APPALACHIAN REGIONAL FREIGHT MOBILITY PLAN FINAL PLAN – DRAFT FOR REVIEW Prepared for: APPALACHIAN COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS Prepared by: July 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Regional Freight Mobility Planning Objectives ............................................................................................................ 3 Agency Coordination and Public Engagement Process ........................................................................................... 4 Organization of the ACOG Regional Freight Mobility Plan .................................................................................... 9 II. Freight Planning Context ...........................................................................................................................................10 Population, Employment, and Economic Context ....................................................................................................10 Population Growth ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Employment Trends ................................................................................................................................................ 10 Economic Context .................................................................................................................................................... 12 Freight by Mode .....................................................................................................................................................................13 III. Goals, Objectives, and Performance Measures ...................................................................................................16 Development of Goals and Objectives ..........................................................................................................................17 Development of Performance Measures ......................................................................................................................18 ACOG Freight Goals, Objectives, and Performance Measures ............................................................................19 IV. Identification and Existing Conditions of Freight Assets .................................................................................21 Highways ...................................................................................................................................................................................21 Congestion .................................................................................................................................................................. 23 Safety ............................................................................................................................................................................. 28 Pavement and Bridge Conditions ...................................................................................................................... 28 Truck Parking.............................................................................................................................................................. 32 Railroads ....................................................................................................................................................................................32 At-Grade Crossing Safety ...................................................................................................................................... 36 Inland Port Greer ....................................................................................................................................................................38 Air Cargo ...................................................................................................................................................................................38 Land Use ....................................................................................................................................................................................39 V. Future Freight Mobility Needs ................................................................................................................................ 42 Population and Employment ............................................................................................................................................42 Freight Growth ........................................................................................................................................................................47 Truck Freight Growth .............................................................................................................................................. 47 Rail Freight Growth .................................................................................................................................................. 48 COVID-19 Impacts .................................................................................................................................................................49 VI. Project Recommendations .......................................................................................................................................51 P a g e | i Table of Contents VII. Project Prioritization ............................................................................................................................................... 57 VIII. Policy and Programmatic Recommendations ..................................................................................................61 IX. How to Use This Freight Plan ................................................................................................................................. 66 State and Federal Agencies ...............................................................................................................................................66 Metropolitan Planning Organizations ...........................................................................................................................68 Municipalities, Counties, and Economic Development Organizations .............................................................69 Private Sector Interests ........................................................................................................................................................69 LIST OF TABLES Table I-1: Agency Partners and Technical Steering Committee ......................................................................................... 7 Table I-2: Freight Advisory Committee ........................................................................................................................................ 8 Table III-1: Alignment Across FAST Act and SCDOT ............................................................................................................ 17 Table IV-1: The ACOG Region’s Pavement Condition, 2018 ............................................................................................ 28 Table IV-2: Existing Freight Generating Land Uses by Corridor in the ACOG Region ........................................... 41 Table IV-3: Future Freight Generating Land Uses by Corridor in the ACOG Region .............................................. 41 Table V-1: The ACOG’s Population Growth by County, 2015–2045 .............................................................................. 42 Table VI-1: Project Recommendations ...................................................................................................................................... 53 Table VII-1: Freight Project Prioritization Framework ......................................................................................................... 58 Table VII-2: Act 114 Freight Filter Criteria................................................................................................................................ 59 Table VII-3: Prioritized Freight Projects .................................................................................................................................... 60 Table VIII-1: Freight Policy and Programmatic Recommendations ............................................................................... 62 P a g e | ii Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES Figure I-1: ACOG Regional Freight Mobility Plan Study Area with Freight Infrastructure ...................................... 1 Figure I-2: Economic Impacts of ACOG Freight........................................................................................................................ 2 Figure I-3: ACOG Freight by Movement Type........................................................................................................................... 2 Figure I-4: U.S. Megaregions ............................................................................................................................................................ 3 Figure I-5: Stakeholder and Public Engagement Approach ................................................................................................ 4 Figure I-6: Screen Capture of Adobe Connect Meeting ......................................................................................................