Niagara Frontier Urban Area Freight Transportation Study Introduction 1 Niagara Frontier Urban Area Freight Transportation Study Introduction TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................ 5 1.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Freight Marketing/Advisory Organization .................................................................................................................. 6 2.1 Potential Purpose/Functions ........................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Participation/Roles .............................................................................................................................................................. 9 2.3 Meeting Formats and Sample Agenda .......................................................................................................................... 9 Marketing Plan .................................................................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Marketing Plan Purpose and Goals ............................................................................................................................. 11 3.2 Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional SWOT Analysis ............................................................................................... 12 3.3 Greater Buffalo-Niagara Marketing Goals and Objectives ................................................................................ 14 3.4 Greater Buffalo-Niagara Marketing Action Strategies ........................................................................................ 15 3.5 Marketing Implementation Plan and Performance Measures ........................................................................ 15 3.6 Greater Buffalo-Niagara Marketing Budget ............................................................................................................ 15 Evaluation of Maritime Projects ................................................................................................................................... 16 4.1 Roll On/Roll Off (Ro/Ro) Service ................................................................................................................................. 16 4.2 Containerized Service ....................................................................................................................................................... 19 4.3 AES Somerset ....................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Analysis of Rail Projects .................................................................................................................................................. 25 5.1 Benefit/Cost of Projects to Alleviate Delays at CP Draw ................................................................................... 25 5.2 Improvements...................................................................................................................................................................... 26 5.3 Economic Impacts .............................................................................................................................................................. 28 5.4 Train Operating Costs ....................................................................................................................................................... 28 5.5 Shipper Freight Car Costs ............................................................................................................................................... 29 5.6 Shipper Inventory Carrying Cost ................................................................................................................................. 31 5.7 Emissions Cost Savings .................................................................................................................................................... 31 5.8 Summary of Benefits & Sensitivity Analysis ........................................................................................................... 33 5.9 Lehigh Valley Yard and Whirlpool Bridge ............................................................................................................... 38 5.10 Prioritization & Analysis of Projects in the NY State Rail Plan ....................................................................... 39 Highway Projects that Impact the Buffalo-Niagara Region ................................................................................ 41 6.1 Peace Bridge Expansion Project ................................................................................................................................... 41 6.2 U.S. Route 219 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 42 6.3 New York Route 63 Corridor ......................................................................................................................................... 42 Logistics Center Potential in the Buffalo-Niagara Region ................................................................................... 45 7.1 Potential Weaknesses of the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Region as a Logistics Center ............................. 45 1 Niagara Frontier Urban Area Freight Transportation Study Introduction 7.2 Specific Implementation Proposals and Likely Costs ......................................................................................... 48 7.3 Potential Benefits of a Logistics Center..................................................................................................................... 56 7.4 Economic Impacts of Buffalo Logistics Center ....................................................................................................... 64 Appendix A: TIGER Grant Application Projects....................................................................................................... 78 Appendix B: Freight Advisory Committee Bylaws ................................................................................................. 81 Mission.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 81 Article 1: Purpose, Values, Roles and Responsibilities ...................................................................................................... 81 Article 2: Membership ..................................................................................................................................................................... 82 Article 3: Officers ................................................................................................................................................................................ 83 Article 4: Meetings ............................................................................................................................................................................. 84 Article 5: Amendments to Bylaws ............................................................................................................................................... 85 Appendix C: Potential Organization Members for the Buffalo-Niagara Freight Advisory Committee 86 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 2- 1: Reasons for Creating Freight Advisory Group ...................................................................................................... 7 Figure 4- 1: Operating Expense per Day for Providing Short Sear Shipping on GLSLS System ............................ 16 Figure 4- 2: 2004 Truck Traffic to and from the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Region...................................................... 18 Figure 4- 3: U.S. Freight Demand (millions of ton-miles) ...................................................................................................... 21 Figure 4- 4: Tonnage Trends of Marine Traffic in Welland Canal Section ...................................................................... 21 Figure 4- 5: AES Somerset Lake Unloading Project.................................................................................................................. 23 Figure 4- 6: Estimated Safety Savings from AES Somerset ................................................................................................... 24 Figure 5- 1: Traffic Growth for CP Draw ....................................................................................................................................... 26 Figure 5- 2: Annual Delays in Hours on the CP Draw .............................................................................................................. 26 Figure 5- 3: Time Savings for 1a Scenario .................................................................................................................................... 27 Figure 5- 4: Time Savings for 1b Scenario...................................................................................................................................