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PREFACE.............................................................................................................................................................5PURPOSE AND STUDY SCOPE .....................................................................................................................6SECTION 1.0 SHORT SEA SHIPPING IN THE U.S.: INFRASTRUCTURE AND CARGOCHARACTERISTICS..........................................................................................................................................71.1 CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS .....................................................................................................................7Early Institutional Forces Governing U.S. Coastal Shipping.......................................................................81-2 WATERWAY INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES.........................................................................................91-3 DOMESTIC COMMERCIAL CARGO TRAFFIC ..............................................................................................10SECTION 2.0 EXISTING SSS PRACTICES AND OPERATIONS............................................................142-1 CURRENT SSS SERVICE CORRIDORS .....................................................................................................142-2 CURRENT SSS MARKETS AND CARRIERS ...............................................................................................212-2-1 Inland Waterway Markets: Tug-Barge, COB and ATB Service ........................................................222-2-2 Coastal/Great Lakes Markets: Self-Propelled RoRo, COB, Fast Ferry............................................222-2-3 Coastal Container Feeder-Service on Self-Propelled Vessels ..........................................................28SECTION 3.0 MARKET CONDITIONS, SERVICE REQUIREMENTS AND POTENTIAL MARKETSIZE FOR VIABLE SSS SERVICE ................................................................................................................323-1 BASELINE COMMODITY MARKET CHARACTERISTICS...............................................................................323-2 REQUIREMENTS FOR VIABLE SSS SERVICE............................................................................................33Shipper Service Requirements ....................................................................................................................33Carrier Requirements for Market Entry .....................................................................................................34Commodity Market Requirements Favoring SSS Service ...........................................................................353-3 SSS CORRIDORS DESIGNATIONS ACCORDING TO POTENTIAL MARKET SIZE........................................36Market Size and Cost Parameters for each Corridor .................................................................................36SECTION 4.0 VESSELS AND THEIR RELATIVE PERFORMANCE.......................................................414-1 SELF-PROPELLED U.S. FLAG VESSELS...................................................................................................41Self-Propelled Tank Ships...........................................................................................................................42Self-Propelled RoRo, LoLo, LASH, and Feeder Ships................................................................................43Commercial High-Speed Catamaran Multi-Hull Vessels ...........................................................................45Military High Speed Multi-Hull RoRo, Trimaran, and LMSR Vessels .......................................................464-2 U.S FLEET OF TUG-BARGE VESSELS ......................................................................................................48Integrated Tug-Barge (ITB)........................................................................................................................49Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB)......................................................................................................................49SECTION 5.0 SSS COSTS: DIRECT CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION COSTS VERSUSAVOIDED COSTS OF ALTERNATIVE MODES..........................................................................................535-1 VESSEL CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATING COST FOR SSS ....................................................................535-2 ESTIMATING REQUIRED FREIGHT RATE (RFR) FOR SSS.......................................................................545-3 ESTIMATING AVOIDED EXTERNAL COSTS OF HIGHWAY TRUCKING ........................................................56Avoided Costs of Urban Congestion...........................................................................................................57Avoided Costs of Highway Accidents and Spills.........................................................................................57Avoided Costs of Emissions and Air Pollution............................................................................................58Avoided Noise Costs ...................................................................................................................................60Avoided External Costs of Infrastructure Repair Not Paid for by User Fees.............................................605-4 ESTIMATING REDUCED COSTS OF MEETING FUTURE HIGHWAY CAPACITY NEEDS ...............................615-5 ESTIMATING THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE FOSSIL FUEL CONSUMPTION.................................................635-6 ESTIMATING THE BENEFITS FROM IMPROVED DRIVER AND CREW PRODUCTIVITY.................................64SECTION 6.0 – SSS CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND POLICY OPTIONS.............................666-1 POTENTIAL IMPEDIMENTS TO EXPANDED SSS OPERATION....................................................................666-1-1 The Jones Act and the USCG Manning Requirements have Impeded the Deployment Self-PropelledVessels.........................................................................................................................................................66ONR SSS Final Report 2