RAIL FREIGHT SYSTEM STUDY PO #211216-000 February 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. I CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 STUDY PURPOSE ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 THE FUTURE OF RAIL FREIGHT IN THE OHIO ECONOMY ..................................................................................................... 2 CHAPTER 2: UNDERSTANDING EXISTING CONDITIONS FOR RAIL FREIGHT DEVELOPMENT .................... 5 INVENTORY &ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Communities .................................................................................................................................................. 5 Summit County .......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Stark County .............................................................................................................................................................. 8 Demographic Profile..................................................................................................................................... 11 Employment and Labor Force Profile ............................................................................................................ 17 Land Use ...................................................................................................................................................... 20 Summit County .........................................................................................................................................................20 Stark County .............................................................................................................................................................23 Zoning ......................................................................................................................................................... 25 Zoning Along the Akron Secondary Line .....................................................................................................................27 City of Hudson – Summit County ...........................................................................................................................27 City of Stow – Summit County ...............................................................................................................................27 Village of Silver Lake .............................................................................................................................................28 City of Cuyahoga Falls ...........................................................................................................................................28 City of Akron ........................................................................................................................................................29 Zoning Along the Sandyville Line................................................................................................................................30 City of Akron ........................................................................................................................................................30 Springfield Township ............................................................................................................................................30 City of Green ........................................................................................................................................................31 Jackson Township .................................................................................................................................................31 Plain Township .....................................................................................................................................................32 City of Canton.......................................................................................................................................................32 Freight Activity Centers ................................................................................................................................ 33 Hudson Freight Activity Center – Summit County .......................................................................................................34 Akron Freight Activity Center – Summit County..........................................................................................................34 Massillon Road IBP Freight Activity Center (Springfield Township) – Summit County ...................................................34 Green Freight Activity Center – Summit County .........................................................................................................35 Jackson Freight Activity Center – Stark County ...........................................................................................................35 Canton Freight Activity Center – Stark County ............................................................................................................35 Development Potential at Full Build-Out within Freight Activity Centers .....................................................................37 FREIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE AND ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................... 38 Ohio Distribution Network ............................................................................................................................ 38 Product Movement in Ohio........................................................................................................................... 41 Highway Network ........................................................................................................................................ 43 Major Roadway Corridors ..........................................................................................................................................43 Traffic in Summit & Stark Counties.............................................................................................................................43 Railroads Classifications ............................................................................................................................... 44 Rail Lines in Stark & Summit Counties ........................................................................................................................45 METRO Owned Rail Lines...........................................................................................................................................45 Sandyville Line ......................................................................................................................................................46 Akron Secondary ..................................................................................................................................................47 Freedom Secondary ..............................................................................................................................................47 METRO Rail Holdings and Finances Analysis ................................................................................................. 49 Rights-of Way & Usage ..............................................................................................................................................49 Finances....................................................................................................................................................................51 Land Valuation ..........................................................................................................................................................51 Depreciation of Rail Assets ........................................................................................................................................52 CHAPTER 3: INDUSTRY CLUSTER ANALYSIS ........................................................................................... 53 DETAILED INDUSTRY CLUSTER &SECTOR ANALYSIS........................................................................................................ 54 Industry Clusters .......................................................................................................................................... 54 Largest Clusters.........................................................................................................................................................54 Fastest Growing Clusters ...........................................................................................................................................57 Cluster Location Quotient ............................................................................................................................. 58 Industry Cluster Shift Share Analysis ............................................................................................................. 59