Washington State Freight Mobility Plan

June 2011

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For more information:Barbara IvanovCo-Director, Freight Systems Division360-705-7931 Olympiaivanovb@wsdot.wa.govwww.wsdot.wa.gov/Freight

Washington State’s economic recovery depends on stronger freight infrastructure.

• $27millionoffreightmovesonWashingtonroadwayseveryhourofeveryday.

• In2009,oursystemofroads,rails,ports,marinewaterwaysandintermodalfacilitiessupportedtotalexportsfromWashingtonvaluedat$52billion.

• In2010,freight-dependentindustriesaccountedforapproximately44percentofWashington’sjobs.

- 625,000jobsinretailandwholesaletrade

- 528,000jobssupportedby“MadeinWashington”products

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Goals

TheWashingtonStateFreightMobilityPlanwilldevelopandprioritizefreighttransportationsystemimprovementstrategiesthatsupportandenhancetradeandsustainableeconomicgrowth,safety,theenvironment,andgoodsdeliveryneedsinWashingtonState.Theplanwill:

• MakeastrongcaseforfundingWashingtonstatefreightpriorityprojectsandprogramsinthereauthorizationofthefederaltransportationbillandfuturestatetransportationpackages.

• Guidecapitalandoperatinginvestmentsinthestate’sfreightsystems.

Objectives TheprimarydeliverablesoftheWashingtonStateFreightMobilityPlanare:

1. ImprovedFreightBenefit/Costmethodologytoevaluateandprioritizestatetruckhighwayandtruckintermodalimprovementproposals.

Washington State Department of Transportation Freight Systems Division

2. Integrationofthestatetruckhighwayandtruckintermodalanalysisfindingswiththefindingsofstatemodalfreightrail,highways,ferriesandaviationplans.

3. Priorityfreightsystemimprovementstrategiestosupporttheplan’sthreeobjectives:

• Urbangoodsmovementsystemsthatsupportjobs,theeconomy,andcleanairforall,andprovidegoodsdeliverytoresidentsandbusinesses.

• Washington’scompetitivepositionasaGlobalGatewaytothenationwithintermodalfreightcorridorsservingtradeandinternationalandinterstatecommerce,andthestateandnationalExportInitiatives.

• Ruraleconomies’farm-to-market,manufacturingandresourceindustrysectors.

Washington State Freight Mobility Plan Technical Team Members

WSDOT is grateful to representatives from:AndersonHay

Benton-FranklinCouncilofGovernments

BNSFRailway

TheBoeingCo.

CarlileTransportationSystems

CityMovingSystems,Inc.

CityofKent

CityofRedmond

CityofSeattle

ConAgraFoods

CrownMovingCompany,Inc.

ExpeditorsInternationalofWashington,Inc.

FastWayFreightSystem,Inc.

FedEx

FoodServicesofAmerica

GordonTrucking,Inc.

InternationalLongshore&WarehouseUnion/PacificMaritimeAssn.

JamesFarrell&Co./COLOLogistics

KLineAmerica

KenworthTruckCo./PACCAR

KingCounty

MacMillan-Piper

TheMcGregorCompany

NintendoofAmericaInc.

NucorSteeleSeattle,Inc.

OakHarborFreightLines

PacificNorthwestAsiaShippersAssn.

PacificNorthwestWaterwaysAssn.

PeninsulaTruckLines

Petrocard

PortofLongview

PortofPasco

PortofSeattle

PortofTacoma

PortofVancouver

PugetSoundCleanAirAgency

PugetSoundRegionalCouncil

RahierEnterprises,LLC

RailAmerica

Safeway

SpokaneRegionalTransportationCouncil

SUPERVALU,Inc.

UnionPacificRailroad

UPS

Walmart

WashingtonAssn.ofWheatGrowers

WashingtonEnvironmentalCouncil

WashingtonPublicPortsAssn.

WashingtonStatePatrol

WashingtonStatePotatoCommission

WashingtonTruckingAssns.

WenatcheeValleyTrafficAssn.

WenatcheeValleyTransportationCouncil

WesternPortsTransportation,Inc.

WhatcomCouncilofGovernments

YakimaValleyConferenceofGovernments

for their active participation in development of the State Freight Mobility Plan.

State Policy Basis StatelawrequirestheWashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation(WSDOT)todevelopastatefreightmobilityplan:“The state-interest component of the statewide multimodal transportation plan shall include a freight mobility plan which shall assess the transportation needs to ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of goods within and through the state and to ensure the state’s economic vitality.”(WashingtonStateRCW47.06.045).

TheWashingtonStateLegislaturehasestablishedtransportationpolicygoals(RCW47.04.280)andtheStateFreightMobilityPlanwilladdress:

• Economic Vitality:Topromoteanddeveloptransportationsystemsthatstimulate,support,andenhancethemovementofpeopleandgoodstoensureaprosperouseconomy.

• Safety:Toprovideforandimprovethesafetyandsecurityoftransportationcustomersandthetransportationsystem.

• Mobility:ToimprovethepredictablemovementofgoodsandpeoplethroughoutWashingtonState.

• Environment:ToenhanceWashington’squalityoflifethroughtransportationinvestmentsthatpromoteenergyconservation,enhancehealthycommunities,andprotecttheenvironment.

TheStateFreightMobilityPlanwillsupportpoliciesadoptedinthe2030WashingtonTransportationPlan(WTP)including:

• Continuetheevolutiontoperformance-basedprograms.

• ImproveWashington’seconomiccompetitiveness.

• Supportthecoordinated,connectedandefficientmovementoffreightandgoods.

Task 1 Reviewcurrentandproposedfederalfreightprogramcriteriaandotherstates’freightplansforpotentialfederalrequirementsandbestpracticesinfreightbenefit/costmethodology.

Task 2 Updatefreightnetworkdescriptionandstatisticsfoundinthe2008WTPFreightReport.

Task 3Improveconnectivityofstatefreightsystems:basedonareviewofNationalHighwaySystemcriteria,bestpracticesfromotherstates,WashingtonStatestatutesandregionalplancriteria,recommenddraftstatecriteriatoidentifyessentialstatetruckfreightintermodalfacilitiesandconnectors.

Task 4Identifycurrentfreightsystemdeficiencies:

• SystematicallycollectGPSonboard truck spot speed and directional data to analyze and rank truck bottleneck locations on the state’s major truck freight corridors.

• Determinethecostoftruckcongestion to Washington State’s economy.

• Identifytruckcollisionlocationson the state highway system.

• IncorporatefindingsofWSDOTTruckParkingStudy.

• Conductinterviewsandfocusgroups with shippers and carriers.

• Holdpublicworkshops,tobehostedbyMPO/RTPOsacrossthe state, for stakeholders to review and provide input on draft plan deliverables.

• InvitetheTribalTransportationPlanningOrganization(TTPO)to hold a State Freight MobilityPlanworkshop.

• IncorporatefindingsoftheWashingtonStateFreightRailPlan,WSDOTFerriesDivisionFinalLong-rangePlan,WSDOTHighwaysSystemPlanandtheStatewideAviationSystemPlan.

Task 5 Identifylong-termdemandsonWashington’sfreightsystembyevaluatingmultiplefuturetradescenariosinthestate’sfirst“FutureofFreightSymposium.”

Task 6 Formandsupportthreeexperttechnicalteamsto:

• Definespecific,measurablefreightbenefitsassociatedwiththeplan’sthreeobjectives.

• Recommenddraftimprovementstrategiestoachievedesiredbenefits.

• Recommenddatasourcesandperformancemeasurestotrackprogressofthestrategies.

Task 7 BasedondefinedfreightbenefitsfromTask6,developdraftFreightBenefit/Costevaluationmethodologyforstatefreighthighwayandtruckintermodalprojects.

Task 8 Analyzecausesanddevelopsolutionstoaddresstheworststatetruckhighwaybottlenecks,asidentifiedinTask4.

Task 9 FormandsupportaStateFreightMobilityPlanAdvisoryGrouptoreviewthedraftFreightBenefitcriteriaandBenefit/Costmethodology.

Task 10 EvaluatehighwayandtruckintermodalprojectproposalsusingfreightB/Cmethodology.

Task 11 Recommendphasedlistofneededimprovements/solutions.

Task 12 Outlinefundingoptionsandrevenuesources.

Task 13 DevelopandimplementTruckPerformanceMeasuremethodology.

Task 14 PrepareDraftandFinalStateFreightMobilityPlan.

How will the Washington State Freight Mobility Plan benefit the state? Severalrecentfederalbillshaveproposedestablishingafederalfreightprogramwithinthesurfacetransportationreauthorizationbill.Thesebillswouldrequirestatestohaveafreightplanandtoimplementperformance-basedprojectplanningandprogramming.Recentfederally-fundedprogramssuchastheTIGERgrantprogramrequiredapplicantstoprovidesophisticatedbenefit/costanalysis.TheStateFreightMobilityPlanwillhelpWashingtonsuccessfullycompeteforfederalfreightfundsbyprovidingadata-drivenbenefit/costanalysissupportingtruckhighwayandintermodalfreightprojectsthatmeetfederalfreightcriteriaandgoals,andbyintegratingexistingstatemodalplansintoonestatefreightplan.

WashingtonStatemayconsidernewlawtransportationfunding.TheState

FreightMobilityPlanwillrecommendprioritizedfreightsystemimprovementstrategiesandperformancemeasurestotrackprogresstowardsobjectives.ThesewillbedevelopedbyabroadgroupoftechnicalexpertsandreviewedbystakeholdersandtheFreightPlanAdvisoryGroup.

OneinterimFreightPlandeliverable,thestatehighwayTruckBottleneckAnalysis,wascompletedinApril2011andthefindingsarebeingusedbyWSDOTtoanalyzeandscopeprojectproposalstoaddresstheworsttruckbottlenecksonthehighwaysystem.

When was the last Washington State freight mobility plan done? In2005-2006,WSDOTFreightSystemsDivisionworkedcloselywiththeWashingtonStateTransportationCommissiontodeveloptheFreightReportinthe2006WashingtonTransportationPlan.We’vereliedonthatworkasthestatefreightplansince2006,updatingthefreightreport’sstatisticsin2008.

Washington State Freight Mobility Plan Tasks (please see attached Timeline)

In a time of limited resources, why does Washington need to update the state freight mobility plan now?Fiveyearsagofewstateshadfreightplans,includingWashington,Minnesota,FloridaandCalifornia.Butasafederalrequirementforstatesto

havefreightplanshasbecomemorelikely,morestatesincludingGeorgia,OregonandMarylandhavecompletedfreightplans.In2011,IllinoispassedaFreightMobilityPlanActrequiringthestatetoissueafreightplan.Somestateshavespentanadditional$1,000,000to$2,000,000tocompletetheirfreightplans.TheWSDOTFreightSystemsDivisionisnotspendinganyadditionalfunds;ratherwearedevelopingtheplanwithcurrent,reducedresources.