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A Freight Plan for the NYMTC Region rail tonnage of 69,000 tons, from the 2.5 million tons currently moved in the region by rail. 2 However, this analysis was based on the addition of a single additional trip. Several more trips are envisioned by the plan described above. Other Impacts No other impacts are expected, assuming additional freight movement on the Hudson Line and LIRR mainline does not interfere with passenger service. Regional connectivity could be improved in the Western, I-95 NE Thruway, I-87 NYS Thruway, and Long Island corridors. Responsible Organizations/Action Plans 1. NYSDOT, Metro North Railroad, CSX, and Amtrak – Improve operating window for East-of-Hudson rail access based on outcome of “Hudson Line Railroad Transportation Plan.” 2. PANYNJ – Complete “East-of-Hudson Rail Freight Study.” 5.3.2 Strategy 3.B – Evaluate the Further Expansion of Freight Yards and Warehouse/Industry Clusters (Freight Villages) Action 1 – Develop Freight Villages at Critical Rail Links Description At its most basic level, a freight village is a fusion of land use and transportation planning which clusters freight-dependent companies around a concentration of shared transportation infrastructure. To the extent that freight village development patterns allow rail or waterborne transportation to serve major industries more effectively, the general public benefits from reduced truck traffic and cost of goods and services. Thus, for the purposes of this discussion, a freight village is defined as an intermodal terminal around which clusters of related businesses such as warehousing and distributing centers arise. Privately developed freight and logistics clusters are increasingly drawn to suburban locations because scarce land and high real estate costs generally make large urban warehousing developments infeasible. From a public sector transportation standpoint, urban freight villages offer a more efficient development pattern because urban distribution and warehousing centers are more conducive than suburban sites to a rail- or water-oriented distribution pattern and allow for a greater reduction in truck VMT. From an economic development perspective, urban freight villages offer an opportunity to transform derelict industrial sites or brownfields (which typically have rail access) into high value-added employment and commercial centers. 2 Reebie Associates. Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 5-29
A Freight Plan for the NYMTC Region The major obstacle to constructing urban freight villages is acquiring sufficient land. Most suburban freight villages are larger than 125 acres. Such a large parcel of contiguous vacant property is difficult to assemble in most urban areas, even when brownfields are available for re-use. However, the public sector can play an important role by sponsoring economic development initiatives such as local redevelopment zones, in-place industrial parks, and brownfields redevelopment programs targeting freight villages. Four potential freight village sites identified to date are summarized below and shown in Figure 5.6. 1. Maspeth, Queens – Development of this site centers on the vacant 27-acre Phelps Dodge industrial site adjacent to the Montauk (west) Branch of the LIRR and in the center of a large complex of warehousing, distribution, and manufacturing facilities. Connections to the regional highway system are excellent. Rail connections are adequate for bulk goods but not for intermodal traffic such as TOFC due to clearance restrictions and operational conflicts. Marine access via Newtown Creek also is possible. Further development and expansion of this site into an intermodal yard is addressed below in regard to the Cross Harbor rail tunnel. 2. South Brooklyn Waterfront, Brooklyn – Further development could be encouraged at this site by improving access to the Gowanus Expressway and to the Brooklyn rail infrastructure. 3. Harlem River Yard, The Bronx – This site enjoys the strongest rail and highway connections of the sites under consideration, as evidenced by the large number of existing warehousing and distribution facilities in the surrounding area. However, the Harlem River Yard lacks available land for core rail facilities. This shortage has become more pronounced due to an influx of non-transportation-related development at the yard itself. 4. Pilgrim State Hospital Site, Suffolk County – A freight village on this site, while suburban in character, would function to some degree as an urban village because truck access to central Long Island is constrained by the need to pass through the severe congestion of New York City. The site has ready access to the Heartland Industrial Park, and the potential exists for further industrial development of the state hospital site. Other land uses in the area are primarily residential, but impacts could be buffered by the large amount of available land at the complex. The major drawback to this site is the heavy passenger train traffic on the LIRR mainline, which limits the size and frequency of possible rail deliveries to Pilgrim. Transportation Impacts It is difficult to analyze the impacts of freight village projects in isolation from the related projects that would provide the rail and/or highway connections needed to make the freight villages a success. To the extent that these projects encourage the regional diversion of freight shipments from truck to rail or water modes, they can improve traffic operations. Although increased truck traffic in the vicinity of the yards could impact local traffic, most truck movements tend to occur outside peak commuter hours. Consolidating a variety of freight shipment and industrial activities within a single site could reduce the need for intermediate truck trips. Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 5-30
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