FOCUS AREAS
FREIGHT
DRAFT
TO ACCESS THE CURRENT 2045 HATS RTP, CLICK HERE.
Situated firmly at the intersection of land use, transportation, and economic development, freight planning represents a core activity of HATS and is especially important given the prominence of the region’s warehouse and logistics industry that utilizes an extensive interstate and highway network, relatively cheap land and development prices, and easy access to major urban markets.
QUICK LINKS
CONDITIONS
HATS REGIONAL FREIGHT PLAN —
As the 2017 Regional Freight Plan was developed in conjunction with Pennsylvania’s first ever comprehensive freight movement plan, it makes the case for how important our region’s location is when it comes to moving goods. As the Regions Long Range Transportation Plan includes strategies to address freight movement, the Freight Plan offers a more detailed look into specific freight strategies that address capital, operational, institutional and other policy goal areas in guiding the MPO’s decision making.
The plan’s overview of the regions freight infrastructure took a closer look at the region’s Highway Network, areas with high truck activity across all 3 counties using the American Transportation Research Institute data and INRIX travel time data to determine trends in regional truck delay. The plan identified candidates for Critical Urban and Rural Freight Corridors based on High, Medium and Low priority to be added to the National Highway Freight Network.
To view the HATS Regional Freight Plan, click here.
STATEWIDE FREIGHT MOVEMENT PLAN —
The Pennsylvania 2045 Freight Movement Plan (FMP) was developed in conjunction with the statewide 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) which provides a comprehensive direction for moving people and goods throughout the Commonwealth. The FMP is designed to assist stakeholders in identifying Pennsylvania’s Multimodal freight transportation needs and prioritizing the investments in freight infrastructures that will support consumers and businesses. The goals and objectives that were established as a part of the plan’s development provide a direction for addressing various freight challenges and opportunities appropriate for public sector support. The Plan highlights two of PA’s most pressing freight challenges which include improving collaboration in the freight transportation/land use planning process and the shortage of truck parking. Both of which continue to be a focus point across the HATS region.
To view the Pennsylvania 2045 Statewide Freight Movement Plan, click here.
NATIONAL MULTIMODAL FREIGHT NETWORK —
The National Multimodal Freight Network (NMFN) is a designated system of highways, railways, waterways, ports, and airports across the United States that are critical for efficient movement of freight. The network aims to facilitate the seamless transfer of goods between different transportation modes. The NMFN is designated based on data analysis of freight movement patterns, considering factors like origin and destination of goods, to identify the most important transportation corridors.
NATIONAL HIGHWAY FREIGHT NETWORK —
The National Highway Freight Network was established after the creation of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST ACT) to strategically direct Federal resources and policies toward improving the performance of highway portions within the U.S. freight transportation system. The NHFN includes the following 4 subsystems of roadways:
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Primary Highway Freight System is the network of highways identified as the most critical highway portions of the U.S. freight transportation system determined by measurable and objective national data. As of 2022 the network consists of 41,799 centerline miles
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Other Interstate Portions not on the PHFS (Non-PHFS) are the remaining portion of interstate roads not included in the PHFS. These routes tend to provide important continuity and access to freight transportation facilities.
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Critical Urban Freight Corridors (CUFCs) typically consist of first- or last-mile connector routes from high volume freight corridors to key urban freight facilities. They must lie within an urbanized area, or urban cluster defined by the Census Bureau. In the HATS MPO, there are roughly 17.64 Miles of CUFCs in the region
Critical Rural Freight Corridors (CRFCs) lie outside of an urbanized area which provide access and connection to the Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS) and the interstate system. In the HATS region, there are roughly 9.4 Miles of CRFCs.
To view the designated freight corridors in the HATS region, click on the interactive mapping application.
RAIL FREIGHT —
The HATS region is a key hub for Norfolk Southern and CSX due to its prime location in the northeast and its proximity to several important freight corridors across Pennsylvania. Norfolk Southern’s Harrisburg terminal doesn’t just serve as a critical point for freight traffic moving across the region but is also an important link that connects the east coast with the Midwest and beyond. Similar to HIA, with the region’s rail network being in close proximity to multiple interstates, it plays a major role in transferring cargo from ports and trucks to trains.
AIR FREIGHT —
Air Cargo in the HATS region is provided by Harrisburg International Airport (HIA). HIA’s location is adjacent to major shipping routes (I-76, I-81 and I-83) allows for easy transfer of cargo to and from connecting airports and highway infrastructure. Due to its proximity to major shipping routes, HIA ranks fourth in the State and 68th in the country in cargo weight landed in 2023 according to the FAA. HIA is serviced by 2 Air Cargo companies which include Federal Express (FedEx) and United Parcel Services (UPS). As the demand for freight increases across the region, the 2016 HIA Master Plan anticipates a major increase in air cargo tonnage through 2033. In order to accommodate the demand, the HIA Master Plan recommends a multi-phased improvement plan which includes the realignment of Olmsted Drive and construction of new cargo terminal buildings to.
FREIGHT GENERATORS & FACILITIES —
Due to the region’s close proximity to major highways (I-81, I-83, I-283) and rail routes, we are home to a variety of warehouses and distribution centers. Companies such as Amazon, FedEx, and Walmart have large distribution centers across the region that play a key role in the regional economy while providing goods and services to people all over the east coast. With Interstate 81 running through the middle of our region and I-83 providing connections to York, Baltimore and beyond, these corridors have become a central hub for freight facilities. Some of the key areas throughout the region that continue to see high truck activity and have become key freight generators include the commercial and industrial growth around the Allen Road interchange in Carlisle, warehousing activity along I-81 at the Newville and Shippensburg interchanges in Cumberland County, and the high truck activity that is generated from the Norfolk Southern Intermodal Yards along 322 in Swatara Township.
To view the freight generators and intermodal facilities in the HATS region, click on the interactive mapping application.
ISSUES
TRUCK PARKING —
With truck traffic on the rise across the region, the amount of safe and suitable truck parking continues to be a need in high demand. Currently, the region is lacking the amount of truck parking that is safe and accessible for trucks which has resulted in trucks parking along highway shoulders and interchange ramps.
The Expanding Truck Parking in Pennsylvania study undertaken by TAC focuses on compiling recommendations for collaboration between the public and private sectors to help address truck parking in Pennsylvania. The study is organized to recommend priority corridors across Pennsylvania that need truck parking, establish a framework for potential locations, and recommend collaborative actions to address barriers that limit truck parking expansion. Of the 10 corridors identified with the greatest truck parking need, three of them are located within the HATS region. Those include I-81 from Carlisle to the Susquehanna River, I-81 from I-83 to I-78, I-83 from US-322 to I-81. As warehousing and truck traffic continues to rise, it is more important than ever to prioritize truck parking across the region and coordinate with public and private agencies to find areas that can accommodate additional truck parking along priority corridors.
To view the Expanding Truck Parking in Pennsylvania TAC Study, click here.
FREIGHT SAFETY —
The total number of heavy truck crashes occurring within the HATS region has continued to rise over the past 5 years. With multiple high priority freight corridors on our interstates, truck traffic will continue to rise over the next 20 years. Proper planning of road design and traffic management strategies for all users can play a huge role in reducing heavy truck crashes not only in our region but also in surrounding areas.
To view heavy commercial vehicle crashes in the HATS region, click on the interactive mapping application.
COMMUNITY IMPACT OF WAREHOUSE DEVELOPMENT —
As the demand for warehouse development continues to be high along our key freight corridors, local stakeholders need to be more aware of the community impacts these developments will continue to have. Constructing warehouses along local roads that are not built to handle high volumes of truck traffic can result in traffic congestion and increased costs to keep the roads in good condition for local residents and businesses. Effective planning is critical to ensure warehouse development has economic benefits while keeping the community impacts to a minimum. Ensuring local ordinances are being kept up to date and only allowing warehouses to be developed along interstates in industrial zones has become more apparent than ever with the continued demand increase for freight movement in and across the region.
ACTIONS
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Update freight plan and address regional interstate capacity, existing freight bottlenecks, spot improvements, and coordination between freight modes.
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Address the regions need for truck parking based on the TAC Study recommendations and implementation strategies.
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Improve collaboration with freight transportation providers and the land use planning process.
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Identify and implement strategies to reduce impacts of heavy truck crashes and coordinate with appropriate stakeholders when necessary.