Freight Planning in Northwest Indiana

Jack Eskin

Regional Planner

Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission

AGENDA What is Freight?

What is Freight Planning?

Trends and Issues in Freight Planning

Major local projects

Opportunities and Challenges in Freight Planning

NIRPC’s Freight work 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan

Illiana White Paper

At-Grade Crossing Study

Northwest Indiana Freight & Logistics Study

WHAT IS FREIGHT?

The commercial shipment of cargo through various modes of transportation: Traditional

Truck

Rail

Maritime

Air Cargo

Expanded Pipeline

Utility

Broadband

WHAT IS FREIGHT PLANNING?

Freight planning is a collaborative effort between public entities, private businesses, communities, and advocacy groups to: Manage and improve the safety and efficiency of shipping

goods

Integrate freight priorities into the ongoing planning process.

Minimize the congestion and hazards associated with freight on communities and the environment

Identify and promote the regional economic opportunities

Identify the relationships between land use, environment, social equity and economic development with freight mobility issues and traffic patterns.

FREIGHT PLANNING: TRENDS & ISSUES Overall increase in freight shipments

Intermodal containers: Americans consume a lot of foreign goods

Oil and gas shipments: Fracking means more tank car trains

American intermodal system competes with Panama Canal as a pathway for global distribution

Panama Canal widening could change global patterns

Chicago is the hub of the American intermodal system All eastbound traffic must go through Northwest Indiana

Congestion in Chicago has led towards freight traffic seeking bypasses to the city US 30, Illiana Expressway, CN’s EJ&E acquisition Increased freight traffic in the suburbs

ILLIANA EXPRESSWAY New 46-mile interstate highway

From I-55 (Wilmington, IL) to I-65 (Lowell, IN)

Would serve as bypass for trucks moving through Chicago metro region Avoid in urban congestion

Create stronger road connection to new south suburban intermodal facilities

Can help drive the new south suburban airport

Points on Contention: Distance

Toll structure

Sprawl

Project Cost

($1.5 billion)

EJ&E ACQUISITION BY CANADIAN NATIONAL Canadian National (a Class I railroad) purchases the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern

(a short line railroad)

Opportunities to route intercontinental trains away from downtown congestion

Higher volumes of trains moving through town centers Northwest Indiana South Cook County Will County

Economic development opportunities Kirk Yard (Gary)

Now CN’s primary Midwestern classification yard $141 million investment, over 100 jobs

FREIGHT PLANNING: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIESChallenges

Balancing quality of life with increased freight activity Congestion, air quality, environment, safety, transit

operation, walkability

Methods: Planning, development agreements, quiet zones, grade separation, identifying designated shipping routes

Opportunities

Leveraging existing infrastructure to spur economic development on vacant sites

NIRPC’S FREIGHT WORKActivities:

Collect, manage, and analyze freight datasets

Set regional freight performance measures

Convene freight stakeholder meetings for regional projects

Inform policy discussions

Reports:

2040 Regional Plan Freight chapter

Illiana White Paper Freight chapter

At-Grade Crossing Study

Northwest Indiana Freight & Logistics Study

2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FREIGHT CHAPTERPolicy Recommendations

Corridor Planning & Cargo-Oriented Development

Highway-Rail Grade Crossings

Multimodal/Intermodal Development

Freight-Supportive Land Use Planning & Zoning

Extra Heavy Duty Truck Route

Modal Shift to Rail & Maritime

PlanCOMPREHENSIVE

Regional

2040For Northwest Indiana

CORRIDOR PLANNING & CARGO-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT

Policy Recommendations

Prioritize land along existing rail & truck routes for freight-related development

Reactivate brownfields and vacant land for economic reuse

Cargo-Oriented Development model in South Suburban Chicago

HIGHWAY-RAILROAD AT-GRADE CROSSINGSPolicy Recommendations

Reduce congestion and increase safety at crossings

Prioritize most problematic at-grade crossings for grade separation

Maintain a corridor approach

MULTIMODAL & INTERMODAL DEVELOPMENTPolicy Recommendations

Increase intermodal and multimodal facilities to maximize efficiency of each transportation mode Transloading facilities

Reduce environmental impacts of goods movement

Benefit from growth in Transportation, Distribution & Logistics sector

Opportunities: Gary Airport Porter County Airport Kingsbury Port of Indiana Gibson Yard

FREIGHT-SUPPORTIVE LAND USE & ZONINGPolicy Recommendations

Balance freight facilities with community livability

Establish good neighbor practices: Buffers

Open space requirements

Low impact design

Context-sensitive lighting

Green building techniques

EXTRA HEAVY DUTY TRUCK ROUTEPolicy Recommendations

Maintain and enhance US 12 & 20

Industrial highway system, running from Hammond to South Bend Ultimately links Northwest Indiana steel with Michigan and Illinois manufacturing

INDOT has been relinquishing ownership of the road to communities

MODAL SHIFT TO RAIL & MARITIMEPolicy Recommendations

Reduce truck volumes where necessary by shifting freight to other modes Rail

Maritime

Lower environmental impacts Emissions

Congestion

Leverage tremendous existing rail and port infrastructure

ILLIANA & 2040 PLAN POLICIES: MIXED COMPATIBILITY Corridor Planning & Cargo-Oriented

Development Inconsistent

Highway-Rail Grade Crossings Uncertain

Multimodal/Intermodal Development Mixed

Freight-Supportive Land Use Planning & Zoning Uncertain

Extra Heavy Duty Truck Route Neutral

Modal Shift to Rail & Maritime Inconsistent

AT-GRADE CROSSING STUDY A regional inventory and feasibility study of the worst railroad/highway

at–grade crossings in Northwest Indiana

Serve as an established resource for potential at–grade crossing projects in the region

Components: Profile crossing survey Profile different structures Data metrics Cost calculation methodology Financing opportunities Profiling the Top 15 General findings General recommendations

Calumet Avenue (Hammond)• US 41

• NICTD and CSX

• Ave Delay per Motorist: 1:19

• Ave Gate Down Time: 2:23

• Delayed Vehicles: 4,469

• Delayed Vehicles/AADT: 26%

• 4% chance of annual accident

Assessment• High Demand: Heavy auto traffic, commuter trains, intermodal

trains • Very Expensive: Long and wide bridge, would need eminent

domain• Recommendation: Pursue grade separation as long term priority

1,016 foot bridge

$19.7 million

Calumet Avenue (Munster)• Local road

• CN and CSX

• Part of larger redevelopment

• Ave Delay per Motorist: 1:54

• Ave Gate Down Time: 2:57

• Delayed Vehicles: 859

• Delayed Vehicles/AADT: 3%

• 4% chance of annual accident

Assessment• High Demand: Heavy auto traffic, increasing intermodal trains,

and clear community consensus• Very Expensive: Two railroad flyovers• Recommendation: Pursue grade separation through additional

funding, as part of a broader plan

2 elevated rail bridges

$54 million total

Francis/15th (Chesterton/Porter)• Local Road

• Area redevelopment plan, HSR plan

• Amtrak, CSX, NS

• Ave Delay per Motorist: 1:41/2:11

• Ave Gate Down Time: 3:04/3:58

• Delayed Vehicles: 88/789

• Delayed Vehicles/AADT: 8%/21%

• 3% chance of annual accident

Assessment• Mod. Demand: High train traffic, but low auto traffic, high delay• Relatively Inexpensive but difficult: Small bridge, but eminent

domain would be necessary (18th/Busse flyover)• Recommendation: Pursue at–grade separation only if it is in line

with Chesterton & Porter’s Redevelopment Plans

946 foot bridge

$5.3 million

NORTHWEST INDIANA FREIGHT & LOGISTICS STUDY Will build upon the 2010 study

Collect, analyze, and explain data on freight companies and freight employment in Northwest Indiana

Identify existing and developing supply chains and clusters in Northwest Indiana

Build better links between Northwest Indiana, Metro Chicago, and the State of Indiana

Serve as a resource for public policymakers, private companies, and communities when weighing in on economic development and transportation initiatives

THANK YOU!Jack Eskin

Regional Planner

Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission

(219) 763-6060

jeskin@nirpc.org