Freight Intermodal Connectors Study

Chapter 1. Introduction

Highway intermodal connectors are roads that provide the "last-mile" connection between major rail, port, airport, and intermodal freight facilities on the National Highway System (NHS). The officially designated network of NHS intermodal connectors accounts for less than one percent of total NHS mileage, but these roads are critical for the timely and reliable movement of freight. (FHWA Freight Management and Operations NHS Connectors.) It is, therefore, important to understand the use, condition, and performance of the Nation's intermodal connectors since they have a direct impact on goods movement efficiency and, therefore, the health of the economy.

This report comprises a review of the existing and emerging literature and data sources for assessing intermodal connectors in the United States. The goal is to help the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) understand how freight intermodal connectors currently are being used by industry; how that use is changing due to emerging logistics trends, and what the implications are for existing designated intermodal connectors; the available data and resources to assess the performance of freight connector routes; and any "lessons learned" from recent experiences in successfully improving freight intermodal connectors. The results of this work will inform future tasks in this project, including case study selection and the assessment of intermodal connector condition and performance.

The remainder of this report is organized as follows:

Extent of the existing designated NHS Intermodal Connector system is described in Chapter 2, as well as the historical policy context and previous assessment of the system's condition and performance.
Key existing and emerging freight and logistics trends, and how they are likely to impact freight intermodal connectors in the future are detailed in Chapter 3.
Current state of the practice in evaluating freight connector performance, including Federal, State, and local databases and modeling tools, as well as performance measures, are reviewed in Chapter 4.
Recent experience in improving freight connector routes is reviewed in Connector Chapter 5, which also presents innovative approaches and key "lessons learned."

For this study, available information on freight intermodal connectors was organized under three broad topic headings: 1) connector use; 2) performance; and 3) solutions. This report focuses on the information that is most relevant to USDOT for Federal policy development and program management.

Historical Policy Context

The National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 (Public Law 104‑59) directed the Secretary of Transportation to develop a list of NHS intermodal connectors and submit it to Congress for approval. This inventory was completed in 1998 and approved by Congress as part of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21^st Century (TEA‑21).

NHS Intermodal Connectors are defined as "roads that provide access between major intermodal facilities and the other four subsystems making up the National Highway System." (FHWA Freight Management and Operations NHS Connectors.) The four subsystems are: 1) Interstates; 2) Other Principal Arterials; 3) the Strategic Highway Network; and 4) Major Strategic Highway Connectors.

Public roads that lead to major intermodal hubs are designated NHS connectors by the USDOT in consultation with State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and metropolitan planning organization (MPO) partners.

In 2009, the FHWA developed a database, the Intermodal Connector Assessment Tool (ICAT), to facilitate reassessments of the condition and performance of intermodal connectors.

Current National Highway System Freight Intermodal Connector System

At the end of 2014, there were 950 designated NHS connectors spanning 1,407 miles of roadways, connecting 798 freight intermodal facilities to the national highway network. (FHWA Freight Management and Operations Freight Connectors Summary and Updates) This compares with 616 designated connectors in 1998. Most of this increase was the result of 10 States that designated many more of their roadways as NHS freight intermodal connectors. These 10 States added 130 of the 182 (70 percent) new freight intermodal connectors between 2000 and 2014. This increase in connectors has occurred as many States have proposed modifications and additions to the designated system. These changes are considered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) based on the same criteria used to identify the initial system in 2000. The primary criteria are based on annual freight volumes, or daily vehicular traffic on one or more principal routes that serve the intermodal facility. The secondary criteria are intended to highlight the importance of an intermodal facility within a specific State. Table 1 presents the freight-related criteria.

Table 1. Number of Freight Intermodal Connectors by Mode—2000 to 2014.
Mode	2014 Connectors	2000 Connectors	Net Change	Percentage Change
Port	329	252	77	31%
Rail	269	204	65	32%
Airport	132	99	33	33%
Pipeline	68	61	7	12%
Total	798	616	182	30%

Table 2. Criteria for Adding to or Modifying the National Highway System (NHS) Intermodal Connector Subsystem.
	Criteria
Primary Criteria	Airports—100 trucks per day in each direction on the principal connecting route; or 100,000 tons per year arriving or departing by highway mode. Ports—Terminals that handle more than 50,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) per year, or other units measured that would convert to more than 100 trucks per day in each direction; or bulk commodity terminals that handle more than 500,000 tons per year by highway or 100 trucks per day in each direction on the principal connecting route. Truck/Rail—50,000 TEUs per year, or 100 trucks per day, in each direction on the principal connecting route, or other units measured that would convert to more than 100 trucks per day in each direction. Pipelines—100 trucks per day in each direction on the principal connecting route.
Secondary Criteria	Intermodal terminals that handle more than 20 percent of freight volumes by mode within a State. Intermodal terminals identified either in the Intermodal Management System or the State and metropolitan transportation plans as a major facility. Significant investment in, or expansion of, an intermodal terminal. Connecting routes targeted by the State, metropolitan planning organization (MPO), or others for investment to address an existing, or anticipated, deficiency as a result of increased traffic.

(Source: 23 CFR 470, Appendix D.)

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