury and Hartford. While Connecticut’s largest truck trading partners are its neighbors, there are significant connections with states in the south and west as well. Figure ES-2 (left) illustrates the major freight flows by truck to, from, and within Connecticut for 2010, and Figure ES-2 (right) depicts the 2040 truck freight forecasts. Together, these figures illustrate the increase in freight flows - nearly 59 percent over current levels - that are projected for Connecticut’s roads within the next 25 years. Page iv CONNECTICUT STATEWIDE FREIGHT PLAN Final Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Figure ES-2 Major Freight Flows by Truck, 2010 (left) and 2040 (right) To, From and Within Connecticut Source: US DOT, FHWA, Office of Freight Management and Operations, Freight Analysis Framework, version 3.4, 2012 Table ES-1 and Table ES-2 exhibit the points of exit for international exports and their value as well as the breakdown of commodities and their value in the New England Region. Air transport is the major freight mode for international exports from Connecticut. Air transport allows for fast, just-in-time deliveries by businesses, saving money on inventory and logistical costs. In addition to becoming increasingly important in international trade, air transport can involve higher costs and be subject to delays or cancellations not experienced by other modes.1 Table ES-1: Major Points of Exit for International Exports and Value in Connecticut, 2013 Location Export Value, 2013 JFK Int’l., NY (air) $8.2 billion New York, NY (sea) $1.1 billion Laredo, TX (land) $1.0 billion Buffalo, NY (land) $653 million Newark, NJ (sea) $557 million Baltimore, MD (sea) $490 million Atlanta, GA. $458 million Source: WISERTrade 1 https://www.gov.uk/transport-and-distribution-for-international-trade CONNECTICUT STATEWIDE FREIGHT PLAN Page v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Final Report Table ES-2: Major Commodities Exported Internationally and Value in Connecticut, 2013 Commodities Total Value, 2013 Aircraft & parts $7.7 billion Industrial machinery $2.0 billion Electric machinery $1.3 billion