Dennis Leong, Toni Rice, and Kathleen Spencer March 27, 2013
Northwoods Rail Transit Commission (NRTC) Why study freight rail in northern Wisconsin? Counties in the study area Photo: Wisconsin State Historical Society Photo: Wisconsin State Historical Society 2
1,000 miles (28%) Out-of-Service* 3,600 miles of railroad tracks 3
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Nonmetallic Minerals Farm Products Warehouse or Distribution Clay, Concrete, Glass, or Lumber or Wood Products Food or Kindred Products Primary Metal Products Chemicals or Allied Products Pulp, Paper or Allied Wisconsin Counties Truck Tons Rail Tons Nonmetallic Minerals Lumber or Wood Farm Products Clay, Concrete, Glass, Food or Kindred Products Primary Metal Products Pulp, Paper or Allied Fabricated Metal Warehouse or Study Area Truck Tons Rail Tons Fabricated Metal Products Transportation Equipment Petroleum or Coal Products Electrical Equipment Machinery Printed Matter Data: Transearch 2007 0 4,000,000 0 40,000,000 80,000,000 Photo: Wisconsin State Historical Society 5
Nonmetallic Minerals Warehouse or Distribution Farm Products Clay, Concrete, Glass, or Food or Kindred Products Primary Metal Products Lumber or Wood Products Fabricated Metal Products Petroleum or Coal Chemicals or Allied Machinery Pulp, Paper or Allied Electrical Equipment Transportation Equipment Rubber of Miscellaneous Printed Matter Wisconsin Counties Nonmetallic Minerals Truck Tons Rail Tons Warehouse or Distribution Clay, Concrete, Glass, Lumber or Wood Products Farm Products Primary Metal Products Food or Kindred Products Pulp, Paper or Allied Data: Transearch 2007 0 1,000,000 2,000,000 Study Area Truck Tons Rail Tons 0 40,000,000 Photo: Wisconsin State Historical Society 6
Business selection process Survey results Photo: Wisconsin State Historical Society 7
Determined rail oriented commodities Used commodity codes to search business database for business names and addresses Added businesses from a GIS/business database Added or deleted businesses based on meetings with local economic development officials 8
39 (20%) 151 (80%) 9
39 (20%) 10
33 (25%) 11
Survey Launch Survey mailed out November 2012 Open to any business in the 10-county study area Several businesses outside the study area, including some in four U.P. Michigan counties, also participated County economic development leaders and others actively promoted the survey 12
Survey Results Summarized by rail user and non-rail user responses Summarized by inbound and outbound freight types 13
Freight commodities and shipping volumes of all businesses were grouped together into best fit categories for inbound freight and outbound freight Unique commodities those reported by only one respondent were assigned to a broader category, to help maintain the confidentiality of the business s volume numbers 14
Leading inbound freight, by tonnage: Pulpwood Miscellaneous (assorted commodities too dissimilar to group into one category) Parts, components and raw materials Construction materials Other leading inbound freight, by board feet: Lumber Logs 15
Leading outbound freight, by tonnage: Raw forest products Construction materials Paper products, including lignin and pulp Pulpwood Other leading outbound freight, by board feet: Lumber Logs Wood products 16
Truck, rail, water, air what s the modal split? Why do businesses use rail? Why don t they? If an out-of-service rail line was reactivated, would businesses use it? 17
Some rail users might ship more freight by rail if certain changes were made to their service or the rail lines. How much more might they ship? 18
Other topics the survey covered: Freight origins and destinations Effect on non-rail users if they would use rail Effect on rail users if they lost rail Interest in intermodal facilities Suggestions for infrastructure improvements Opinions and perceptions 19
1) Share survey results with railroads, counties, municipalities, business associations, elected officials and other stakeholders 2) Contact businesses that have indicated an interest in rail service (follow-up interviews to determine the types of commodities, volume, and the frequency of service needed) 3) Create an inventory of existing rail spurs, rail yards and terminals (railroads as a possible source) 4) Explore the financial resources available to develop existing or new freight rail facilities 20
Rail service in Wisconsin County freight profiles (2007 figures) Study area freight profile Survey results and comments WisDOT and NRTC recommendations Resources Photo: Wisconsin State Historical Society 21
Liat Bonneville, liat.bonneville@dot.wi.gov Toni Rice, tonia.rice@dot.wi.gov Kathleen Spencer, kathleen.spencer@dot.wi.gov Dennis Leong, dennis.leong@dot.wi.gov Photo: Wisconsin State Historical Society Photo: Wisconsin State Historical Society 22