Presentation Transcript

1. Protecting and Preserving Freight Corridors and FacilitiesPresentation to Baltimore Industrial Group Lisa Loftus-Otway Center for Transportation Research The University of Texas at Austin February 14, 2011
2. Why has this issue arisen? Freight Growth past 20 years Increases in port, truck and train activity close to residential areas Population Growth and Residential development Often close to freight corridors and facilities Land on the periphery Infill policies and gentrification of old industrial areas Odd parcels close to freight activity Environmental Justice Community awareness has grown
3. Why plan for freight? Freight = Jobs and revenue Freight growth – “Getting Me My Stuff” On average 42 tons of freight worth $39,000 was delivered to EVERY PERSON in U.S. in 2007 Distance involved in transporting this freight, is an average of 11,000 ton-miles for every person in U.S. This is equal to carrying almost one ton of freight between the North Pole and the South Pole for every man, woman, and child in the United States, or almost two tons between LA and Rotterdam 2007 US Commodity Flow Survey Data
4. Why Act Now? U.S. is projected to continue to grow rapidly Continuing shift in where people live—are migrating to megapolitan areas where freight system congestion exists We will still need ‘stuff’ Regional visioning movement - opportunity to plan for freight
5. Encroachment: What’s the problem?
6. Physical ‘encroachment’ onto freight property Source: Chuck Burnell North Carolina Railroad
7. Residential land uses adjacent to freight uses Source: The Impact Project , June 2009 http://hydra.usc.edu/scehsc/pdfs/D-1-3%20Trade%20Health%20Environment.pdf Source: Mileski et al, “Texas Transportation Institute, August, 2010.
8. For rail major issues is trespass Children crossing UP line in Anaheim CA to get to Ball Jr High School Source: Jon Waide FRA Region 7 Law Enforcement Liaison Officer
9. Why Does Land Use Planning Matter to Freight? Land use planning and approvals lead to projects that: Block or otherwise impact freight corridors Put incompatible uses near, or encroaching on, freight corridors or facilities Reduce industrial land available near freight facilities (e.g., ports) Freight facilities often require land use approvals
10. How close is close? Heights Boulevard, Houston, Tx. Fence 3.5 feet and foundation 8.5 feet from near rail 8.5 feet Source: Carolyn Cook - FRA
11. Built to ‘usual’ standards - No soundproofing vibration mitigation Source: Dale Hill – Union Pacific
12. Unit facing us: listed at $350kUnit behind is closer to rail listed at $380k Source: Carolyn Cook - FRA
13. How the developer can impact the issue Cheney WA – request for variance Jan 2010 Reduction in lot size, where zoning immediately north of site is ‘industrial’ and 2 freight rail lines run. Notice of application was sent to all property owners and residents within 300 feet of subject site No responses were received Per code: proposal shall be integrated with surrounding land uses and minimize any negative impact resulting from the development Findings: The subject site is located at the intersection of X Road and X Street. Northwest is a railroad right of way. All other surrounding sites are vacant. The proposed development does not alter or interfere with the railroad right of way. Therefore the criteria is met.
14. Zoned industrial Sidewalks being built on Alki St 3 unit property already built – facing Alki St Sole development access road will lead into Alki St Zoned multi-family residential BNSF UP Wetland mitigation will take place here
15. Costs to Cure: Chicago O’Hare – FAA Airport Improvement Program Sound Insulation Program 6,950 homes insulated 1,000 homes in construction 1,000 homes in design 116 schools insulated 3 schools in construction 1 school in design $550 million cost 20% match by localities New Program 2010 sound insulation expanded to multi-owner buildings Source: Chicago O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission 2010 Brochure.
16. Why Don’t Local Governments Protect Freight Needs? Freight providers sometimes viewed as bullies Planning degrees don’t provide freight education Few available tools regarding how to plan for freight Freight stakeholders often aren’t involved in land use planning and visioning processes MPOs & local governments don’t have resources to devote to freight Residents (voters) don’t like impacts of freight Benefits of freight are too removed and poorly understood Each local government only sees a piece of the system State enabling acts don’t include freight as a required planning element Often little tax benefit to local government Perceived as something that is not the local government’s issue
17. Land Use Authority in America
18. To Successfully Impact Land Use Decisions, You Must Think About Land Use Authority This Way:
19. The Land Use Planning System Itself is Fragmented Numerous cities and counties have legal jurisdiction In response, during the last twenty years the regional visioning movement, launched with Envision Utah, has sought to address the fragmentation Freight has not been included in a significant way in either the fragmented legal system or the regionalism movement
20. Two Worlds That Need to Come Together The Goal: Long-range land use planning that: Treats freight as a system Protects and preserves the freight system Permits future expansion of, and efficiency improvements to, the freight system Mitigates for proximity/encroachment issues

21. Website www.envisionfreight.com & guide are intended to facilitate this process

22. Our Proposed Systematic Approach to Get Freight Needs Recognized in Local Planning Amend state enabling acts to make freight planning required in comprehensive plans Include freight in regional visions Freight stakeholders need to get involved in regional and local comprehensive planning processes Plan for freight in local comprehensive plans Planners and elected officials need to invite freight stakeholders to the table Incorporate MPO long-range plans into local comprehensive plans Create zoning ordinances that prescribe design criteria for freight-compatible development
23. Corridor preservation strategies
24. Allow denser development without encroaching closer to ROW Zoning: Cluster zoning Ashton Woods Townhomes, Austin, Tx How we’d have developed this site!!
25. Zoning: Setbacks Required distances within which development is not permitted without a variance Setback from freight line Source: Williams, K. Managing Corridor Development: A Municipal Handbook, October 1996
26. Zoning: Overlay zones
27. Lot orientation and lot depths Deeper lot depth Non access easement Better development orientation Low utilized rooms placed closer to freight facility
28. Changing building layout Place under-utilized rooms closer to the freight facility Creates space through which noise and vibration diminishes
29. Mitigation for new residential development Source: Railway Proximity Website: Research Report: Proximity Guidelines and Best Practices. November 2006. Available at: http://www.proximityissues.ca/english/MaterialsContent/2006_Guidelines_eng.pdf
30. Don’t zone (or allow development) like this! Wichita KS – Via Christi Medical Center (Kansas’s only head trauma center & class 1 Trauma center) layout looked just like this until the grade crossing was removed when railway line was raised and a bridge was placed here
31. Another “Don’t zone!” example March 2010 – Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved funding $38,844, to put fencing beside Longview Elementary School in Moses Lake Columbia Basin Railroad’s tracks run parallel to the school’s playground. 400 students attend the elementary school and over half of the students live across the tracks from the school Students cross the tracks at this location as a short-cut to school The fencing will discourage unsafe activity on and around the railroad tracks in the vicinity of the school
32. Notice process Cities/Counties provide details to freight groups for permit requests around facilities Process for City applications for site plan approval, zoning variances, or other City Development office applications concerning property within 500 feet of our Rail ROW: X gets a notice, hands it to Y, who reviews to see if this warrants a notice. (Someone putting up a fence would not, for example.) Z fills out the form letters to the applicant and the property owner using the contact info from the City’s development site: The letter is signed by the Real Estate Manager. Z sends contact info to the Community Involvement team, with a request to be notified after the phone call to the applicant has been made. Z sends the letter(s), return receipt requested, to both the applicant and the owner, and sends a cc to the City staff person listed on the application, and then sends internal cc’s to Legal and Community Involvement . Z enters the info into the log of Development Notices. And then we are done, unless the applicant or property owner responds to the letter. If so, we answer questions that essentially repeat the information in the letter. The paper copies should go back to the Real Estate Manager’s files.
33. Ownernotification letter Date Name Address City, State, ZIP Dear Applicant: I am writing to you with reference to the Notice of _________________________________ Case # ________________ sent to [ x ] by the[ y ] . We received this notice because our rail tracks are within 500 feet of the property as shown in the notice. [ x ] runs freight service on these tracks, and is required to continue to do so as a matter of federal law. In the near future, we will be operating passenger rail service during weekday morning and evening peak hours. With the start of passenger rail service, we will shift freight rail service to other times, particularly the hours after the last passenger train has run. We want you to be aware of the freight service; the freight trains generate some noise as they move through. At most urban street crossings, we are providing upgraded signal systems with crossing arms to block the roadway. This allows the City of Austin the ability to apply for a “quiet zone” meaning that the train will not blow its horn, under normal operations, as it moves through the street crossing within the passenger rail service corridor. Capital Metro strives to provide the community with the best passenger and freight service possible. We also try to be sure that all of our neighbors are aware of both our present and possible future operations. We wanted to be sure that you were aware of the nearby existence of the tracks, and of the potential for freight service through evening and overnight hours. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you. Manager, Real Estate Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority  cc: Owner Listed City Staff,
34. Mitigation: Issues and costs Freight entities are becoming involved Rail Relocation Alameda $2.4bn Sound Barriers Noise and vibration are subjective issue Limited efficacy blocking low frequency noise and vibration Anaheim CA – BNSF Route Close to SR 90/91 – 100 + trains a day 3.44 miles of sound wall $13m cost (2007) Yorba Linda has increased sound and vibration Built berm to offset “bounce effect” from wall - cost $2.8m (2008) LA Gold Line Sound Barrier Source: Phil Hooser – Industrial Acoustics Group
35. Collaborate Collaboration is one way to achieve success when a corridor crosses multiple jurisdictions Compromise will be required Utah Transit Agency interlocal agreement (62 jurisdictions)- everyone gave up a little land-use control but in the long-run this is leading to greater certainty, has streamlined permitting and it is easier to work with developers Need public outreach/education program on the importance of planning around corridors to ensure ‘quality of life’
36. Questions? Lisa Loftus-Otway Center for Transportation Research University of Texas at Austin loftusotway@mail.utexas.edu 512 232 3072