Topic: "Sustainable Transportation: An Important Driver of Economic Development"
Civic entrepreneur Herb Crowther, and representatives and entrepreneurs from
private companies, port authorities and other transportation oriented economic development organizations come together during a 90 minute interactive discussion about freight-related sustainable transportation opportunities. Shifting freight transport to rail and water can improve freight mobility and reduce transportation costs while using cleaner transportation modes. The purpose of the conversation is to raise the community's consciousness of how much activity related to sustainable transportation and freight mobility is already going on in Northeast Ohio, and brainstorm strategies for leveraging collaboration and integrating transportation initiatives to drive job creation and economic development.
Moderated by Herb Crowther, Co-founder of TransTech, Northeast Ohio's transportation technology economic development initiative.
Sweden’s Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications (Mistra) defines Sustainable Transportation as the “socially and economically efficient, long-term sustainable transport of people and goods.” “A sustainable mobility system should meet several goals simultaneously: it should be economically efficient in its own right as well as contributing to the overall economic efficiency of the society; it should be socially inclusive and not leave large groups of the population without access to mobility; and it should meet stringent environmental criteria.”
Freight volumes will grow dramatically in the years ahead. Adding lanes of highway will have little impact on mitigating the predicted gridlock, but entrepreneurial, innovative intermodal solutions can reduce road congestion and conserve energy while creating economic benefits throughout the region. Northeast Ohio can strengthen its position as a gateway to global trade by developing and managing the region’s transportation infrastructure as a dynamic system, developing strategically located intermodal facilities, and promoting the region’s transportation and logistics cluster.
This can improve attraction, retention and expansion of manufacturing and distribution facilities and improve mobility and air quality for the region’s residents. Freight revenue can significantly improve the financial feasibility of the proposed lake ferry to Canada and rail systems (e.g. overnight parcel service) aimed at improving passenger mobility. Container deconsolidation and hybrid warehousing operations that combine product assembly, order fulfillment and distribution can co-locate in state-of-the-art freight villages and logistics parks. These developments will bring jobs and opportunity to brownfield sites having rail sidings and proximity to highways, maritime facilities and airports, and will promote sustainable compact land use.
Initiatives and Panelists include:
- Ferry to Canada: Stephen Pfeiffer/Maritme Director, Port of Cleveland. Following extensive research, the Port of Cleveland awarded a contract to Dutch ferry operator Royal Wagenborg to develop and operate a for-profit freight and passenger ferry service between Cleveland and Canada. With two (or in peak season potentially three) round trips per day, 800 trips per year could carry up to 400,000 cars and 80,000 trucks per year. As reported in Logistics Today, in Europe 41% of ton-kilometer cargo movements is transported by short sea shipping compared to 43% by road transport. Modeled on best practice in Europe, this short sea shipping corridor will enhance NAFTA trade with Ohio’s largest international trading partner and create freight, transit and tourism related land side development opportunities in Northeast Ohio. The Port’s research found that reliability, on-board customs processing and other direct cost savings were the primary considerations for prospective freight customers.
- Ohio Rail Hub: Don Damron AICP/State Rail Planner, Ohio Rail Development Commission.The ORDC's mission is to plan, promote and implement the improved movement of goods and people faster and safer on a rail transportation network connecting Ohio to the nation and the world. Its mission is accomplished through a coordinated freight and passenger rail system which is an integral part of a seamless, intermodal transportation network contributing to Ohio's quality of life and economic development. The ODRC is actively pursuing the development of the Ohio & Lake Erie Regional Rail Hub Plan. The Ohio Hub Plan calls for an 860-mile network of high-speed passenger trains in system that grows from Ohio’s 3-C Corridor (Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati) and acts as the spine for other potential corridors connecting Ohio with Chicago, Toronto, Detroit, Pittsburgh and New York. It proposes up to eight trains a day providing a fast, frequent and cost-effective travel option that connects people with major downtown centers, international airports, and suburban areas with access to interstate highways as well as major sports, arts and entertainment attractions.
- Ohio River Cargo Port: Tracy Drake/Executive Director, Columbiana Port Authority. Conceived as a transshipment facility for regional industry to promote economic development and as a multimodal transportation logistics nexus for national distribution purposes, the 70-acre Columbiana Intermodal Industrial Park in Wellsville Ohio (with 800 additional developable acres) is located at the northernmost point of the Ohio River. Flowing south to the Mississippi River, New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico, the Ohio River carries 250 million tons of cargo per year. (More cargo than the Panama Canal.) The Intermodal Park is developing facilities to transfer bulk and container cargo between the river port, the Norfolk and Southern Railroad yard (serving its dual mainline track between the East Coast and Chicago), and truck facilities. It has direct access to four-lane State Route 7, connecting to routes I-70 and I-76/80 40 miles away. Located in Foreign Trade Zone #181, U.S. Customs processing of international cargo containers is processed on site and Empowerment Zone status provides additional development incentives.
- Transit Entrepreneurism: Bob Foraker/Industrial Relations Director, XGEM. XGEM and related companies are involved in a variety of innovative public transit system and hybrid electric vehicle initiatives in Northeast Ohio and nationally. XGEM is seeking demonstration sites for its Hybrid Transit Technology Project (HttP?™) and associated automated trolley system.
- Global Freight Mobility Trends: Perry Trunick/Executive Editor, Logistics Today. Published by Penton, Logistics Today is the Supply Chain Management industry’s flagship publication with a monthly circulation of over 85,000 subscribers and growing. The magazine and its logisticstoday.com website explore the news, trends, and issues that are vital to the understanding, selection, acquisition and deployment of logistics and supply chain solutions world wide.
Other TransTech Programs:
- 1.27.05 “Youngstown 2010 Comprehensive Plan Unveiling” 7:00- 8:30 p.m. at YSU Stambaugh Auditorium, Fifth Ave., Youngstown. (http://www.youngstown2010.com/)
- 1.19.05 “Update” ORDC officials and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission will make an Ohio Hub presentation to the public 5:30-7:30 p.m. at location TBD in Columbus (www.ohioansforpassengerrail.com/)
- 12.13.04 “Get Northwest Ohio Moving ... On Passenger Trains” ORDC/Lima-Allen County Regional Planning Commission presentation to general public” 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Civic Center in Lima (www.dot.state.oh.us/ohiorail/Press%20Releases/04-Ohio%20Hub%20Lima%20Meeting%20Dates.htm )
- October 19:"Supply Chain and Logistics Technology: Northeast Ohio's Economic Development Engine" with a review at: http://realneo.contenthosting.org/node/94)
- 14 September : “Vehicle Technology: Northeast Ohio’s Economic Development Engine"
For information about previous TransTech programs: (contact Herb Crowther at hcrowther@capling.com)
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