FMATS Freight Mobility Plan Prepared for: DOT&PF, FMATS Prepared by: HDR January 2019 Fairbanks, Alaska This page intentionally left blank. January 2019 Contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Why develop a FMP for the Fairbanks area? ........................................................................................... 1 1.2 Fairbanks Freight Mobility Overview ....................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Purpose of the Freight Mobility Plan ....................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Study Area ................................................................................................................................................ 3 1.5 FMP Planning Process .............................................................................................................................. 4 1.6 Organization of the FMATS FMP .............................................................................................................. 5 2 Stakeholder Involvement Process ....................................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Freight Advisory Committee .................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Stakeholder Interviews ............................................................................................................................ 7 2.3 Public Opinion Survey .............................................................................................................................. 7 2.3.1 Fairbanks Comment On-line Map .............................................................................................. 7 2.4 Public Meetings and Online Open Houses ............................................................................................... 8 3 Vision, Goals, Objectives, and Performance Measures .................................................................................... 10 3.1 Vision Statement .................................................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Goals and Objectives.............................................................................................................................. 10 3.3 Performance Measures .......................................................................................................................... 12 3.3.1 Proposed Performance Measures ........................................................................................... 12 Truck Crash Injury/Fatality Index: Fatality and Serious Injury Crash Rate per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) .................................................................................................. 14 Truck Mobility (Truck Travel Time Index) .............................................................................................. 14 Truck Travel Time Reliability (Truck Travel Time Reliability Index) ........................................................ 14 Annual Hours of Truck Delay ................................................................................................................. 15 Percent of Structurally Deficient Bridges on Freight Network ............................................................... 15 Percent of Functionally Obsolete Bridges on Freight Network .............................................................. 15 Number of At-grade Rail Crossings ........................................................................................................ 15 Increase in Centerline Miles of National Highway System (NHS) Roads (meeting department standards) ................................................................................................................................ 15 Percent of the Interstate System Mileage providing for Reliable Truck Travel Time and Percent of the Interstate System Mileage Uncongested ......................................................... 16 Number of Vertical Restrictions on the Freight Network ...................................................................... 16 Number of FAC Meetings Held per Year ................................................................................................ 16 4 Regional Context ............................................................................................................................................... 17 4.1 Socioeconomic ....................................................................................................................................... 17 4.2 Economy and Employment .................................................................................................................... 19 4.3 Trade ...................................................................................................................................................... 24 4.4 Land Uses ............................................................................................................................................... 25 4.5 Environmental ........................................................................................................................................ 32 5 Freight Network Characteristics, Routes, and Bottlenecks ............................................................................... 34 5.1 Highway ................................................................................................................................................. 34 5.1.1 Weigh Stations ......................................................................................................................... 38 FMATS Freight Mobility Plan | i January 2019 5.2 Rail ......................................................................................................................................................... 39 5.3 Air ........................................................................................................................................................... 41 5.4 Pipe ........................................................................................................................................................ 44 5.5 Water ..................................................................................................................................................... 45 5.6 Intermodal ............................................................................................................................................. 45 5.7 Freight Travel Markets ........................................................................................................................... 47 5.7.1 Anchorage/Southcentral Region ............................................................................................. 47 5.7.2 Prudhoe Bay and North Slope ................................................................................................. 47 5.7.3 Continental United States/Canada .......................................................................................... 48 5.7.4 Japan, China, and Other Markets ............................................................................................ 48 5.8 Freight Regulatory and Institutional Issues ........................................................................................... 48 5.9 Freight Issues ......................................................................................................................................... 49 5.9.1 Freight Bottlenecks and Congestion ........................................................................................ 49 5.9.2 Roadway Safety ....................................................................................................................... 53 5.9.3 Incident Management ............................................................................................................. 54 5.9.4 Increasing Vehicle Size and Weight ......................................................................................... 54 5.9.5 Overhead Signal Mast Arm Clearance ..................................................................................... 55 5.9.6 Phillips Field Road Industrial Area ........................................................................................... 55 5.9.7 Rail Safety ................................................................................................................................ 55 5.9.8 At-Grade Crossings .................................................................................................................. 55 5.9.9 Positive Train Control .............................................................................................................. 56 5.9.10 ARRC Safety Outreach Programs ............................................................................................. 56 5.9.11 Pipeline Safety ......................................................................................................................... 56 5.9.12 Liquefied Natural Gas Development ....................................................................................... 56 5.9.13 Winter Conditions ...................................................................................................................