case study - the detroitcase study - the detroit intermodal freight terminal (dift) intermodal...

Case%Study:%The%Detroit%Intermodal%Freight%Terminal%(DIFT)%!

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Background+Intermodal!freight!transportation!is!the!process!of!shipping!goods!such!as!automobile!parts!and!consumer!goods!from!their!origin!of!manufacture!to!their!ultimate!destination.!This!movement!of!goods!is!usually!domestic!and!done!between!semi;truck!and!freight!train.!

In!1993,!the!Michigan!Department!of!Transportation!hired!Mercer!Management!consulting,!Inc.,!a!Massachusetts;based!consulting!firm,!to!study!the!Greater!Detroit!Areas!(GDA)!current!intermodal!market!and!future!intermodal!needs.!This!study!was!driven!by!the!Intermodal!Surface!Transportation!Efficiency!Act!(ISTEA)!of!1991!and!a!request!by!the!Michigan!Legislature!to!evaluate!the!Michigan!Central!Depot!as!a!freight!intermodal!facility!under!Section!326!of!P.A.!No.!154!of!1992.!!

In!the!final!drafts!of!the!Greater!Detroit!Area!Intermodal!Studies!completed!in!1993!and!1994,!Mercer!found!that!5!of!the!7!intermodal!terminals!serving!the!GDA!were!at!or!near!capacity.!Mercer!concluded!that!there!are!significant!opportunities!for!intermodal!growth!particularly!in!the!long!haul!markets!of!the!West!and!South!Central!that!are!not!being!realized!because!of!current!capacity!constraints.!Based!on!their!findings,!Mercer!identified!six!options!for!expanding!terminal!capacity!to!meet!the!projected!demands.!The!six!options!are!as!follows:!

1. Improve!current!terminals!2. Convert!APL!and!Mazda!terminals!3. Develop!the!Michigan!Fairgrounds!property!4. Develop!the!Michigan!Central!Depot!property!5. Develop!Original!Ford!Motor!Co.!Highland!property!6. Develop!Junction!Yard!as!an!intermodal!center!

Mercer!evaluated!each!option!based!on!physical!characteristics!such!as!size,!ownership,!and!access!to!highways,!as!well!as!commercial!considerations!like!current!customer!needs!and!each!options!ability!to!attract!new!customers.!In!the!end,!Mercer!recommended!that!MDOT!move!forward!to!explore!the!concept!of!a!single!joint!facility!as!the!long!term!solution!to!meet!GDAs!intermodal!needs!(option!6)!even!though!the!identification!of!Junction!Yard!as!a!possible!site!was!not!based!on!a!formal!site!search.!They!also!recommended!that!MDOT!seek!funding!for!the!project!from!the!Congestion!Mitigation!and!Air!Quality!Improvement!Program!(CMAQ),!a!program!designed!to!help!states!meet!their!clean!air!goals.!

MDOT!pursued!the!Mercer!Report!recommendations!and!hired!the!Corradino!Group!Inc.,!a!consulting!firm!from!Kentucky,!to!prepare!a!feasibility!study!for!the!development!of!a!consolidated!Detroit!Intermodal!Freight!Terminal!in!the!Junction!Rail!Yard!in!early!February!2001.!One!month!later,!MDOT!and!Corradino!presented!the!first!phase!of!the!feasibility!of!the!project!to!the!public.!

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Problem+According!to!the!latest!version!of!the!DIFT!feasibility!study,!which!was!presented!to!the!general!public!on!October!24th!and!25th!this!year,!the!proposed!DIFT!project!includes!three!alternative!rail!strategies!that!vary!in!size,!scope,!and!projected!impact.!

! Rail%Strategy%1% Rail%Strategy%2% Rail%Strategy%3%

Number%Trucks%(2025)% 7,300!daily! 9,800!daily! 16,000!daily!

Project%Area% 500!acres! 550!acres! 85;1,175!acres!

Truck?Only%Road% No! Yes! Yes!

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If!implemented,!Rail!Strategy!3!of!the!DIFT!would!seriously!impact!the!quality!of!life!for!residents!in!the!area.!It!would!deteriorate!the!already!poor!air!quality,!aggravate!health!conditions!like!asthma,!contribute!to!new!incidences!of!illness!and!disease,!displace!home!and!business!owners,!physically!divide!a!strong!community,!and!make!the!streets!less!safe!for!motorists!and!pedestrians.!

Air$Quality$Southwest!Detroit!and!Dearborn!are!already!absorbing!many!stationary!sources!of!air!pollution.!Air!polluting!facilities!include!the!Detroit!Sewerage!incinerator,!Levy!Recycling!Company,!Zug!Island,!and!the!Ford!Rouge!Automobile!plant.!In!addition,!the!area!is!crossed!by!two!major!freeways!and!is!the!current!home!to!two!rail!terminals!and!many!trucking!companies.!In!1999,!the!two!air!monitors!closest!to!the!project!area!had!the!highest!readings!of!course!particulate!matter!(PM10)!and!fine!particulate!matter!(PM2.5)!in!the!entire!state!of!Michigan.!The!closest!air!monitor!measuring!ozone!already!exceeds!the!eight;hour!standard.!

Public$Health$Air!pollution!caused!by!the!DIFT!would!aggravate!existing!health!conditions!like!asthma!as!well!as!contribute!to!new!incidence!of!illness!and!disease!such!as!cancer,!cardiovascular!disease,!heart!attacks,!and!reduced!lung!function.!18%!of!the!population!within!the!DIFT!study!area!has!asthma.!The!national!average!asthma!rate!is!between!5!and!6%.!

Community$Cohesion!According!to!Mexicantown!Development!Corporation,!the!DIFT!project!area!is!one!of!the!only!growing!communities!in!the!City!of!Detroit.!In!some!areas,!property!values!have!doubled!in!the!last!five!years.!If!implemented,!Rail!Strategy!3!would!result!in!the!taking!of!up!to!99!businesses!and!3,000!jobs.!It!would!also!result!in!the!destruction!of!up!to!90!occupied!single!and!multi;family!dwellings.!The!truck!routes!and!truck;only!road!will!physically!divide!the!community!and!make!the!streets!less!safe!for!motorists!and!pedestrians.!

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Community+Both!Southwest!Detroit!and!Dearborn!have!large!low;income!and!minority!populations.!The!area!is!one!of!the!most!racially!and!culturally!diverse!in!the!country.!Spanish!and!Arabic!are!spoken!widely!in!the!homes,!schools,!and!businesses!of!the!area.!Southwest!Detroit!is!one!of!the!only!growing!communities!in!the!City!of!Detroit.!In!the!last!decade,!property!values!have!been!increasing!and!new!homes!have!been!built.!Southwest!Detroit!has!many!resources,!including!the!highest!concentration!of!social!services!in!Detroit.!

Southwest!Detroit!and!Dearborn!are!local!centers!for!culture!and!the!arts.!There!are!many!art!galleries!and!theatre!companies!in!the!area,!most!of!which!center!on!Latino!and!Arabic!culture.!Each!year!the!two!communities!host!huge!community!events!including!the!Concert!of!Colors,!Unity!in!the!Community,!Dia!de!los!Muertos,!and!Shop!Your!Block.!

Key+Actors+Michigan$Department$of$Transportation$(MDOT)!As!the!contracting!agency!for!the!DIFT!feasibility!study,!the!MDOT!has!ultimate!responsibility!for!making!study!recommendations!to!the!Governor.!MDOT!also!has!responsibility!for!implementing!the!projects!results.!

DIFT$Project$Steering$Committee!Composed!of!MDOT,!City!of!Detroit,!Wayne!County,!City!of!Dearborn,!South!East!Michigan!Council!of!Governments!(SEMCOG),!The!Federal!Highway!Administration,!the!Detroit!Economic!Growth!Corporation,!DaimlerChrysler,!Ford!Motor!Company,!General!Motors!Corporation,!and!Arbor!Vista!Transportation!Consultants.!CSX,!Canadian!National!Railroad!(CN),!Canadian!Pacific!Railway!(CP),!and!Norfolk!Southern!Railroad!(NS)!also!participate.!The!steering!committee!is!supposed!to!provide!monthly!guidance!for!the!project.!

Local$Advisory$Council!Composed!of!individuals!representing!themselves!and!groups!from!the!study!area.!Invitees!and!participants!include!Alliance!Shippers,!Inc.,!Barge!Transit,!Boniface!Community!Center,!The!Canadian!Transit!Company,!Centra!Inc.,!Corktown!Citizens!District!Council,!Detroit!Chamber!of!Commerce,!Detroit!International!Bridge!Company,!Detroit!Police!Department,!Hispanic!Business!Alliance,!Hubbard;Richard!Citizens!District!Council,!Latino!Family!Services,!Michigan!Environmental!Council,!Mt.!Zion!MBS/Moses,!The!OJ!Group,!Southwest!Detroit!Business!Association,!Southwest!Detroit!Coalition,!and!the!U.S.!Customs!Ambassador!Bridge!Station.!This!group!receives!project!reports!prior!to!discussion!at!public!meetings.!It!is!asked!to!provide!input!to!the!courses!of!the!project.!

Railroads!!Several!railroads!could!be!affected!by!this!project,!including!Burlington!Northern!Santa!Fe,!Canadian!National!Railway,!Canadian!Pacific!Railway,!CSX!Transportation,!Norfolk!Southern!Corp.,!and!Union!Pacific!Railroad.!They!review,!as!appropriate,!project!materials!and!provide!input!to!the!Technical!Team.!


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Technical$Team!!Composed!of!technical!representatives!from!each!government!agency!represented!on!the!Project!Steering!Committee.!It!meets!monthly!to!review!and!direct!the!work!of!the!consulting!team,!the!Corradino!Group,!Arbor!Vista!Transportation,!etc.!!

Communities$for$a$Better$Rail$Alternative$Members:$

All!Saints!Catholic!Church!Als!Management!Company!American!Indian!Health!and!Family!Services!Arab!Community!Center!for!Economic!and!Social!Services!(ACCESS)!Bagley!Housing!Association!Bridging!Communities!Clark!Park!Coalition!Community!Network!Communities!Corktown!Citizens!District!Council!Danto!Furniture!Detroit!Hispanic!Development!Corporation!Detroit!Ready;Mix!Concrete,!Inc.!Ecology!Center!E&L!Supermercado!Fifty;second!Street!Block!Club!Glinnan!Street!Block!Club!Holy!Redeemer!Schools!Hubbard;Richard!Citizens!District!Council!Jeremiah!Project!LASED!

Matrix!Theatre!Mexicantown!Community!Development!Corporation!Michigan!Environmental!Council!Michigan!Environmental!Justice!Coalition!Michigan!Land!Use!Institute!Military!Avenue!Church!Most!Holy!Trinity!Church!Patton!Park!Collaborative!Peoples!Community!Services!Ryans!Foods!Sierra!Club!Southwest!Counseling!and!Development!Services!Southwest!Detroit!Environmental!Vision!Southwest!Housing!Corporation!Springwells!Community!Housing!and!Development!Springwells!Village!Council!St.!Stephens!Catholic!Church!St.!Anne!de!Detroit!

Strategies+After!the!first!public!meeting!about!the!DIFT!Project!in!March!2001,!residents!and!community!groups!met!with!the!Michigan!Land!Use!Institute!to!discuss!the!project!and!began!to!organize!community!opposition.!At!that!meeting,!they!formed!Communities!for!a!Better!Rail!Alternative!(CBRA).!!In!the!meetings!that!followed,!CBRA!formed!five!subcommittees:!steering,!community!outreach,!environmental!analysis,!media/public!relations,!and!the!alternative!plan!sub;committees.!Subcommittees!began!meeting!in!May!2001.!They!worked!on!and!the!following:!!Outreach$Committee!!has!developed!and!distributed!yard!signs,!petitions,!and!postcards.!They!have!also!been!educating!the!community!door;to;door!and!by!phone.!Thanks!in!part!to!the!outreach!committee,!there!are!over!700!residents!involved!in!CBRA!activities.!


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!Environmental$Analysis$Committee!!is!in!the!process!of!preparing!an!environmental!justice!statement,!collecting!data!and!research,!and!advocating!for!a!full!environmental!impact!statement.!!Media$and$Public$Relations$Committee!!held!a!press!conference!in!May!2001!and!successfully!got!ongoing!media!coverage!about!the!DIFT!in!local!newspapers,!including!the!Metro!Times!and!the!Detroit!News.!!!Alternative$Plan$Committee!!developed!a!vision!statement!and!alternative!truck!routes!through!industrial!land!and!presented!the!alternative!vision!to!Detroit!City!Council.!

Challenges+and+Recommendations+In!order!to!successfully!stop!the!DIFT!and!implement!an!alternative!plan,!it!is!critical!that!CBRA!continues!to!openly!challenge!the!need!for!the!DIFT.!The!Mercer!Report!findings!were!driven!by!economic!data!and!are!now!outdated.!Since!the!publication!of!the!Mercer!recommendations!in!1994,!many!new!intermodal!facilities!have!been!built!in!the!GDA.!In!addition,!truck!size!and!bulk!regulations!have!relaxed!substantially!in!the!last!few!years;!as!a!result,!truck!transportation!has!become!more!economical!and!popular.!!It!is!also!important!that!CBRA!understands!the!National!Environmental!Policy!Act!(NEPA)!regulations!requiring!entities!receiving!federal!funds!to!complete!an!environmental!assessment!of!development!projects!that!takes!into!consideration!aspects!such!as!cumulative!impact!and!disproportionate!burden!!two!indicators!that!will!work!in!CBRAs!favor!if!measured!accurately!and!effectively.!The!Federal!Clean!Air!Act!and!Michigans!Clean!Air!Implementation!Plan!will!also!help!CBRA!by!providing!guidelines!for!measuring!environmental!impacts.!Highway!engineering!journals!may!also!contain!useful!information!about!DIFT!project!impacts!on!transportation.!!!CBRA!should!take!inventory!of!major!public!institutions!such!as!schools,!hospitals,!and!nursing!homes!within!one!mile!of!the!DIFT!area!to!see!how!they!may!be!affected!by!the!proposed!DIFT.!This!information!will!be!useful!in!the!future!stages!of!the!DIFT!project,!namely!the!environmental!assessment!phase.!!CBRA!should!also!continue!to!approach!project!decision!makers!and!stakeholders!with!evaluation!findings!and!their!alternative!plan.!Intermodal!transportation!is!considered!interstate!commerce!under!the!commerce!clause!of!the!U.S.!Constitution.!Therefore,!it!is!extremely!important!that!CBRA!approach!state!and!federal!level!decision;makers!as!well!as!local!decision;makers.!!Finally,!CBRA!should!continue!to!do!everything!in!its!power!to!slow!down!the!implementation!process!of!the!proposed!DIFT!project!in!order!to!buy!time!to!further!develop!and!build!support!for!their!alternative!plan.!If!the!DIFT!is!considered!a!non;conforming!use!according!to!the!City!of!Detroit's!zoning!ordinance!


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and/or!Comprehensive!Plan,!MDOT's!implementation!process!may!become!more!complicated.!Permits!and/or!amendments!to!the!zoning!ordinance!or!Comprehensive!Plan!may!be!necessary.!!

Update,+January+2013+The!above!case!study!was!written!in!2003.!Below!is!an!update.!!Accepted$Plan$In!2010,!the!Federal!Highway!Administration!(FHWA)!issued!the!final!environmental!clearance!for!the!Detroit!Intermodal!Freight!Terminal.!The!accepted!plan!was!developed!in!response!to!public!comments!on!the!project.!It!involves!developing!Junction!Yard!as!an!intermodal!site,!as!proposed!in!Alternative!3!above,!but!with!reduced!area!and!with!important!adjustments!to!address!community!concerns.!The!following!description!is!drawn!from!the!Environmental!Impact!Statement!(EIS)!prepared!on!behalf!of!MDOT;!it!may!have!some!bias!in!its!projections!due!to!the!source.!!The!proposal!for!developing!Junction!Yard!initially!involved!acquiring!at!least!700;800!acres;!the!accepted!plan!involves!acquiring!169!acres.!Only!10!of!these!acres!are!residential!and!the!remainder!are!industrial.!The!plan!will!require!relocating!occupants!of!28!single;family!homes,!four!apartment!units,!and!29!businesses!that!provide!275!jobs.!An!estimated!1540!jobs!will!be!added!at!Junction!Yard!by!2030.!In!the!attached!map,!the!Preferred!option!indicated!by!the!yellow!line!shows!the!area!of!the!plan!that!has!been!accepted.!!Two!public!roads!currently!cross!Junction!Yard,!separated!by!seven!blocks.!In!the!plan,!this!community!traffic!will!be!separated!from!rail!lines!and!traffic!in!the!Yard:!an!underpass!will!be!built!for!one!of!these!roads,!and!afterward!the!second!road!will!be!closed.!By!separating!the!rail!lines!from!surface!streets,!the!rail!horn!will!no!longer!sound,!reducing!noise.!A!perimeter!road!will!be!built.!To!reduce!noise!to!the!community,!reduce!the!visual!impact!of!the!industrial!site,!and!provide!security,!a!perimeter!wall!will!be!built.!The!Yard,!currently!unpaved,!will!be!paved!to!control!dust,!and!retention!ponds!will!be!built!to!control!increased!runoff.!!The!EIS!projects!2,410!two;way!truck!trips!daily!if!no!action!were!taken!and!4,520!two;way!truck!trips!daily!with!the!accepted!plan;!but,!because!of!the!larger!footprint!of!the!site,!the!surrounding!area!should!experience!an!increase!of!about!700!trucks!daily.!The!routes!to!nearby!highways!will!be!streamlined!to!reduce!truck!traffic,!noise,!and!pollution!in!residential!neighborhoods!despite!an!overall!increase!in!truck!trips.!!Air!pollution!levels!in!the!terminal!are!likely!to!increase,!but!the!EIS!estimates!air!pollution!levels!in!the!residential!areas!will!not!violate!air!pollution!standards.!(Contrary!to!the!assessment!above,!the!EIS!claims!that!no!local!areas!currently!exceed!the!limits.)!Due!to!paving!and!separation!of!truck!traffic!from!residential!areas,!particulate!air!pollution!should!decrease.!However,!levels!of!volatile!organic!compounds,!nitrogen!oxide,!and!hydrocarbons!(e.g.,!benzene!and!formaldehyde)!will!increase.!!


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Impact$of$community$involvement$CBRA!proposed!an!alternative!that!would!improve!the!current!Junction!Yard!facility,!without!expanding!its!footprint,!and!build!several!new!interchanges.!MDOT!rejected!this!proposal,!stating!that!the!proposed!interchanges!would!violate!regulations!related!to!interchange!spacing!and!grading!and!would!not!accommodate!increased!shipping!demand.!A!group!called!Working!Group!for!a!Community!Benefits!Agreement!on!the!Detroit!Intermodal!Freight!Terminal!Project!worked!with!MDOT!to!develop!community!enhancements!to!offset!community!impacts.!These!enhancements!include!improvements!to!nearby!roads!(paving,!sidewalks,!streetscaping,!lighting),!roadway!beautification!projects,!reduced!truck!traffic!on!neighborhood!streets,!noise!reduction,!a!study!of!economic!development!opportunities!supporting!small!businesses!in!the!area,!an!action!plan!to!reduce!limit!particulate!emissions,!and!job!training.!!Although!CBRA!did!not!successfully!prevent!the!Junction!Yard!from!being!developed!as!an!intermodal!freight!terminal,!citizen!involvement!in!the!project!seems!to!have!clearly!shaped!the!outcome!strongly.!!

Sources+!Atkinson,!Ashley.!Uploaded!2003.!Detroit!Intermodal!Freight!Terminal!(DIFT).!Environmental$Justice$Case$

Studies$by$University$of$Michigan$Students.!Accessed!December!2012.!URL:!http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/Publish/ashley.html!

!Michigan!Department!of!Transportation!&!U.S.!Department!of!Transportation,!Federal!Highway!

Administration.!2009.!Final$Environmental$Impact$Statement,$Detroit$Intermodal$Freight$Terminal$(DIFT),$Wayne$and$Oakland$Counties.!Accessed!January!7,!2013.!URL:!http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7;151;9621_11058_26215;;;,00.html!

!Michigan!Department!of!Transportation.!May!14,!2010.!Record!of!Decision!announced!for!the!Detroit!

Intermodal!Freight!Terminal!in!Wayne!County.!Michigan$Department$of$Transportation$website.!URL:!http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7;151;9620;236968;;,00.html!

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DIFT Final Environmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluation 1 - 7

Figure 1-1c Livernois-Junction Yard

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case study - the detroitcase study - the detroit intermodal freight terminal (dift) intermodal...

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