The Strategic Multimodal Analysis
TASK 3: CHICAGO-NEW YORK CITY CORRIDOR ANALYSIS
FINAL REPORT

Prepared for
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Office of Transportation Policy Studies, HPTS-1
400 Seventh Street, SW, Room 3324
Washington, D.C. 20590

April, 2006

This report is a work prepared for the United States Government by Battelle. In no event shall either the United States Government or Battelle have any responsibility or liability for any consequences of any use, misuse, inability to use, or reliance on the information contained herein, nor does either warrant or otherwise represent in any way the accuracy, adequacy, efficacy, or applicability of the contents hereof.

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Table of Contents

List of Acronyms

CHAPTER 1.0 INTRODUCTION

• 1.1 Strategic Multimodal Analysis Framework
• 1.2 Federal Role
• 1.3 Corridor Fact Gathering Task Objective
• 1.4 Organization of Report

CHAPTER 2.0 FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

• 2.1 Study Area Definition
• 2.2 Highway Network
  • 2.2.1 Turnpikes and Toll Roads
  • 2.2.2 Truck Size and Weight (TSW) Regulations
  • 2.2.3 Over Size/Over Weight Permits
• 2.3 Rail Network
  • 2.3.1 Norfolk Southern
  • 2.3.2 CSX Transportation
  • 2.3.3 Grand Trunk Western Railroad / Canadian National Railway
  • 2.3.4 Soo Line / Canadian Pacific Railway
  • 2.3.5 Regional Railroads
  • 2.3.6 Local and Switching Lines
• 2.4 Water Network
• 2.5 Intermodal Facilities and Connectors

CHAPTER 3.0 FREIGHT TRAFFIC GENERATION AND ATTRACTION

• 3.1 Commercial Activities by State
• 3.2 Commercial Activities by Metropolitan Area
• 3.3 Freight Movements
  • 3.3.1 Modal Split
  • 3.3.2 Freight Movements by Highway
  • 3.3.3 Freight Movement by Rail
  • 3.3.4 Freight Movement by Water

CHAPTER 4.0 OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

• 4.1 Highway Operations
• 4.2 Highway Congestion and Freight Bottlenecks
  • 4.2.1 Truck Bottleneck Typology
  • 4.2.2 Freight Bottlenecks – National Summary
  • 4.2.3 Freight Bottlenecks – Corridor SummarY
• 4.3 Rail, Intermodal, and Water Movements
  • 4.3.1 Rail Capacity Outlook
  • 4.3.2 Port and Intermodal Capacity
• 4.4 Highway Safety
• 4.5 Rail Safety

CHAPTER 5.0 REFERENCES

APPENDIX A. ONGOING AND PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CORRIDOR

APPENDIX B. OTHER STUDIES WITHIN THE NEW YORK-CHICAGO CORRIDOR

List of Tables

• Table 2-1. Roadway Extent in Corridor Compared to State and National Totals
• Table 2-2. Corridor Density
• Table 2-3. Toll Roads and Turnpikes on Interstate Sections in Corridor States
• Table 2-4. Operation of Vehicles subject to the ISTEA Freeze Maximum Size and Weight Limits
• Table 2-5. Longer/Heavier Combinations/Turnpike/Toll Road Operations
• Table 2-6. Maximum Semitrailer Lengths by State
• Table 2-7. Number of Permits Issued in Corridor States (2003)
• Table 2-8. Number and Miles of Railroad in Corridor States (2003)
• Table 2-9. Class I and Canadian Railroads in Corridor States
• Table 2-10. Ports with over 15 Million Tons in the Corridor States
• Table 2-11. Freight Intermodal Facilities in the I-80/I-90 Corridor States
• Table 3-1. Number of Commercial Establishments by State
• Table 3-2. Distribution of Commercial Activities by State and Industry (Percent of Corridor Total)
• Table 3-3. Distribution of Commercial Activities by State (Percent of Industry Total)
• Table 3-4a. Commercial Activities by Metropolitan Area (Illinois) (number of establishments)
• Table 3-4b. Commercial Activities by Metropolitan Area (Indiana) (number of establishments)
• Table 3-4c. Commercial Activities by Metropolitan Area (Michigan) (number of establishments)
• Table 3-4d. Commercial Activities by Metropolitan Area (Ohio) (number of establishments)
• Table 3-4e. Commercial Activities by Metropolitan Area (Pennsylvania) (number of establishments)
• Table 3-4f. Commercial Activities by Metropolitan Area (New York) (number of establishments)
• Table 3-4g. Commercial Activities by Metropolitan Area (New Jersey) (number of establishments)
• Table 3-5a. Summary of Intra-State Shipments and Distances in Corridor States by Highway
• Table 3-5b. Summary of Shipments and Distances within Corridor States by Highway
• Table 3-5c. Summary of Shipments and Distances Into and Out of Corridor States by Highway
• Table 3-6a. Top 5 Commodities by Volume Shipped Within Corridor States by Highway
• Table 3-6b. Top 5 Commodities by Value Shipped Within Corridor States by Highway
• Table 3-7a. Summary of Shipments within Corridor States by Rail
• Table 3-7b. Summary of Shipments Into and Out of Corridor States by Rail
• Table 3-8a. Top 5 Commodities by Volume Shipped Within Corridor States by Rail
• Table 3-8b. Top 5 Commodities by Value Shipped Within Corridor States by Rail
• Table 3-9a. Summary for Shipments within Corridor States by Water
• Table 3-9b. Summary of Shipments Into and Out of Corridor States by Water
• Table 3-10a. Top 5 Commodities by Volume Shipped Within Corridor States by Water
• Table 3-10b. Top 5 Commodities by Value Shipped Within Corridor States by Water
• Table 4-1. Traffic Characteristics (2002)
• Table 4-2. Truck Bottleneck Typology
• Table 4-3. Truck Hours of Delay by Type of Highway Freight Bottleneck
• Table 4-4. Corridor's Top 25 Interchange Bottlenecks for Trucks
• Table 4-5. Vehicles Involved in Fatal Crashes by Vehicle Type (2002)
• Table 4-6. Fatal Crashes by State and Functional Highway Class (2002)
• Table 4-7. Fatal Crashes Involving Large Trucks by State and Functional Highway Class (2002)
• Table 4-8. Summary of Number of Large Trucks Reported in Crashes (2002)
• Table 4-9. Rail Accidents and Casualties in Corridor States (annual average 2000-2004)
• Table 4-10. Distribution of Rail Accidents in Corridor States by Consist Type
• Table A-1. Corridor Improvement Projects

List of Figures

• Figure 2-1. I-80/I-90 Interstates and NHS Highways
• Figure 2-2. Tolled Sections of I-80/I-90 Interstate Highway
• Figure 2-3. Federal Truck Size and Weight Limits
• Figure 2-4. Single Trailer Gross Vehicle Weight Limits in Corridor
• Figure 2-5. Long Double Trailer Gross Vehicle Weight Limits in Corridor
• Figure 2-6. Triple Trailer Gross Vehicle Weight Limits in Corridor
• Figure 2-7. Class I, II, and III Railroads
• Figure 2-8. Major Class I Railroad Lines and I80/I90
• Figure 2-9. Waterways, Airports, and Port Terminal
• Figure 2-10. NHS Intermodal Connectors
• Figure 3-1. Distribution of Commercial Activities by State and by Industry
• Figure 3-2. Commercial Activities by Metropolitan Area
• Figure 3-3. Modal Split
• Figure 3-4. Modal Share by Type of Freight Movement
• Figure 4-1. Traffic Flow on I-80/I-90 (AADT)
• Figure 4-2. Truck Traffic Flow on I-80/I-90 (AADTT)
• Figure 4-3. Volume-Service Flow Ratios
• Figure 4-4. Interchange Capacity Bottlenecks on Corridor Freeways Used as Urban Truck Corridors
• Figure 4-5. Other Bottlenecks on the New York – Chicago Intercity Truck Corridor