Port of Long Beach 2

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Support the Port of Long Beach in presenting a comprehensive view of the lifecycle benefits of on-dock rail infrastructure to support the success of its state grant application.

BACKGROUND

Grant applications for rail projects often require a comparative analysis of the impacts of moving freight by rail, versus truck. This POLB infrastructure project would accommodate containers being loaded onto dockside trains rather than trucked 20 miles to an inland rail terminal. Previous conventional Benefit-Cost-Analysis only compared a planned 20-mile one-way rail move of each container to the current 20-mile truck dray. Current practice in BCAs neglect many aspects of truck transportation such as return trips to the dock for loading and the impact of truck crashes on congestion and commuter hours.

SRF APPROACH

SRF provided a more complete Lifecycle BCA as developed by its non-profit affiliate OnTrackNorthAmerica to assess typically missing impacts of truck transportation and other operational realities. A container train requires only two operating personnel—versus the approximately 100 truck drivers required for multiple truck, chassis, and container repositioning between the dock and the inland terminal. Here are the new operational and lifecycle elements that were factored into SRF’s enhanced comparison:

  • Pick-up of chassis before arriving at dock
  • Truck idling time while waiting for each container to be loaded at dock
  • Unloading and loading of containers at interim storage facilities before delivery to inland rail terminal (avg. 2.8 moves for each container)
  • Return to dock as an empty truck move
  • Truck and personnel logistics at beginning and end of each day’s shift
  • Congestion impact from truck crashes

RESULTS

  • OTNA expanded the factors incorporated in the Port’s Benefit Cost Analysis to include the actual truck and personnel vehicle miles and impact reduced by the new investment.
  • $8 million grant was awarded in 2020 by the State of California for the Port of Long Beach 4th Track at Ocean Boulevard Project.
Strategic Rail
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