Identification of Massachusetts Freight Issues and Priorities Prepared for the Massachusetts Freight Advisory Council By Massachusetts Highway Department Argeo Paul Cellucci Jane Swift Kevin J. Sullivan Matthew J. Amorello Governor Lieutenant Governor Secretary Commissioner And Louis Berger and Associates Identification of Massachusetts Freight Issues and Priorities Massachusetts Freight Advisory Council Chairman Robert Williams Project Manager and Report Author Mark Berger, AICP Project Support (Consultant) Adel Foz Wendy Fearing Chris Orphanides Rajesh Salem The preparation of this document was supported and funded by the Massachusetts Highway Department and Federal Highway Administration through Agreement SPR 97379. November 1999 Identification of Massachusetts Freight Issues and Priorities Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................1-1 Purpose...........................................................................................................................................................1-1 Massachusetts Freight Advisory Council.........................................................................................................1-1 Contents of Report..........................................................................................................................................1-1 CHAPTER 2: SOLICITATION OF FREIGHT ISSUES..................................................................................2-1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................2-1 Small Focus Groups........................................................................................................................................2-1 Individual Meetings with Members of the Freight Community ........................................................................2-1 Regional Forums.............................................................................................................................................2-2 Massachusetts Freight Advisory Council Meetings..........................................................................................2-2 CHAPTER 3: THE MASSACHUSETTS FREIGHT SYSTEM.......................................................................3-1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................3-1 System Description .........................................................................................................................................3-1 The Transportation Economic Connection.......................................................................................................3-7 Freight Network Improvement Process............................................................................................................3-10 1995 Freight Flow Data ..................................................................................................................................3-12 CHAPTER 4: ISSUES IDENTIFIED THROUGH OUTREACH EFFORT .....................................................4-1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................4-1 Issues Categories.............................................................................................................................................4-1 Statewide Issues..............................................................................................................................................4-1 Regional Issues Western Massachusetts (Pittsfield, Springfield, Greenfield)....................................................4-5 Regional Issues Central Massachusetts (Worcester, Fitchburg)........................................................................4-6 Regional Issues Southeastern Massachusetts (Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford, Hyannis, Islands) ..............4-7 Regional Issues Northeastern Massachusetts (Boston, Lowell, Newburyport)..................................................4-8 Summary Tables .............................................................................................................................................4-10 CHAPTER 5: RANKING OF ISSUES BY LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE.........................................................5-1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................5-1 Freight Issues – High Importance ....................................................................................................................5-1 Freight Issues – Medium Importance...............................................................................................................5-2 Freight Issues – Low Importance.....................................................................................................................5-3 Conclusion......................................................................................................................................................5-3 APPENDIX A: MASSACHUSETTS FREIGHT ADVISORY COUNCIL MISSION STATEMENT..............A-1 APPENDIX B: MEETING MINUTES ...........................................................................................................B-1 APPENDIX C: 1995 MASSACHUSETTS FREIGHT FLOWS.......................................................................C-1 APPENDIX D: TEMPORARY POLICY DIRECTIVE – INTERMODAL CONTAINER NON-REDUCIBLE LOAD PERMIT.....................................................................................................................D-1 APPENDIX E: FOCUS GROUP ATTENDANCE..........................................................................................E-1 GLOSSARY...................................................................................................................................................G-1 Massachusetts Freight Advisory Council Table of Contents - i Identification of Massachusetts Freight Issues and Priorities List of Tables Table 2-1: Focus Group Meetings ...................................................................................................................2-1 Table 2-2: Individual Meetings .......................................................................................................................2-2 Table 2-3: Regional Forums............................................................................................................................2-2 Table 2-4: Massachusetts Freight Advisory Council Meetings.........................................................................2-2 Table 3-1: Massachusetts Freight Rail Carriers by Type ..................................................................................3-2 Table 3-2: 1996 Massachusetts Port Freight Shipments ...................................................................................3-4 Table 3-3: 1998 Logan International Airport Cargo and Mail Activity in Metric Tons .....................................3-6 Table 3-4: Intermodal Freight Facilities...........................................................................................................3-8 Table 3-5: Trading regions used to categorize freight by Origin/ Destination/ Transportation Mode for Eastern and Western Massachusetts ................................................................................................3-13 Table 3-6: Reebie and Associates 1995 Freight Flow Data ..............................................................................3-14 Table 4-1: Diesel Fuel Tax Comparison ..........................................................................................................4-4 Table 4-2: Statewide Issues Grouped by Category...........................................................................................4-10 Table 4-3: Western Massachusetts Issues Grouped by Category ......................................................................4-11 Table 4-4: Central Massachusetts Issues Grouped by Category........................................................................4-12 Table 4-5: Southeastern Massachusetts Issues Grouped by Category ...............................................................4-12 Table 4-6: Northeastern Massachusetts Issues Grouped by Category ...............................................................4-13 Table 5-1: Issues Ranked with High Importance..............................................................................................5-1 Table 5-2: Issues Ranked with Medium Importance ........................................................................................5-2 Table 5-3: Issues Ranked with Low Importance ..............................................................................................5-3 Massachusetts Freight Advisory Council Table of Contents - ii Identification of Massachusetts Freight Issues and Priorities List of Figures Figure 2-1: Regional Meeting Boundaries .......................................................................................................2-3 Figure 3-1: Major Freight Railroad Facilities...................................................................................................3-15 Figure 3-2: Major Trucking