An intermodal network model of coal distribution in the United States and its economic implications for the inland waterway system Kentucky : final report.

Details

• Creators:
  Blandford, Benjamin ; Grossardt, Ted ; Shouse, Michael ; Ripy, John
• Corporate Creators:
  University of Kentucky Transportation Center ; University of Kentucky. College of Engineering
• Corporate Contributors:
  Kentucky. Transportation Cabinet ; Multimodal Transportation and Infrastructure Consortium
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Coal Coal Industry Commodity Flow Costs Economic Impacts Freight Traffic Geographic Information Systems GIST-based Model Inland Waterways Intermodal Networks Intermodal Transportation National Freight Plan Pricing Routes Shipping Modes

  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  KTC-16 -02/MTIC-8-14-1F
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Kentucky
• Edition:
  Final report
• Corporate Publisher:
  University of Kentucky Transportation Center
• Abstract:
  This paper describes a GIS-based intermodal network model for the shipment of coal in the United States. The purpose
  
  of this research was to investigate the role played by railways, waterways, and highways in the movement of coal from
  
  its source area to point of use, and to highlight the implications these movements have for the U.S. economy. The
  
  project team modeled coal movements across the U.S. intermodal transportation network using the Energy Information
  
  Administration’s 2010 data, which provided detailed origin, destination, primary mode, and volume information for coal
  
  shipments. The model identifies the optimum routes for coal shipments based on a rate structure that accounts for the
  
  relative costs of shipping by each of the modes. The model, as well as available statistics, reveals the dominance of coal
  
  mined from the Powder River Basin. Compared to other sources— principally, the Appalachian Basin — coal from
  
  Mountain West is significantly less expensive, thus giving it a significant comparative advantage. Both Texas and
  
  Illinois, the two largest coal consumers by state, obtain virtually all of their coal from the West or from within state.
  
  Appalachian Basin coal serves domestic and export markets primarily in the East and Southeastern U.S. Only the Ohio
  
  River provides significant movement of Central Appalachian Basin coal to the west and south. Although this modeling
  
  relies on 2010 data, a look at more recent trends in coal prices and mining indicate that the Powder River Basin
  
  continues to dominate, while production and industry employment have steadily declined in the Appalachian Basin. The
  
  shift away from coal and toward natural gas as a primary energy source argues for the region’s coal extraction industries
  
  remaining in a depressed state, which could produce negative economic consequences for transportation industries.
  
  Carrier and port facilities will need to adopt a more diversified shipping portfolio to accommodate for these losses. It is
  
  possible that the loss of coal will open up opportunities for other commodity shipments on the inland waterways. This
  
  modeling demonstrates the potential for such integrated models to accommodate energy-related or similar data, and
  
  serves as a tool for freight planners in identifying energy transportation corridors of significance. It could potentially be
  
  used to analyze the movement of other commodities, which could let industry stakeholders identify new markets to tap
  
  into. Further, the model and analysis can help inform MAP-21 related efforts to develop a National Freight Network and
  
  National Freight Strategic Plan.
  
  
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:dc1608c11f88ce0a9e76cf821fc840898adf58794a9751afd44b951ef77fb038
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/31027/dot_31027_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.68 MB ]