Details:

Creators:
Vergara, Hector A. ; Ghane-Ezabadi, Mohammad ; Rahanjam, Mehrdad
Vergara, Hector A. ; Ghane-Ezabadi, Mohammad ; Rahanjam, Mehrdad Less -
Corporate Creators:
Oregon State University
Corporate Contributors:
United States. Dept. of Transportation. Research and Innovative Technology Administration
Subject/TRT Terms:
[+]
Container Traffic Hubs Intermodal Transportation Ports Railroads Shipper Demand Stakeholders Travel Demand
Publication/ Report Number:
2013-S-OSU-0036
Resource Type:
Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:
United States
Corporate Publisher:
Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium
Abstract:
This project synthesizes information from multiple sources about the capacity of the Pacific Northwest region to handle intermodal

freight transportation demand. The findings from this research are intended to be used as a framework to start a research program

focusing on the planning decision making needs of stakeholders in the region. The major sources of information about intermodal

capacity were published reports from different stakeholders, online resources, and information obtained through conversations with a

small set of stakeholders. Information about the current and future demand for intermodal freight transportation in the region was

obtained from the FAF3 database of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and complemented by information available in

published reports. The analysis of the current and future gap between capacity and demand for intermodal freight transportation was

completed using the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) approach to develop a more complete understanding of

the factors affecting the development and expansion of intermodal freight transportation in the region. Although the accuracy of the

quantitative data cannot be considered very high, general trends can be analyzed. Most of the intermodal freight flow in the region is

containerized cargo that visits the main marine ports: Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma, and at a smaller scale Port of Portland. Other port

terminals that are able to handle intermodal freight flow exist in the region but represent a small portion of the total flow. Burlington

Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway and Union Pacific (UP) Railroad have dedicated intermodal terminals in the region providing

service for truck-road intermodal transportation, and rail connectivity to marine ports is also available. An analysis of the difference

between intermodal capacity and demand at an aggregate level indicates that the current infrastructure is able to handle the existing

demand for containerized international freight flow in the region. However, different scenarios of demand growth show that if capacity

expansion does not occur, the existing capacity will not be sufficient to satisfy the demand in the future. Main factors affecting the

perception of stakeholders about the level of service and future expansion of intermodal freight transportation in the region include

highway congestion in the major metropolitan areas, lack of other generators and receivers of intermodal freight flow, coordination

between different stakeholders, and limited availability of ocean carriers providing service to the Port of Portland.


Format:
PDF
Funding:
DTRT12-UTC10
Collection(s):
US Transportation Collection University Transportation Centers
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:fda2c2d2f26295a7762db8fa979c4856350763facf3d2ba4955d6c0ac08c9eda
Download URL:
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/29521/dot_29521_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

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