CPCS freight experts help New York State secure $300M to build a resilient and sustainable freight system
Comprehensive update to New York State’s Freight Plan in the form of a Strategic Roadmap enabled NYSDOT to receive over $300M in federal funding to reinforce freight infrastructure.
Key points
- Strategic Roadmap included a truck parking study, which has since led to the creation of two truck parking facilities along I-84.
- CPCS developed data-driven, region-specific solutions to address New York’s distinct upstate and downstate freight needs while planning for future growth.
- Through collaboration with stakeholders, CPCS provided actionable strategic solutions, including sustainability initiatives.
CPCS, provider of freight intelligence
CPCS crafted a strategic roadmap rooted in operational understanding and pragmatism to optimize New York State’s multimodal freight system. The challenge was clear: Upstate serves as a critical hub for agriculture, manufacturing, and cross-border trade, while Downstate functions as a global center for logistics, maritime, and air cargo. This diversity necessitated a nuanced approach to accommodate the wide range of priorities in both rural and urban settings.
“We integrated advanced data analytics with stakeholder feedback to develop a plan that not only tackles current challenges facing New York’s freight system, but also prepares the state for sustained growth,” explains Rahil Saeedi, a Principal Consultant at CPCS. “This plan emphasizes upgrading multimodal freight infrastructure and ensures New York remains at the forefront of domestic and international trade.”
CPCS ensured the freight plan truly reflects the diverse opportunities across the state by incorporating the following elements:
Data-driven assessment of New York’s freight system
CPCS used state data to map forecasted commodity flows against the current multimodal freight network in New York State, and found that:
- By 2050, the volume of commodities transported within New York State is expected to grow by 34 percent, with the value increasing by 67 percent.
Such growth will significantly strain the state’s transportation system, emphasizing the need for strategic, forward-looking planning and investments.
CPCS’s analysis went beyond commodity flows. It incorporated economic trends, system performance metrics, and environmental considerations. Looking at these broader factors resulted in a plan that addresses today’s challenges and anticipates future needs.
Collaborating to capture diverse stakeholder perspectives
The New York State Freight Plan was built on a foundation of collaboration, driven by CPCS’s active engagement with key stakeholders.
CPCS convened a Freight Working Group, consisting of public agency stakeholders, infrastructure owners, and private industry representatives, and met with them regularly throughout the planning process.
These sessions were essential for ground-truthing findings, soliciting valuable data and information, and gathering feedback to ensure recommendations were actionable and aligned with the real and diverse needs of upstate and downstate.
Additionally, CPCS engaged the broader freight community in New York State and beyond through consultations and an online survey, ensuring that the plan reflected a wide range of perspectives.
Developing strategic solutions for New York’s truck parking challenges
One of the standout features of the New York State Freight Plan is a comprehensive Statewide Truck Parking Study.
- Addressing the truck parking shortage is a top priority for New York State’s infrastructure planning as it affects safety, efficiency, and the economy.
Inadequate parking makes it difficult for truck drivers to comply with federal hours-of-service regulations and forces them to stop in unsafe locations, increasing crash risks and affecting the quality of life for drivers. It also reduces productivity, raises transportation costs, and threatens cargo security.
Using advanced data analytics, CPCS identified critical truck parking hotspots throughout the state, providing targeted solutions to improve parking availability and operational efficiency. The study’s results led to actionable projects, including two new truck parking facilities along I-84, addressing a major infrastructure challenge for the state.
Advancing sustainability and resilience in freight investments
Public agencies are placing a higher priority on resilience and climate action, driven by the urgent reality that climate change causes billions of dollars in damage each year. These impacts not only disrupt economies but also affect the daily lives of individuals and families. “Communities across the country are experiencing more frequent and severe extreme weather events,” notes Rahil. “They’re dealing with damage to vital transportation infrastructure that underscores the need to integrate stronger sustainability and resilience measures into at types of planning and operations.”
CPCS integrated these key considerations into the New York State Freight Plan, evaluating key freight corridors, disadvantaged communities, and the state’s needs for emission reduction and climate adaptation. The plan’s prioritization framework used sustainability scores to balance efficient goods movement with minimizing environmental impacts, ensuring future investments contribute to a more responsible, equitable, and economically viable freight system.
Through distinct strategies like promoting cleaner technologies, enhancing multimodal connections, and prioritizing green infrastructure, the plan ensures that future investments support a more environmentally responsible and socially equitable freight network.
Guiding strategic investments for long-term growth
CPCS worked diligently to ensure the updated New York State Freight Plan met critical federal requirements under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
- As a result, New York secured over $300 million in federal funding through the National Highway Freight Program (NHFP) for the next five years.
In collaboration with regional offices and partners, NYSDOT identified key projects to improve the freight system, including truck parking initiatives. Leveraging CPCS’s Truck Parking Study, NYSDOT has allocated NHFP funds for further truck parking improvements, ensuring ongoing progress toward a more efficient and sustainable freight network.
NYSDOT’s NHFP projects target a range of challenges identified in the freight plan, such as:
- increasing truck parking capacity
- rehabilitating bridges
- reconstructing roadways
- replacing bridges
- upgrading interchanges
- rehabilitating pavements
Additionally, NYSDOT’s investment plan includes freight-related initiatives led by partners like Metropolitan Planning Organizations and infrastructure owners, including ports and railroads. These initiatives address various needs, such as highway corridor safety enhancements, congestion management systems, rail line rehabilitation or expansion, and maritime projects like harbor deepening and terminal expansions.
If you’re interested in learning more about CPCS’s freight planning projects and how we can help, contact our Freight Planning and Policy Director Erika Witzke at ewitzke@cpcstrans.com.
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