Committee recommends steps toward intermodal hub
The Joint Intermodal Task Force for Transportation and Logistics during a press conference Oct. 30 announced its report and recommendations to pursue efforts to create a hub in the Toledo area for freight distribution by air, sea, rail and truck.
...
The committee recommended a site on Airline Junction, off Hill Avenue, to house the facility over potential sites including the airport, Toledo Lucas County Port and North Baltimore. The report also suggested regional economic development strategies to maximize the investment.
This is an overhead view of the area selected:
I hate to point out the obvious, but why would any company want to build an intermodal hub on a site without freeway access? Did the committee not realize that an intermodal hub requires at least two modes of transit?
But the link does work.
---------
"Show me a man who lives alone and has a perpetually dirty kitchen, andfive times out of nine I'll show you an exceptional man." -CharlesBukowski
The thinking is that because the site is already in use, although underutilized, it would be easier and quicker to get something done. Also NS has expressed interest in improving the site if "substantial" help is given them. Although they are close to 75 the selling point is that the roads they are near are Michigan weight roads.
I was at the presentation, actually the only radio guy there, and have a copy of the report which we'll look at Friday morning.
Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only th
The Airline Yard used to be a bustling intermodal facility when Conrail owned it. When Conrail was broken up, the feds gave Norfolk-Southern the Toledo end and CSX the Baltimore terminus. It was not good for either railroad to have one end of an intermodal system. But that's the federal government for you. Can't wait until they start spreading the wealth.
To properly construct an intermodal facility that incorporates rail, you have to have a two mile long stretch of land that is at least a quarter mile wide. There's not a lot of lots like that in Toledo.
To get NS to buy into the idea of more throughput at Airline, it has to be shown how they can make a profit at doing it. I don't think the intermodal committee has gone that far.