Administrative Draft Predecisional Do Not Cite

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1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION PROJECT OVERVIEW BENEFITS PROJECT ALTERNATIVES PROJECT DESCRIPTION... 6 PARSONS i October 2013

2 1. INTRODUCTION The U.S. west coast is a major link in our country s goods movement chain. The Port of Long Beach is focused on Green Port policies to handle cargo in the most environmentally sensitive manner possible, which includes the Port Truck Reduction program. One element of this effort is to increase rail transportation from the Port, which is efficient, reduces emissions and eliminates trucks from congested regional freeways. The Terminal Island Wye is an important rail improvement at the center of the San Pedro Bay Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The December 2006 San Pedro Bay Ports Rail Study Update identified a range of projects comprising the Port s Rail Enhancement Program (REP). The 2006 Rail Study identified the forecasted cargo demand, ondock terminal development plans, and projected train volumes. Then the projected train volumes were studied using the Rail Traffic Control (RTC) simulation model to determine the capability of the Port rail network and identify any deficiencies that could cause train delays and level-of-service issues. Infrastructure improvements were recommended as part of the Rail Enhancement Program to address these rail network deficiencies. The Terminal Island Railroad Wye is an important rail enhancement infrastructure improvement project and the subject of this report. The project location is shown on the Project Location adjacent map and the project components are illustrated on the following page. This report is intended to provide the basic information necessary to permit and advance design of the project. PARSONS 2 October 2013

3 2. P PROJECT OVERVIEW Terminal Island provides a major center of operations for the San Pedro Bay Ports with 50 percent of the container terminal capacity and over 60 percent of the on-dock intermodal capacity. It is critical to provide appropriate rail network infrastructure to support the Terminal Island facilities. The Terminal Island Wye Track Realignment project is identified on Figure 1.1 and described in subsequent sections of this report. Figure 1.1 Terminal Island Wye Track Realignment Projectt Location The Terminal Island Wye Track Realignment Project is located on Terminal Island north of Ocean Boulevard and east of the Pier T Intermodal Yard leads (westerly of Pier S Avenue). The 2006 Rail Study identified the Terminal Island Wye ass Rail Enhancement Program Project II.2. The project includes adding a second track to the south leg of the Terminal Island Wye (geographic south) where a single track exists today. The Terminal Island Wye connects Alameda Corridor (CP Badger and CP Mole) to Pier T, Pier T East and the possible future Pier S. The TI Wye supports critical train movements throughout Terminal Island, and provides a facility to turn trains. The Terminal Island Wye supports the following: Pier T On-dock rail yard for building trains on the Pier T East Lead; Commodity/Unit trains that access Pier T East; Block Swapping from LAXT Loop tracks; Future Pier S On-dock rail yard building trains on Navy Mole; Locomotive engines/train turning to prepare for jobs throughout TI. Currently, locomotive engines are delayed and idle while Pier T completes its moves on the existing single track at the south leg of the Wye. Cargo growth on Terminal Island (intermodal, manifest and PARSONS 3 October 2013

4 unit trains) will further increase the demand for simultaneous train movements on the Wye. The demand for capacity on the Pier T East Lead has increased due to overlapping operations at Pier T East and Pier T On-dock, and any future POLB developments will further increase the demand. 3. BENEFITS The Terminal Island Railroad Wye Project addresses critical issues facing the San Pedro Bay rail network. Rail operations analysis, by rail experts and simulation modeling using the industry accepted Rail Traffic Control (RTC) Model, indicate that without the project, train delays will increase throughout the Port as cargo volumes rise. The project would reduce train delays, reduce locomotive idling and increase the potential to transport cargo by rail. The Port provides a necessary service toward the region/nation s goods movement requirements, but also recognizes its responsibility to minimize impacts on surrounding communities. The Port has planned rail improvements in close coordination with adjacent city entities and is committed to reducing air quality impacts through application of green policies and programs (e.g. Clean Air Action Plan). These steps will also ease local and regional roadway congestion impacts. The Terminal Island Railroad Wye is conceived with the goal of providing operational and environmental benefits. The Terminal Island Wye Track Realignment Project will reduce train movements and train delays on the Port rail network and directly improve on-dock rail yard operations. Unmitigated delays could cause diversion of cargo from on-dock to off-dock rail such that without the project, cargo could be diverted from trains to trucks in the region. The diversion from trains to trucks would be a result of shippers finding the lowest cost and most expeditious transport alternative, which could lead to trucking intermodal cargo to and from inland rail yards. Benefits include reduced locomotive idling, improved safety, improved truck access, improved on-dock usage and significant truck reduction benefits. The Terminal Island Wye Track Realignment adds an important second track (Base Project) and optional sidings along Pier S lane to support the following operations: enable simultaneous train movements for building Pier T trains; for intermodal blockswapping; for commodity/unit train deliveries; for locomotive light engine movements; and for trains from future POLB developments. The project will reduce train delays, reduce locomotive idling, improve potential for on-dock usage and improve safety. Safety is improved since trains can be pulled onto Terminal Island rather than shoved. Shoving is known to have higher incidence of accidents. PARSONS 4 October 2013

5 4. PROJECT ALTERNATIVES The constraints and available track tie-in opportunities will only allow one additional track to be added at the south leg of the Terminal Island Wye. The resulting two track south leg of the Wye will enable switching Pier T On-dock trains on the second track of the TI Wye and onto Pier T East lead while turning locomotives and trains on the first track of the TI Wye. The two tracks will also provide the opportunity to create dual leads into Pier T East or future Pier S for simultaneous train movements. The Terminal Island Wye Reconfiguration could potentially be constrained by the following: Bridge space on Pier S Avenue underpass; Property along north side of South-East Resource Recovery Facility (SERRF); SCE Power poles; Clearance at Heim Bridge; Gerald Desmond Bridge (GDB) replacement project; Future Pier S rail yard. The feasible alternatives include various arrangements of tracks adjacent to the Gerald Desmond Bridge. Otherwise, the alignment of track from Pier T On-dock Leads through TI Wye is constrained and only the proposed track alignment or a no-project alternative are feasibile. East of TI Wye, the GDB project has a fill slope that pushes Pier S Lane further north than originally envisioned. The TI Wye project considers both the condition left by GDB with fill, and a condition with a wall added by TI Wye project to maximize available property for Pier S development. Base Project The Base Project comprises an additional track connection from Pier T leads, across Pier S Avenue Underpass, past SERRF, along the south leg of TI Wye, adjacent to Pier S Lane, to the point of crossing under the future Gerald Desmond Bridge. The Base Project serves Pier T, Pier T East and overall Terminal Island rail movements to significantly reduce the switching movements that need to occur on the Alameda Corridor using Badger Bridge. The Base Project will also reduce locomotive idling, capacity robbing train delays and reduce the shove-train movements thereby improving safety. Project Options In addition to the Base Project, several added value options have been developed. These options provide additional siding tracks on the Pier S site, referred to as Pier S Lane Sidings. The Pier S Lane Sidings provide several important benefits, including: Additional intermodal movements can be accommodated on the TI Wye due to the ability to clear track of other rail traffic; Additional manifest/unit train trains can be directly arrived to Terminal Island rather than requiring multiple trips to and from other staging tracks located throughout the San Pedro Bay rail network (this current practice imposes significant demand on Badger Bridge and the overall Port rail network, and it causes increased train hauling mileage); Additional locomotive repositioning, block-swapping moves and train turns are enabled, which would otherwise be delayed or deprive track capacity from the Port rail network. PARSONS 5 October 2013

6 GDB Wall The Design-Builder for GDB is allowed to use a fill-slope within his project limits. Those project limits push further north into Pier S than original TI Wye rail concepts had envisioned. The fill-slope does not negatively impact the TI Wye rail design; however, it does slightly reduce the property available for future Pier S terminal development by approximately 2 acres. The cost of implementing the wall today is $1 million. If the TI Wye rail project were implemented without the wall today, and the Pier S project wants that space back, then there will be roughly $4 million additional cost (track reconstruction and escalation) plus the $1 million in wall cost. 5. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Terminal Island Wye Track Realignment (Project II.2) is summarized by the project summary sheet on the following page. A conceptual level cost estimate has been prepared for the Base Project concept (without an additional wall along Gerald Desmond Bridge) as follows: GENERAL REQUIREMENTS $700,000 DEMOLITION/REMOVAL/RELOCATION $700,000 SITEWORK $2,300,000 TRACKWORK & SIGNALS $4,200,000 CONSTRUCTION TOTAL $7,900,000 A conceptual level cost estimate for the addition of two Pier S Lane sidings is as follows: GENERAL REQUIREMENTS $400,000 DEMOLITION/REMOVAL/RELOCATION $500,000 SITEWORK $500,000 TRACKWORK & SIGNALS $2,200,000 CONSTRUCTION TOTAL $3,600,000 Every TEU moved by train potentially removes a truck trip from local roadways and regional freeways. Truck reduction benefits include: reduced diesel emissions, reduced traffic congestion and improved safety. Implementation of this project also reduces diesel emissions by reducing the time that locomotives idle. Safety is also improved with fewer pushed trains. The Base project will improve intermodal and manifest/unit train operations by reducing delays caused by the single track at the south leg of the TI Wye extending onto Pier S. The Pier T intermodal operations are currently constrained due to reduced access to the south leg used for train arrival and departure. As manifest/unit train cargo volumes grow, this constraint will worsen. The estimated benefit of the Base project to Pier T intermodal operations is 100,000 TEU per year today, and could grow to 250,000 TEU per year by Locomotive idling could be reduced by over 1,500 hours annually. The Pier S Lane Siding option will reduce train jobs across Badger Avenue Bridge and elsewhere through the SPB rail network. The current train jobs associated with moving manifest/unit trains onto Terminal Island in small segments is up to 10 movements daily. Reducing these movements across Badger Avenue Bridge could increase the potential for on-dock intermodal traffic by 150,000 TEU per year, and this benefit will grow to 300,000 TEU per year by 2035 as cargo volumes increase. Locomotive idling could be reduced by over 2,500 hours annually. PARSONS 6 October 2013

7 <insert Project II.2 project description sheet> PARSONS 7 October 2013

8 TI Wye Exhibits PARSONS 8 October 2013