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

A Freight Plan for the NYMTC Region
Table 4.3
Port Analysis Summary Table
Task 4 Task 5
Performance Measures 1 Current/Anticipated Deficiencies 1 Possible Solutions/Alternatives
Capacity:
• Actual throughput (total and per
acre)
• Actual throughput as a percentage
of theoretical “maximum
practical capacity” by functional
component of each terminal
(wharf and crane operations, storage,
gate)
Operations:
• Average cargo dwell time
• Hours of terminal operation
• Utilization of storage (highversus
low-density)
Port Terminal Access:
• Number of access modes (truck,
rail, barge/ferry)
• Rail barge mode share
• Number of alternative access
truck routes
• LOS on major truck access routes
• Access to on-dock rail
• Connection time/distance to
nearest limited-access highway or
mainline rail head
• Average cost of dray operations
Capacity Shortfalls:
• Forecasted shortfall of container
terminal capacity by 2005
• Forecasted shortfall of auto terminal
capacity by 2005
• Insufficient marine terminal land
area for forecasted demand
Operations:
• Currently satisfactory, but the following
operational criteria could be
improved to meet increased
demand:
• Reduced cargo dwell time
• More efficient cargo storage and
yard management
• Increased use of non-truck modes
(rail and barge/ferry)
• More efficient truck gates and information
systems
Poor Connections to NYMTC Port
Terminals:
• Limited truck infrastructure constrains
truck access options
• Regional toll infrastructure (particularly
at Howland Hook) impacts
access decisions and dray
operations
• Brooklyn port connections use
narrow, winding, and congested
local streets, which creates a bottleneck
to efficient freight movement
• No access to on-dock rail at any
port terminal in NYMTC region
(although access is planned for
Howland Hook)
• Poor rail connections to national rail
infrastructure limit attractiveness of
efficient rail/port exchange
Infrastructure Improvements:
• Increase availability of “ExpressRail” style ondock
rail and expand West-of-Hudson intermodal
rail yard capacity
• Develop Port Ivory Site as an on dock rail facility
for Howland Hook
• Consider on dock rail at South Brooklyn Marine
Terminal
• Improve NYMTC port terminal connections to
regional rail network
• Reactivate Staten Island’s North Shore Line and
Arlington Yard to provide rail service to
Howland Hook terminal via the Chemical Coast
Line
• Use revitalized First Avenue rail line to connect
South Brooklyn Marine Terminal to the Bay
Ridge Line
• Construct cross-harbor rail tunnel
• Improve truck circulation and port access
• Construct New Port Newark exit on the New
Jersey Turnpike
• Construct “Portway” in northern New Jersey
• Improve the Goethals Bridge crossing
• Add direct port access ramps or truck lane as
part of a Gowanus expressway reconstruction
Policy Improvements:
• Combat “freight sprawl” by adopting land use
policies that encourage warehouse and distribution
center development in the existing metropolitan
area
Operating/Technology Improvements:
• Use dedicated “inland distribution networks” to
move port commodities through limited terminal
space rapidly and efficiently
• Use information systems to manage terminal
resources:
- Coordinate empty container supply to avoid
excessive stacking of empties
- Schedule container pickups or use incentive
pricing to manage gate traffic and boxmoving
resources
- Fully implement PANYNJ’s FIRST program
1 Performance Measures and Deficiencies identified here cover all aspects of the marine transportation system. However, in
keeping with the scope of the Regional Freight Plan, only the deficiencies related to groundside access were developed through
subsequent project tasks.
Note: The tables in this section are intended to show, in outline form, the evolution of project definitions over time, and their relationship
to performance measures and deficiencies. The solutions listed represent an initial menu of actions, prior to evaluation. For
current project definitions and detailed descriptions of benefits and impacts, turn to Section 5.0.
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 4-5