United States Department of Transportation
i
Evaluating the Performance of Intermodal Connectors in Arkansas
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2018-09-01
[PDF-12.58 MB]
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TRIS Online Accession Number:01683565
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Abstract:The purpose of this project is to evaluate the performance and usage of Intermodal Connectors (ICs) in Arkansas using data-driven methods. ICs serve as the critical ‘first and last mile’ segments of the National Highway System (NHS) by connecting airports, marine and river ports, and intermodal facilities to the NHS. ICs play a critical role in the movement of multi-modal freight such that congestion on the IC can have cascading effects on the reliability multi-modal supply chain. ICs are officially designated by state Departments of Transportation (DOT) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) based on federal criteria. Designation implies eligibility for federal funds to support improvement projects. Unfortunately, considering the significant impact ICs have on efficient multi-modal freight movements, ICs are not currently well monitored, nor is their performance well understood. This limits the transportation planning and programming efforts for ICs. Adding to the lack of understanding are the limited tools available for collecting data on these links. Commonly used data collection tools which rely on intrusive sensors (i.e. those that must be installed in the paved travelled lanes) do not work well for ICs which tend to have poor pavement quality due to heavy truck volumes. With the increasing availability and affordability of non-obtrusive technologies such as Lidar sensors, Bluetooth tracking devices, and truck Global Positioning Systems (GPS), the ability to collect comprehensive data on ICs is increasingly possible. In this context, this study identifies options for improving the quality and amount of data available for freight transportation planning on ICs by focusing on advanced data collection methods. The objectives of this study are: (1) to determine an ideal data collection technology platform for characterizing the usage and performance of intermodal connectors, (2) to deploy and evaluate the technology on an IC in Arkansas, and (3) to demonstrate through case studies how usage and performance of ICs can be monitored through advanced detection technologies. To achieve these objectives, the research team developed a non-intrusive, low-cost traffic sensor bundle that is capable of providing high quality data for ICs including truck travel times, and truck characteristics such as commodity carried or industry served. To do this, various non-intrusive sensor technologies were compared, and truck classification algorithms were developed and tested on the IC which connects the Port of Van Buren, on the Arkansas River, to the NHS at Interstate I-540. Moreover, GPS data collected at the three port ICs in Arkansas (located at Van Buren, Little Rock and Pine Bluff) was used for case studies to highlight the unique performance and usage patterns found on ICs. Additionally, GPS data was used to evaluate the performance of routes used to access intermodal port facilities that are not officially designated as ICs.
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