nymtc regional freight plan - New York Metropolitan Transportation ...
nymtc regional freight plan - New York Metropolitan Transportation ...
nymtc regional freight plan - New York Metropolitan Transportation ...
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A Freight Plan for the NYMTC Region<br />
good repair. Further, shortline railroads have limited capital funding for projects that<br />
directly affect them, such as providing structures that can handle 286,000 pound per axle<br />
<strong>freight</strong> cars. See Section 2.0 for more information on the undercapitalization of railroads.<br />
<strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong> State formerly provided rail <strong>freight</strong> funding through its Local Rail Assistance<br />
Program. This program still exists legislatively but currently is unfunded. Recently, <strong>New</strong><br />
<strong>York</strong> State, in conjunction with the PANYNJ, provided a total of $40 million dedicated to<br />
the improvement of rail <strong>freight</strong>. This money will be used for projects related to state of<br />
good repair and system enhancement (such as TOFC clearance on the Hudson Line).<br />
However, the funding is a single application and may not be repeated, and will not result<br />
in major capacity expansion.<br />
A key component in <strong>freight</strong> is storage and distribution facilities. The need for additional<br />
warehousing and distribution facilities is normally fulfilled by the private sector based on<br />
the needs of operators of these types of facilities. Where the cost of warehousing and distribution<br />
proves too onerous for the private sector, the public sector can provide tax<br />
incentives or zoning opportunities.<br />
• 7.3 Summary of Funding Sources<br />
Many of the highway actions described in this report have straightforward funding<br />
options. Most of these actions would improve both <strong>freight</strong> and passenger transportation,<br />
and hence do not need to be justified as one or the other. The Federal Highway<br />
Administration distributes Highway Trust Fund revenue from the Federal gas tax to states<br />
on a formula basis, and states in turn distribute these funds among urban and rural areas.<br />
The Federal government will typically fund up to 80 percent of the cost of eligible projects.<br />
Future funding amounts will depend on any potential changes in the formula allocation<br />
which may emerge from the reauthorization of the TEA-21 legislation in 2004, as well as<br />
overall authorization levels.<br />
In comparison, <strong>freight</strong> rail and marine actions receive little Federal funding. There is no<br />
Federal rail <strong>freight</strong> equivalent to the Federal Transit Administration’s <strong>New</strong> Starts discretionary<br />
funding program or Federal Highway programs. The Federal short line funding<br />
source, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Local Rail Freight Assistance Program,<br />
was last funded in 1995 and its authorization expired in 1994. Most rail <strong>freight</strong> operations<br />
in the United States are owned and operated by private, for-profit corporations, complicating<br />
the task of public participation in rail <strong>freight</strong> projects. The best hope for funding<br />
such projects is the development of a new dedicated Federal funding program specifically<br />
for this purpose under TEA-21 reauthorization or the Congressional earmarking of funds<br />
for specific projects under existing categories.<br />
The two major legislative initiatives currently under consideration are the Congressional<br />
initiative known as the <strong>Transportation</strong> Equity Act Legacy for Users (TEALU) and the<br />
Administration’s proposed Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient <strong>Transportation</strong><br />
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 7-4