Western Transportation Trade Network (WTTN) Is a Surface Freight Transportation Concept Which Seeks to Enhance the Economic Prosperity of the 17 Western U.S
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Final Report ..... Phase II WESTERN TRANSPORTATION TRADE NETWORK - 1999 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 – Introduction and Overview............................................................................... 1-1 WASHTO Support for WTTN........................................................................................ 1-1 Two Phase WTTN Study .............................................................................................. 1-2 Phase II Study Sponsors .............................................................................................. 1-4 The WTTN Trade Corridor Network ............................................................................. 1-5 Conclusions from Phase I............................................................................................. 1-9 Congressionally Designated “High Priority Corridors” ............................................... 1-11 Trade Corridor and Border Crossing TEA-21 Program.............................................. 1-14 This Phase II Study Report......................................................................................... 1-16 Chapter 2 – Transportation Facilities Within Each WTTN Corridor.................................. 2-1 Highways Within Each WTTN Corridor ........................................................................ 2-1 Highway Segmentation ............................................................................................... 2-15 Railroads Within Each WTTN Corridor....................................................................... 2-18 Other Transportation Facilities Within Each WTTN Corridor..................................... 2-25 Chapter 3 – Highways Analysis ............................................................................................ 3-1 Performance Standards................................................................................................ 3-1 Minimum Tolerable Conditions ..................................................................................... 3-3 Highways Deficiency Analysis .................................................................................... 3-14 Deficiencies................................................................................................................. 3-21 Highway Bridges Deficiencies Analysis...................................................................... 3-30 Performance Analysis................................................................................................. 3-32 Existing Conditions ..................................................................................................... 3-39 Summary Observations .............................................................................................. 3-56 Menu of Solutions ....................................................................................................... 3-57 Chapter 4 – Railroad Analysis............................................................................................... 4-1 Performance Standards................................................................................................ 4-1 Railroad Deficiency Analysis ........................................................................................ 4-5 Menu of Solutions ....................................................................................................... 4-19 Benefits of Achieving Performance Standards........................................................... 4-29 Chapter 5 – Intermodal Facilities Analysis .......................................................................... 5-1 Surface Freight Volumes .............................................................................................. 5-2 Federal Intermodal Connectors Conditions and Investment Study ........................... 5-16 Intermodal Facilities in the Western U.S. ................................................................... 5-18 Airports as Intermodal Facilities ................................................................................. 5-22 Grain Elevators as Intermodal Facilities ..................................................................... 5-36 Railroad TOFC/COFC as Intermodal Facilities .......................................................... 5-51 Other Railroad Intermodal Facilities ........................................................................... 5-59 Ports as Intermodal Facilities...................................................................................... 5-60 At-Grade Crossings .................................................................................................... 5-68 Chapter 6 – Conclusions and Recommendations .............................................................. 6-1 Trade and Transportation: Increasingly Important ....................................................... 6-1 WTTN Phase I Findings .............................................................................................. 6-11 A Summary of WTTN Phase II ................................................................................... 6-16 Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 6-25 i Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW The Western Transportation Trade Network (WTTN) is a surface freight transportation concept which seeks to enhance the economic prosperity of the 17 western U.S. states. The WTTN concept was developed by the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO) and, to date, has comprised a two-phase study: 4 Phase I – Completed May 9, 1997, WTTN Phase I explained the WTTN concept, identified freight transportation systems and commodity movements throughout the WTTN states, identified and described the WTTN network (20 multimodal trade corridors), and identified trade corridor issues and needs. Phase I is a separately bound report volume dated 1997. 4 Phase II – This second phase was completed in July 1999 and is summarized in this report document. The Phase II work builds upon the results of Phase I and focuses on the specific highways, rail lines, ports, waterways, airports, COFC/TOFC facilities and grain elevators within the 20 designated WTTN Trade Corridors. Freight transportation performance is evaluated, and deficiencies are identified from the freight transportation perspective. WASHTO SUPPORT FOR WTTN The WTTN concept was born in 1994, via the WASHTO Standing Committee on Planning, and as endorsed by the CAOs of the 17 states (Resolution 94-1). In 1994, WASHTO established the WTTN mission, as follows: WTTN Mission Statement The purpose of WTTN is to promote economic growth and to maximize regional trade opportunities among Canada, the United States, and Mexico by defining and implementing a multimodal transportation and trade network.1 1 “Western Transportation Trade Network Concept Paper,” WASHTO Standing Committee on Planning, March 1994. Western Transportation Trade Network 1-1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW Within the context of that mission statement, WTTN was charged by WASHTO with four specific objectives:2 1. Develop a coalition of state DOTs and utilize the input of other interested parties, including private sector and non-profit organizations, to develop a multimodal transportation trade network in the western U.S. 2. Collect an adequate level of information on trade and its impact on the transportation system, in order to forecast and address network deficiencies and needs. 3. Develop a standardized database of information to support network investment decisions, which is compatible with GIS interface, related to transportation and trade in the western U.S. 4. Define performance objectives of the multimodal transportation and trade network and identify performance measures descriptive of the network. The focus of WTTN is therefore trade, both domestic and international. Trade, as defined herein, refers to freight movement by surface transportation (trucking, railroads, waterways), and access to intermodal facilities such as ports, airports and intermodal container terminals. TWO-PHASE WTTN STUDY To attain the WTTN objectives, a two-phase WTTN study was designed. WTTN Phase I – The Phase I study had three objectives: 1. Explore trade and freight transportation throughout the western U.S. and, based on these assessments, identify a multimodal transportation trade network for the western U.S. (the WTTN trade network); 2. Examine that defined WTTN trade network (rail lines, highways, intermodal facilities) and identify transportation infrastructure deficiencies that are adversely affecting trade and freight transportation; and 2 Resolution 94-1, Annual CAO Workshop, WASHTO, March 26, 1994. 1-2 Western Transportation Trade Network INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 3. Demonstrate that a regional (multi-state) approach to WTTN corridors, to freight transportation issues, and to WTTN trade network needs and opportunities, has merit. The Phase I work was successfully completed in 1997. Based on that work, the WASHTO states decided to proceed with the Phase II work. WTTN Phase II – The Phase II work was designed to address four subjects, comprising Tasks 1 through 4: 4 Task 1: WTTN Performance Objectives – Identify performance objectives for each of the WTTN Trade Corridors. These are to be goals, from the freight industry’s perspective, for suggestion to the individual states. 4 Task 2: Existing WTTN Corridor Performance – Determine how well each WTTN trade network route is currently performing as