nymtc regional freight plan - New York Metropolitan Transportation ...

A Freight Plan for the NYMTC Region
2.3.5 Insufficient System Redundancy and Security
Although security issues were not the primary focus of this study, concerns associated
with the security of the region’s transportation infrastructure have been paramount since
the events of September 11. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, freight transportation
was impacted as a result of the immediate systemic effects of the events including
road closures, the Single-Occupant Vehicle (SOV) ban in the southern half of Manhattan,
random truck inspections at the entrances to bridges and tunnels, the grounding of the
nation’s air carriers, and heightened enforcement activities at international gateways.
However, the freight infrastructure and service system recovered relatively rapidly.
Truck volumes on bridges and tunnels returned to pre- September 11 levels (accounting
for the impact of the regional recession), and rail and air shipments resumed earlier patterns.
Roadways reopened and operational restrictions were eased or eliminated.
Shippers and receivers reported no material shortages or operational disruptions except
those immediately related to the events of September 11. No major changes were made in
warehouse and distribution facility security. Trucking companies reported that they had
established a new equilibrium within one to two months of the events. “Fuel shortages”
were increased due to both the increased price of fuel and the general cost increase caused
by increased variability in travel times due to heightened security inspections. The rail
industry experienced some slow orders and a three-day ban on hazardous materials
shipments, but otherwise resumed normal operations with increased vigilance and field
security.
Several strategies have been suggested for further regional study to improve the current
situation. One involves developing better staging areas for vehicle inspections at bridges
and tunnels, none of which were designed to accommodate this activity. Another concerns
the promotion of regional redundancy in freight movement, with particular concern
focused on the region’s dependency on the George Washington Bridge for cross-Hudson
freight movement. Several projects included in this report would address this redundancy
issue – most particularly the Cross Harbor rail freight tunnel which would create an
entirely new crossing of the Hudson River for freight, and several proposed
improvements that together would better enable the Southern Corridor to handle more
trucks in the event of an interruption in Northern Corridor. Third, continuing to expand
the region’s robust marine transport system which is presently used primarily to move
petroleum and other bulk products.
Several major freight-related security initiatives are being undertaken on the national
level. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection office within the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) is building on the U.S. Custom’s history of successful partnerships with
shippers and carriers. Industry partners, many of them part of sophisticated supply
chains, are working with Customs on deeper integration of security and supply chain
processes through the Customs Trade Partnership (CT-PAT) Initiative. International governmental
cooperation is evident in such initiatives as the Smart Border Accord between
the United States and Canada in which the two countries are testing technology and
improved processes to enhance security in North America. For railroads, DHS is experimenting
with x-ray or gamma ray devices to screen containers or cars of moving trains at
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-19