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Funded by:
Palouse Regional Transportation
Planning Organization (PRTPO)
www.palousertpo.org
Palouse Regional Freight Study: 2016
Jeremy Sage, PhD
Kenneth Casavant, PhD
509.592.5852/509.432.1643
Palouse
Partners
March 2016
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Disclaimer
The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and
the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official
views or policies of the Palouse RTPO or the Washington State Department of Transportation.
This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iii
Tables .............................................................................................................................................. v
Figures............................................................................................................................................ vi
Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... ix
Freight Shipper Inventory and Database .................................................................................... xi
Stakeholder Engagement .......................................................................................................... xiii
Case Studies: New Regional Transportation Assets ................................................................ xiv
Specific Freight Movement Parameters and Needs in the Region ............................................ xv
Study Findings ......................................................................................................................... xvi
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Background ................................................................................................................................. 1
Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Regional Freight Industries ............................................................................................................. 6
Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Freight Generators and the Highway Network ......................................................................... 11
Inland Waterways ...................................................................................................................... 34
Locks and Dams .................................................................................................................... 37
Ports and Barge Loading Facilities ........................................................................................ 38
Lock Outages ......................................................................................................................... 45
Air.............................................................................................................................................. 48
Railways .................................................................................................................................... 50
Characterizing Retail Distribution ................................................................................................ 58
Retail Grocery Stores ................................................................................................................ 58
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Characterizing the Wheat Supply Chain ....................................................................................... 61
Farm Origins ............................................................................................................................. 61
After the Farm ........................................................................................................................... 63
Stakeholder Identified Constraints ................................................................................................ 67
Clarkston ................................................................................................................................... 67
Pullman...................................................................................................................................... 68
Colfax ........................................................................................................................................ 69
Palouse ...................................................................................................................................... 70
Port of Columbia ....................................................................................................................... 70
Dayton and Waitsburg ............................................................................................................... 71
Whitman County ....................................................................................................................... 71
Asotin, Garfield and Columbia Counties .................................................................................. 72
Case Studies .................................................................................................................................. 74
McCoy Grain Terminal LLC..................................................................................................... 77
Columbia Pulp ........................................................................................................................... 82
Washington State Freight Mobility Plan and the Region ............................................................. 88
Findings: A Practical Design Approach ....................................................................................... 93
Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 96
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Tables
Table 1. Total Establishments in Freight Dependent Industries ......................................................7
Table 2. Total Establishments in Freight Dependent Industries ......................................................9
Table 3. Region Farm Totals. 2012 Census of Agriculture ..........................................................10
Table 4. Pounds of Freight Enplaned to or from Regional Airports .............................................49
Table 5. Pounds of Freight Enplaned by Carrier Serving Pullman-Moscow
and Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airports ....................................................................................49
Table 6. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Speed Guidelines by Track Type ...................51
Table 7. Estimated Infrastructure Investment Needs on Port of Columbia’s
Railroad to Achieve 286,000 pound, Class 2 Suitability ...............................................................54
Table 8. System Capital Needs for Palouse RTPO Region PCC Lines .......................................55
Table 9. Farm Truck Trips to Support Wheat Harvest .................................................................62
Table 10. Standard Modal Capacities ............................................................................................66
Table 11. Modal Equivalencies......................................................................................................66
Table 12. Attributes Contributing to the Viability of Rural
Based Agricultural Facilities .........................................................................................................76
Table 13. Attribute Importance to Grain Loading Facility ............................................................81
Table 14. Dry Tons of Biomass Available within 25, 50, 75, and 90 mile
Zones of the Columbia Pulp Facility ............................................................................................85
Table 15. Attribute Importance to Wheat Straw Pulp Facility ......................................................87
Table 16. Identified Freight Flow and Safety Improvement Projects ............................................95
Table A-1. Short Duration Count Events .......................................................................................96
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Figures
Figure 1a: Total crop value, total value of agricultural production,
and total value of agriculture, including government payments in
the state of Washington ....................................................................................................................2
Figure 1b: Value of production for individual production categories
and government payments for the period 2001 to 2011 ..................................................................2
Figure 2: Annual Percentage of Wheat Shipped via Various Transportation Modes .....................3
Figure 3. Total Establishments in Freight Dependent Industries ....................................................8
Figure 4. Major Crop Production of the Region ...........................................................................10
Figure 5. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Anatone, Asotin County .............................12
Figure 6. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Asotin, Asotin County ................................13
Figure 7. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Clarkston, Asotin County ...........................14
Figure 8. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Colfax, Whitman County............................16
Figure 9. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Colton, Whitman County............................17
Figure 10. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Dayton, Columbia County ........................18
Figure 11. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Endicott, Whitman County .......................19
Figure 12. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Farmington, Whitman County ..................20
Figure 13. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Garfield, Whitman County .......................21
Figure 14. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Lacrosse, Whitman, County .....................22
Figure 15. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Lamont and St John, Whitman County ....23
Figure 16. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Oakesdale, Whitman County ....................24
Figure 17. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Palouse, Whitman County ........................25
Figure 18. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Pomeroy, Garfield County .......................26
Figure 19. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Pullman, Whitman County .......................28
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Figure 20. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Rosalia and Malden, Whitman County ....30
Figure 21. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Tekoa, Whitman County ..........................31
Figure 22. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Thornton, Whitman County .....................32
Figure 23. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Uniontown, Whitman County ..................33
Figure 24. Metric Tons of GHG per Million Ton-Miles ...............................................................35
Figure 25. 2009 Comparison of Fuel Efficiency ...........................................................................35
Figure 26. Ratio of Fatalities per Million Ton-Miles Versus Inland Towing 2001-2009 .............36
Figure 27. Loaded Barges through the Snake River Locks and Dams (1993-2014) .....................37
Figure 28. 2014 Tonnage of Commodities Moved Through the Snake River Locks and Dams ...38
Figure 29. Snake River Ports and Barge Loading Facilities ..........................................................39
Figure 30. Truck Volumes near Port of Whitman’s Wilma Site, September 2014 ......................40
Figure 31. Truck Volumes at Port of Whitman’s Almota Site, October 2014 .............................41
Figure 32. Truck Volumes at Ferry Sites, October 2014 ..............................................................42
Figure 33. Annual Wheat Tonnage Originated at the Port of Lewiston ........................................43
Figure 34. Annual Containers Originated at the Port of Lewiston ................................................43
Figure 35. Historic Scheduled Lock Unavailability .....................................................................46
Figure 36. Short Line Railroads of Southeast Washington............................................................53
Figure 37. Rail Loading Facility Capacities on the PCC System ..................................................57
Figure 38. Retail Grocery Establishments .....................................................................................59
Figure 39. Regional Production Area for Washington Wheat .......................................................61
Figure 40. Wheat Harvest Truck Trips Generated
(Whitman, Asotin, Garfield, Columbia Counties) 2014. ...............................................................63
Figure 41. Grain Storage Facility Relationship to Transportation Network ..................................64
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Figure 42. Grain Storage Facility Catchment Areas ......................................................................65
Figure 43. McCoy Grain Terminal LLC ........................................................................................79
Figure 44. Columbia Pulp and Existing SR 261 Traffic Volumes ...............................................83
Figure 45. Columbia Pulp Estimated Catchment Area, within region .........................................85
Figure 46. Truck Freight Economic Corridors in the region .........................................................91
Figure 47. Truck Freight Economic Corridors in Lewis Clark Valley MPO ................................92
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Executive Summary
In the 21st century, the demand on transportation agencies to generate economic performance
based rationales for investment decisions has continued to grow. This is evident from Federal
programs like TIGER, and MAP-21. As this demand grows, states and their partners have
continued to intensify their considerations of the impacts of freight movement to regional
economic outcomes, and developed schema for its evaluation. In Washington, this has in part led
to the Washington State Freight Mobility Plan1, in which WSDOT has identified three primary
foci of its multi-modal freight network:
Developing an urban goods movement system that supports jobs, the economy, and
clean air for all; and provides goods delivery to residents and businesses.
Maintaining Washington’s competitive position as a global gateway to the nation with
intermodal freight corridors serving trade and international and interstate commerce, and
the state and national Export Initiatives.
Supporting rural economies’ farm-to-market, manufacturing, and resource industry
sectors.
The above foci place an emphasis on the ability of the state’s MPOs and RTPOs to effectively
demonstrate the influence of their freight networks on regional economic output. In southeast
Washington State, the Palouse RTPO (Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, and Whitman counties) is
situated to aid in the support of one of the state’s most productive rural economies – wheat and
other dryland crop production. Its ability to support wheat production and other vital industries
of the region largely depends on its ability to rationalize the impacts of efficient freight
movements.
While truck count data is relatively easily obtained on any given segment, such counts do little
on their own to facilitate a deeper understanding of why a given truck or set of trucks has used
1 WSDOT, Washington State Freight Mobility Plan. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/FCCF96BA-8E25-
4326-8DD1-9428621382D3/0/FreightMobilityPlanExecSummary.pdf
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that given segment or where it has come from or is going. As such, simple traffic counts fall
short in facilitating a thorough understanding of the processes by which operational and capital
improvements may enhance the economic standing of an industry, or industries, and a region.
This report seeks to generate a current basis of information for the Palouse RTPO and its
member jurisdictions, such that they may better grasp the opportunities and challenges faced in
development of long-range freight management goals and strategies for a positive economic
future of the region. Such an information basis permits the development of a stronger foundation
of support for regional freight projects of strategic importance to the economies of the region.
Specifically, this report achieves the following goals:
Succinct characterization of the freight generating industries found within the RTPO’s
four counties;
Characterizes freight need and future opportunities and constraints across modes of the
region;
Describes the characteristics and needs for the major freight generators of the region,
including: Bulk and containerized commodities, agricultural inputs, retail distribution,
and technology based industries.
Identifies and engages regional stakeholders in a collaborative effort to identify solutions
that enhance the positive attributes of the regional transportation system, while
systematically inventorying and addressing those attributes which constrain movement
and potential growth;
In addition to the material provided within this report, data on many key transportation
assets has been provided to the Palouse RTPO for future use and detailed studies beyond
the scope of this report.
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Freight Shipper Inventory and Database
Freight related industries may be classified as those industries whose major operations are
dependent upon the effective and efficient utilization of the freight system to collect and
distribute their inputs and final products. Such industries may be aggregated into seven major
categories:
Agriculture and Forestry;
Utilities;
Manufacturing;
Construction;
Retail Trade;
Wholesale Trade;
Transportation and Warehousing.
Nearly one thousand firms can be identified as being freight dependent within the region.2
Dependency among these firms is highly varied, ranging from the smallest firms who frequently
rely on LTL (less-than-truckload) services for inventory delivery, to large technology based
firms with dedicated trailers for the shipment of their goods, to commodity producers seeking to
move by the barge or train load (Figure ES-1).
2 Full database of all firms provided to the Palouse RTPO.
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Figure ES-1. Total Establishments in Freight Dependent Industries3
3 2012 Zip Code Business Patterns. http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/
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Stakeholder Engagement
Frequently, valuable information may be gained in relation to the suitability of a transportation
system directly from the users of the system and those actively engaged with it. To ascertain
those stakeholders’ inputs on the condition of the transportation system of the region, a series of
group based Regional Truck-Freight Mobility Meetings were held, in addition to multiple one-
on-one interviews with key stakeholders unable to attend group sessions. The process sought to
encourage stakeholder buy-in to, and ownership of, the process whose goal is to facilitate their
improved regional mobility. The meetings and interviews sought to establish a means of
collecting key operational characteristics of the industries. From these stakeholder inputs and
collection of supporting information, key concerns and potential opportunities for improving the
freight network in the region were identified (Table ES-1).
Table ES-1. Identified Freight Flow and Safety Improvement Projects
Project Description
"Blue Bridge" efficacy and interchange study
Clarkston signal synchronization evaluation
Detailed Pullman truck flow analysis (Terre View Dr, and Grand Ave/Paradise St Emphasis)
US 195 and SR 26 intersection realignment
US 195 and SR 272 intersection evaluation for safety and efficacy
US 195 and South Main St Intersection traffic flow evaluation
SR 272 Mill St to Hauser Heights roadway Improvement Project
WIM Railroad Benefit Cost Analysis
P&L Railroad Bridge replacement and rehabilitation
P&L/WIM track rehabilitation
Palouse intermodal connectivity assessment (accessibility of rail loading facility)
Palouse Bridge Street assessment for large truck/farm implement capability
Port of Columbia Railroad Benefit Cost Analysis
US-12 (Emphasis in Dayton and Waitsburg) oversize/over-length load compatibility study
Highway Bridge Replacement/Rehabilitation Program (with coordinated county prioritization)
Seasonal road closure reduction program (increasing Inventory of all-weather roads)
Almota grade (SR 194) structural and safety improvement
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Case Studies: New Regional Transportation Assets
A major component of economic development in rural regions such as southeast Washington is
an understanding of how the transportation assets of the region serve to attract or inhibit the
growth of existing industry, or the locating of new industries in the region. Using the newly
completed McCoy Grain Terminal LLC and the planned Columbia Pulp operations as case
studies, key metrics of concern in evaluating the future of transportation in the region were
explored. These cases serve as examples of the decision making process and economic impacts
generated by investment in transportation system assets at both the private and public level. Both
case studies were evaluated based upon the relevancy and importance of their physical and
economic attributes (Table ES-2)
Table ES-2. Attributes Contributing to the Viability of Rural Based Agricultural Facilities
Proximity To: Operational Attributes Product
Attributes Public Characteristics
(Proxy for Access) (Asset Efficiency)
Class I Railroad
Need for Changing,
Directing, and Dividing
Cargo
Commodity Mix Public/Private
Partnership
Short Line Rail with
Class I Connection
Distribution Efficiencies
and first/last mile
characteristics
Ratio of
Transport Rate
to Value of
Product
Magnitude of Public
Participation
Major Interstate or
Freight Corridor Capacity
Demand
Opportunities
and Prospects
Level of Working
Relationship
Between State and
Private Agents
Population Center Degree of Automation
Labor Availability
and Training
Deepwater and Inland
Ports or Airport Time to Build
Tax and Zoning
Initiatives
Land use
compatibility both in
policy and available
area
Major Production
Points including
agriculture and energy
clusters
Major Destination
Markets
Adequate Land/Space
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Specific Freight Movement Parameters and Needs in the Region
While a substantial number of identified freight dependent firms may be found within the retail
trade industry, particularly in Pullman and Clarkston, each individual firm frequently does not
generate significant freight volumes. Much of the region’s freight volume can be attributed to
agricultural production, both on the side of inputs and outputs. As freight movement in the
region is uniquely multi-modal, especially among agricultural production, the necessity to
develop a complete picture of the movement characteristics is vital.
The interdependent nature of the region’s modes, particularly the roadways to both the rail and
river systems, becomes evident as truck volumes are considered near intermodal facilities.4 On
these vital roadways, trucks frequently make up considerable proportions of the traffic. These
trucks are themselves frequently made up of significant proportions of double and triple (referred
to as train) units. Due to the nature of relative modal transport costs, truck transport segments of
large bulk commodities, like that of wheat, are frequently kept as short as practical. The
efficiencies gained by effectively utilizing multiple modes necessarily rely on the continued
quality of each mode. Key considerations relevant to the importance of maintaining the quality
of all modes include:
Roadway – Agricultural production of the region is highly dispersed, taking place across
nearly the entire four county area. This dispersion, and the high seasonality of
movements, place high demand on what would otherwise be considered low volume
roadways. From the farm, country elevators are also widely dispersed to store and
transfer products to other modes. Since elevators and their sometimes lightly built roads
serve as the collector from many small producers, effective access into and out of these
facilities is vital.
Railroad – The region is served by multiple short line railroads that function as the ‘first
and last mile’ of connectivity for the region’s producers. Significant segments of the rail
4 All acquired traffic count data has been provided to the Palouse RTPO. Only a subset of the data is used within the
report.
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infrastructure continue to suffer from deferred maintenance, thus limiting continued
efficiency where unable to keep pace with evolving demands of shipment size and
volume. Where lines have been well maintained (e.g. Great Northwest Railroad) multiple
industries throughout the region are well served and connected to the global market.
Waterways – Like the railroads, the very productive Snake River lock and dam system
possesses an aging infrastructure that must to be invested in for its continued
effectiveness as a modal component of goods movement. Perhaps more than any other
mode, the waterway network at any stage is impacted by the operation of other segments,
such as dams. As such, when one component falters, the effects are felt throughout. This
is true for both the physical operation of the river, as well as economic interaction
between Ports.
Study Findings
The current designations of Freight Economic Corridors for the state of Washington appear to
undervalue the importance of the interconnected nature of the freight system of southeast
Washington. The dispersed nature of agricultural production results in roadways that frequently
do not meet volume standards for T-1 or T-2 roadways. However, as the third highest valued
agricultural product in the state, the wheat industry’s critical facilities should generate more
consideration for their importance as a freight economic corridor. These facilities are directly
tied to the ability of the industry to fully utilize its multi-modal opportunities. With WSDOTs
emphasis on the application of Practical Design methodologies, the projects previously listed in
Table ES-1, may be evaluated for their potential to significantly improve the performance of the
region’s freight system.
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Introduction
Background
Commodity movement and transport of raw and final goods is a necessary cost and investment
for nearly every physical product based industry and firm. The ability to efficiently transport
goods not only serves to enhance the margins on which firms operate, but also serves to
contribute to a growing and vibrant regional economy. Arguably, nowhere is this more prevalent
than in Washington State, one of the most trade dependent states in the nation. Significant
contributors to such trade dependence lie within the state’s agricultural sectors.
Agriculture in Washington generated a primary value of production of $7.9 billion in 2010; an
increase of more than $2 billion since 2001 (Figure 1a). Further, the value of production is
largely dominated by three groups of products, (1) field crops – principally wheat, potatoes, and
corn, (2) fruit and nut crops – predominantly apples, cherries, pears, and grapes, and (3) livestock
and livestock products – mostly milk, milk powder, and cheese (Figure 1b).5 While much of the
agricultural production is consumed within the U.S., exports of some products provide highly
profitable markets for producers in the state. This is particularly true for wheat, where more than
85 percent of the crop is typically exported. In addition to the export of raw commodities, the
state is home to an export heavy food processing industry that undertakes primary or secondary6
processing of some of the crops. Most significant of the products above to southeast Washington
is the production and transportation of wheat, as well as peas, lentils, and garbanzo beans.
5 Information originally presented in: Tozer, P.R., J.L. Sage, and T.L. Marsh. (2013) Trends in Agricultural
Production, Exports, and Transportation in Washington State. 6 Primary processing involves very little processing, such as in the freezing of peas or corn, secondary processing
may involve cooking, preserving, or further preparation of product.
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Figure 1a: Total crop value, total value of agricultural production, and total value of
agriculture, including government payments in the state of Washington
Figure 1b: Value of production for individual production categories and government
payments for the period 2001 to 20117
(a) (b)
Southeast Washington not only provides the quality soil and climatic conditions necessary for
productive dryland farming operations, but it is also gifted with a unique transportation setting
with an established multi-modal freight system. The wheat industry in southeast Washington,
and neighboring regions, provide a perfect venue for which the value of and need for a
multimodal system may be exemplified. Dependent upon farm or storage location, wheat
transport utilizes truck, barge, and rail systems in varying intermodal degrees on its way to an
ultimate export destination overseas.
With approximately 85 percent of Washington’s wheat heading for export, the movement of
wheat from the fields to its final destination necessarily exemplifies the indispensable
interconnectedness of road, water, and rail. Recent surveys by the Freight Policy Transportation
Institute (FPTI) at Washington State University (WSU)8 indicate strong geographic based
correlation within the wheat supply chain. As shown in Figure 2 below, typical modal usage
7 http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Washington/Publications/Annual_Statistical_Bulletin/index.asp
8 See FPTI Reports 1, 2, 9, 10, 12: http://www.fpti.wsu.edu/reports.htm
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Val
ue
($
,00
0,0
00
)
Year
Total Crop Value, Total Value of Production and Total Value of Agriculture in the State of Washington
Total Crops Total Value of Production Total Value
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Val
ue
of
Pro
du
ctio
n (
$,0
00
,00
0)
Year
Value of Production for Individual Production Categories
Field Crops Fruits and Nuts Commercial Vegetables
Berry Crops Specialty Products Livestock and Products
Govt Payments
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highly depends on origination region. Southeast Washington can be seen to be the most reliant
region on barge movements. However, wheat does not grow on the river banks. In order for
growers and shippers to take advantage of the efficiencies found with barge movement, they
must be able to efficiently arrive at the river.
Figure 2: Annual Percentage of Wheat Shipped via Various Transportation Modes9
By and large, arrival at the river is achieved via truck transport on the region’s highway network.
This reality of the multimodal network within southeast Washington necessitates a systems
approach to a supply chain based economic corridor assessment. Such a systems based
understanding is the foundation of the following report.
Purpose
While truck count data is relatively easily obtained on any given segment, such counts do little
on their own to facilitate a deeper understanding of why a given truck or set of trucks has used
9 http://ses.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/FPTI-12.pdf
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
EasternOregon
NorthernIdaho
SouthernIdaho
NorthernWashington
SouthernWashington
Truck Only 1.0% 0.3% 33.3% 14.0% 0.9%
Truck-Barge 91.8% 78.9% 21.7% 14.6% 97.5%
Rail 7.2% 20.8% 45.0% 71.4% 1.6%
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that given segment or where it has come from or is going. As such, simple traffic counts fall
short in facilitating a thorough understanding of the processes by which operational and capital
improvements may enhance the economic standing of an industry, or industries, and a region.
Further, many roadways, with the exception of US-195 and a portion of SR-26, within the region
do not accumulate sufficient commercial vehicle volume to raise the level of attention paid on a
state basis in comparison to other heavily used freight routes. Such attention is generally
warranted for roadways achieving at least a T-2 status.10
This report seeks to generate a current basis of information for the Palouse Regional
Transportation Planning Organization
(Palouse RTPO) and its member
jurisdictions, such that they may better grasp
the opportunities and challenges faced in
development of long-range freight
management goals and strategies for a
positive economic future of the region. Such
an information basis permits the
development of a stronger data driven
foundation of support for regional freight
projects of strategic importance to the
economies of the region. Specifically, this
report achieves the following goals:
Succinct characterization of the freight generating industries found within the RTPO’s
four counties;
Characterizes freight need and future opportunities and constraints across modes in the
region;
10 http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/3ECFC2D0-8A56-4D86-B4CB-
2006B0792D43/0/2013FGTSReportWEB.pdf
Freight and Goods Transportation
System (FGTS): Roadway Classification
T-1 = More than 10 Million Tons per Year
T-2 = 4-10 Million Tons per Year
T-3 = 0.3-4 Million Tons per Year
T-4 = 100,000 – 300,000 Tons per Year
T-5 = at least 20,000 tons in 60 days and
Less than 100,000 Tons per Year
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Describes the characteristics and needs for the major freight generators in the region,
including: bulk and containerized commodities, agricultural inputs, retail distribution, and
technology based industries.
Identifies and engages regional stakeholders in a collaborative effort to identify solutions
that enhance the positive attributes of the regional transportation system, while
systematically inventorying and addressing those attributes which constrain movement
and potential growth;
In addition to the material provided within this report, data on many key transportation
assets has been provided to the Palouse RTPO for future use and detailed studies beyond
the scope of this report.
6 | P a g e
Regional Freight Industries
The following sections first provide a broad overview of the freight generating industries of the
region in Washington State, the region served by the Palouse RTPO followed by a more detailed
discussion of their interaction with each major mode utilized in its movement.
Overview
Freight related industries may be classified as those industries whose major operations are
dependent upon the effective and efficient utilization of the freight system to collect and
distribute their inputs and final products. Such industries may be aggregated into seven major
categories:
Agriculture and Forestry;
Utilities;
Manufacturing;
Construction;
Retail Trade;
Wholesale Trade;
Transportation and Warehousing.
The above industry groups frequently contribute the majority of truck traffic trips generated
within a region. These trips typically fall into either originations or terminations within a region,
or pass through. Historically, agriculture constitutes major proportions of flows in the four
counties. For example, in Whitman County, agriculture has been recorded as high as 49 percent
of truck volume in the fall on US 19511
. Major roadways in other counties are often similarly
dominated by single, or few industry types. The prevalence of these industries within the region
is characterized below. Table 1 highlights that construction, retail trade, and wholesale trade lead
the region in number of establishments as recorded in the 2013 county business patterns
database. This is the case for each of the four counties, with manufacturing also being of
11 Freight Policy Transportation Institute, 1998. Truck Origin Destination Study (by County).
http://ses.wsu.edu/ewits/counties/
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significant prevalence in Asotin and Whitman counties. To provide further detail, Figure 3 and
Table 2 each break down the business establishments by zip code.12
Evident from this finer
breakout is the preponderance of businesses concentrated in Pullman and Clarkston. The two
cities possess 50 percent of all freight related businesses.
What Table 1, along with Table 2 and Figure 3, do not provide is any indication of the number of
farms and thus potential for farm generated truck trips in the region. To obtain that information,
Table 3 shows the number of farms and their average size for the four counties. Given the typical
type of farming (dryland) taking place on the Palouse, these farms are larger, on average,
compared to those throughout much of the state. Additionally, as is evident from Table 3 and
Figure 4, agriculture consumes many acres within each county’s land base, over a million acres
in Whitman County alone. This broad land base necessarily means that production, and thus
trucks trips, is generated over a large area, necessitating critical roadway usage on many
typically low volume roadways.
Table 1. Total Establishments in Freight Dependent Industries13,14
Industry Total Establishments
Asotin Garfield Columbia Whitman Total
Agriculture and Forestry 3 1 3 7 14
Mining, Quarrying 0 0 1 1 2
Utilities 1 1 4 5 11
Manufacturing 24 0 8 23 55
Construction 62 2 10 69 143
Retail Trade 49 10 19 92 170
Wholesale Trade 15 9 17 62 103
Transportation and Warehousing 19 2 4 28 53
12 Table 1 and 2 discrepancies are due to a one year difference in reporting period (due to availability). Additionally,
Zip Code boundaries do not align perfectly with that of county boundaries. 13
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2013. http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/ . 2013 Data is the most
recent available (released April 2015). 14
Note: Recorded values based solely on primary recorded industry type with the US Census. Omissions or faulty
categorizations are possible.
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Figure 3. Total Establishments in Freight Dependent Industries15
15 2012 Zip Code Business Patterns. http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/
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Table 2. Total Establishments in Freight Dependent Industries16
Zip Name Number of Businesses
Freight Dependent Businesses
Agriculture & Forestry
Mining, Quarrying
Utilities Constr- uction
Manufac- turing
Wholesale Trade
Retail Trade
Transportation & Warehousing
Anatone 3 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Asotin 32 13 0 0 0 9 1 0 1 2
Clarkston 397 155 3 0 1 53 20 13 50 15 Colfax 154 63 2 0 2 20 2 9 22 6 Colton 12 7 0 0 0 2 0 3 2 0 Dayton 116 52 2 1 2 11 4 12 20 0 Endicott 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 Farmington 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 Garfield 16 11 0 0 0 3 4 4 0 0 Lacrosse 21 10 0 0 1 0 0 2 4 3 Lamont 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Malden 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Oakesdale 8 6 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 0 Palouse 24 15 3 0 0 6 1 1 3 1 Pomeroy 51 28 1 0 1 3 0 10 10 3 Prescott 12 6 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 0 Pullman 472 133 0 0 1 41 13 12 54 12 WSU 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Rosalia 24 11 0 0 0 3 2 3 1 2 Saint John 34 18 2 0 1 3 0 10 2 0 Tekoa 29 13 1 0 1 0 0 8 3 0 Thornton 4 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 Uniontown 8 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 Waitsburg 25 11 1 0 0 3 2 1 3 1
Total* 1460 571 15 1 10 162 53 98 184 48
16 2012 Zip Code Business Patterns. http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/
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Table 3. Region Farm Totals. 2012 Census of Agriculture17
Number of Farms Average Farm Size (ac) Land in Farms (ac)
Asotin 185 1,423 263,166
Columbia 308 966 297,412
Garfield 211 1,462 308,486
Whitman 1,195 1,067 1,275,110
Figure 4. Major Crop Production of the Region18
17 http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_County_Level/
18 http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/natresources/AgLandUse.aspx
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Freight Generators and the Highway Network
The information presented above in Tables 2 and 3, along with Figure 3 may be disaggregated to
provide a closer inspection of the industries present within each of the communities of the
region. The following set of figures displays firm locations, categorized by 2-Digit SIC codes, as
organized by zip code areas. The industries displayed comprise those previously identified as
freight dependent. Where very few industries are present in a zip code, the figures below provide
more detail as to the specific industry types present; 6-Digit SIC.19
Review of the following figures will quickly reveal a disparity between the identified number of
farms within each map, and the reported number of total farms found within the region (Table 3).
This disparity reinforces the necessity to examine agricultural production and freight generation
from a land use perspective as opposed to the firm level seen here. Within the following series of
figures, short duration traffic counts (See Appendix for dates and specific location of all short
duration counts included) are displayed along with the percent of the traffic counts that are
identified as trucks. Further, the proportion of those trucks identifiable as singles, doubles or
trains20
is displayed in the associated pie charts. Each chart is located on the side of the road in
which that traffic flows (i.e. northbound traffic is represented on the right hand side, and
southbound on the left). In sum, the figures and graphs contain multidimensional data, so the
reader is cautioned to be careful in interpretation.
19 Data for all Figures 10-23 are generated from InfoUSA datasets. Based on firms recorded in August of 2015.
20 WSDOT standard definitions. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/344CB5F2-AD88-4A9C-A4D8-
E8C2982B00C2/0/InstructionsforFGTSTruckTonnageEstimation.pdf
Truck Classifications and Definitions
Single Units – A single vehicle including dump trucks, mixers, regardless of the
number of axles.
Double Units – A two-unit vehicle, normally a truck and trailer, generally from 4-
axle to 6-axle. This category basically includes any truck up to 80,000 pounds.
Trains (Triples) – Normally a tractor and two trailers. Almost any truck rated
from 80,000 pounds to 105,000 pounds.
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Figure 5. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Anatone, Asotin County
Four firms are located within the Anatone zip code that can be classified within the freight
dependent firm categories. Figure 5 highlights the truck volume recorded during a short duration
traffic count in May of 2014 on SR 129. The largest volume of trucks recorded during the
counting period was observed southbound north of Anatone, as depicted by the pie chart size.
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Figure 6. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Asotin, Asotin County
Few firms (13) are found throughout the Asotin zip code. While all are classified within what is
considered to be freight dependent industries, few can be considered to be large freight
generators. Tightening in on the second pane of Figure 6, it can be observed that as traffic
begins to flow southward on SR 129 that the proportion of traffic attributable to trucks increases
slightly, though total volume of traffic decreases significantly.
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Figure 7. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Clarkston, Asotin County21
21 Note: Only firms found within the titled zip code are shown. Neighboring firms in other zip codes are depicted in
their own figures.
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Figure 7. Continued.
The large majority of freight dependent firms within the Clarkston zip code may be found, as
should be expected, with the city proper of Clarkston. Specifically, most are located along the
downtown corridors of US-12 and SR-129, with numerous additional firms spreading northward
towards the Port of Clarkston. Firms based in Retail Trade (89) and Construction (47) dominate
the firm numbers. Many of the retail firms may be classified as freight dependent as they
routinely require the delivery of store products - often via LTL trucks.
From pane 1 of Figure 7, short duration counts demonstrate higher volumes of truck traffic and
higher proportions of trucks (19 percent) on US 12 west of Clarkston, than moving south. These
observations reinforce inputs from city and county officials. Additionally, panes 2 and 3 depict
high truck proportions crossing the Snake River on the SR 128 bridge. Utilizing permanent
WSDOT counters, pane 3 shows the highest volume of vehicles is routinely observed on the east
side of the city in relation to the “blue bridge” that connects Clarkston with downtown Lewiston.
Moving westward, the total volume decreases, but the proportion of trucks on the roadway
increases.
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Figure 8. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Colfax, Whitman County
Retail Trade based firms (18) are highly concentrated along the main corridor through downtown
Colfax (US-195), as visible in the lower pane of Figure 8. The upper pane displays a high
presence of agriculturally based firms spread through the span of the zip code. As shown in both
panes of Figure 8, the major highways surrounding Colfax recorded both significant truck
17 | P a g e
volumes and significant portions of traffic attributable to trucks during the recording period.
Recordings for SR 26 and US 195 north of Colfax in the second pane were recorded in late
August of 2013, a time typically observed to experience high truck volume from wheat harvest.
All other recordings were taken outside of harvest time.
Figure 9. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Colton, Whitman County
Firms found within the Colton zip code area are dominated by farms (8) as can be viewed above
in Figure 9. Similar to the other firm locations, the points indicated for the farms provide
information on the physical location of the address listed for the business. However, for farms,
this only provides the mailing address and does not reveal the extent of the farm. The northern
most short duration traffic counts were conducted in spring of 2014, while those in Colton were
taken in spring of 2011. Proportion and volume are relatively stable between the two counts.
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Figure 10. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Dayton, Columbia County
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The Dayton zip code area firms are largely localized to the US 12 corridor through the town of
Dayton and are significantly comprised of Retail Trade store fronts (29). Agricultural (12) and
Construction firms (12) are also found in high number and can be seen to spread beyond the
downtown corridor (Figure 10). Short counts conducted in the spring of 2012 estimate roughly a
quarter of traffic into and out of either end of Dayton on US 12 is truck traffic. Recorded truck
volumes are range from 336-460 trucks; mostly singles.
Figure 11. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Endicott, Whitman County
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Nearly half of all Endicott freight dependent firms, 21 in total, are attributable to the Agriculture,
and Forestry Identifier (9). These firms are located both within the town and throughout the zip
code area (Figure 11). Refer ahead to Figure 14 (Lacrosse) for truck volumes found south of
Endicott on SR 26.
Figure 12. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Farmington, Whitman County
With a limited number of firms located in the Farmington area, the firms can be identified to a
finer level. Figure 12 displays that with the exception of a post office and apparel store, the
remaining six firms are agriculture based.
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Figure 13. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Garfield, Whitman County
The Garfield area is comprised largely of agricultural based firms (7) and a significant number of
Wholesale Trade based firms (5). While three of the five Wholesale firms are located within
Garfield, the remaining are spread out through the area, as are all of the agricultural firms (Figure
13).
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Figure 14. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Lacrosse, Whitman County
Firms found within the Lacrosse area are nearly entirely devoted to agriculture in some form
(Figure 14). Half (11) are identified as farms, and up to seven more may be considered to be
based in the movement of agricultural goods. Though SR 26 east of its intersection with SR 127
has the highest recorded volume of trucks during this October 2014 short count, both SR 127
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north and southbound experience higher truck proportions of roughly 40 percent, or
approximately 180 in total for each direction.
Figure 15. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Lamont & St John, Whitman County
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Possessing only nine identifiable firms, Lamont is combined in Figure 15 with St. John.
Lamont’s firms are comprised mostly of farms (6), in addition to a wholesaler and three
transportation firms. Similarly, the St John area is found to be mostly agriculturally defined firms
(19) in addition to a set of 10 Retail Trade businesses found in the downtown region, mostly
along SR-23.
Figure 16. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Oakesdale, Whitman County
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Similar to the other smaller communities throughout the region, Oakesdale shows a limited
number of freight dependent firms (Figure 16). Those that are present are agriculturally
dependent; 8 of 12 have direct agricultural purposes.
Figure 17. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Palouse, Whitman County
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The Palouse zip code area possesses both a widespread set of firms, largely agriculture (first
pane of Figure 17), as well as a subset of additional retail, construction and transportation related
firms within the town itself.
Figure 18. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Pomeroy, Garfield County
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Significant portions of the Pomeroy region extend southward towards the Oregon border (Figure
18); however, the primary business activity is centered about the US 12 corridor passing east-
west through town. Agricultural and Transportation based firms may also be found spreading
north and south for about 10 miles. Both panes in Figure 18 reflect high proportions of traffic
volumes attributable to trucks, especially doubles. The high proportions are particularly evident
in pane 1 in which truck proportions reach 40 percent northbound on SR 127.
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Figure 19. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Pullman, Whitman County
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As one of the more populated cities of the region, Pullman hosts a decidedly more abundant set
of freight dependent industries not seen in most other communities throughout the region. One of
the more notable differences observable in the first pane of Figure 19 is the increased abundance
of manufacturing firms within Pullman. While Agriculture is still a substantial component of the
diverse industry set, it is not as pervasive as in smaller communities. Given that cities like
Pullman and Clarkston operate on a higher population field than do the other communities these
observations should be expected, as these two provide the services to the broader community.
The first pane of Figure 19 shows the prominence of US 195 for regional truck movement, and
thus its T-2 classification. Roughly have of the approximately 500 trips per day in each direction
are classified as doubles.
Narrowing in tighter to the city of Pullman, and using WSDOT’s bidirectional counters, it
becomes apparent that while doubles account for high proportions on US 195, singles are far
more prevalent downtown. As should be expected, the downtown core on Grand Avenue
experiences the highest overall volume of vehicles and maintains an approximately 10 percent
single unit truck proportion. In 2015, the City of Pullman also conducted short duration counts in
seven locations throughout Pullman. For each location, they additionally estimated annual
tonnage. NE Terre View Drive experienced the highest volume of trucks during this period (May
2015). The 588 recorded daily trucks produced annual tonnage estimates of 4.3 million tons. The
trucks were approximately 50 percent singles and 25 percent each for doubles and trains.
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Figure 20. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Rosalia & Malden, Whitman County
With only a pair of its own identifiable firms considered freight dependent, Malden is combined
here with Rosalia (Figure 20). Combined, Rosalia and Malden host 18 identified freight
dependent firms, of which agricultural firms comprise nearly half. Characteristic of US 195,
truck volumes are significant proportions of flows bypassing Rosalia.
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Figure 21. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Tekoa, Whitman County
In line with the other small communities, Tekoa remains agriculturally dependent. One third of
the firms identified (Figure 21), are classified as wholesale trade firms. The firms are largely
comprised of fuels, chemicals, grain, and machinery dealers. As such, they are tightly aligned
with the agriculture industry.
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Figure 22. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Thornton, Whitman County.
Thornton, with eight identifiable firms in freight dependent industries, lies along the major north-
south corridor of the region; US 195. Similar to other small communities, Thornton’s firms are
centered about agricultural production.
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Figure 23. Freight Flows and Generating Firms Near Uniontown, Whitman County.
The final community within the region is Uniontown. Uniontown falls squarely between Pullman
and the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, and thus witnesses significant traffic between the two.
Again, agriculturally related firms dominate the industrial presence in and near the town.
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Inland Waterways
The Columbia-Snake River system is the most utilized river system for freight movement on the
west coast, extending more than 400 river miles inland to Lewiston, Idaho. Barge traffic along
the system delivers grain and other bulk products from the Inland Northwest and beyond to
lower Columbia River ports. Roughly 60 percent of Washington wheat exports ultimately travel
by barge from ports along the Columbia-Snake River system to the greater Portland region.
About 36 percent is transported by rail to coastal grain terminals. This multimodal luxury allows
regional producers to escape the “captive shipper” to the railroads experience felt by many other
regions’ producers.22
Not only does the river system increase the competitive nature of freight transport in the Pacific
Northwest, but it does so with a low emission footprint and high safety performance relative to
other modes. Given the transportation sector accounts for a significant proportion of emissions in
the region and nation, the continued effective utilization of low emission modes aids in Governor
Inslee’s effort to reduce emissions statewide.23
Recent comparisons produced by the Texas
Transportation Institute (TTI) in collaboration with the Center for Ports and Waterways
estimated that inland towing generated 16.4 metric tons of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) per million
ton-miles in 2009, while railroads and truck freight generated 21.1 and 171.8 respectively
(Figure 24). Relatedly, fuel efficiency of the three modes nationally in 2009 witnessed inland
towing at 616 ton-miles per fuel gallon, while railroads achieved 478, and truck freight, 150 ton-
miles per gallon (Figure 25).24
22 Washington Wheat Facts, 2014-15. http://wagrains.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2014_15WFWeb.pdf
23 Carbon Emissions Reduction Taskforce: Report to the Washington State Governor’s Office.
http://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/CERT_Final_Report.pdf, November 2014.
24 Texas Transportation Institute 2012. http://www.nationalwaterwaysfoundation.org/study/FinalReportTTI.pdf
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Figure 24. Metric Tons of GHG per Million Ton-Miles.
Figure reproduced from A Modal Comparison of Domestic Freight Transportation Effects on the General Public:
2001-2009. TTI, 2012.
Figure 25. 2009 Comparison of Fuel Efficiency.
Figure reproduced from A Modal Comparison of Domestic Freight Transportation Effects on the General Public:
2001-2009. TTI, 2012.
In addition to the readily apparent modal differences in fuel efficiency and emissions, significant
differences can be seen in safety performance between the modes. Truck freight is necessarily
intermixed with passenger vehicles throughout their transit, thus providing increased opportunity
0
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for accidents and fatalities. Comparing the three modes again, Figure 26 demonstrates,
nationally, the almost non-existent fatality rate for inland towing. Inland towing averaged eight
fatalities a year between 2001 and 2009, while railroads and truck freight averaged 862 and
4,782 respectively. During this period, railroads and truck freight moved roughly 6 and 4.5 times
the ton-miles as did waterways, reflective of their broader reach across the country.
Figure 26. Ratio of Fatalities per Million Ton-Miles Versus Inland Towing 2001-2009
Figure reproduced from A Modal Comparison of Domestic Freight Transportation Effects on the General Public:
2001-2009. TTI, 2012.
0.0
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Locks and Dams
Between 1999 and 2014, river tonnage has produced
an annual average of just over 10.2 million tons. Over
this period, farm products comprised about 83
percent, or 136 million of the total 164 million tons,
of commodities transported. Total commercial
activity through the Snake River’s four Lock and
Dam facilities (Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower
Monumental, and Ice Harbor) consisted of 1,013
loaded barges, 910 empty barges in 2014; down from the respective 1,425 and 1,172 averages
since 1993 (Figure 27). Total vessels traversing these four locks over the last five years has just
exceeded an average of 4,300.25
Figure 27. Loaded Barges Through the Snake River Locks and Dams (1993-2014)
While wheat and other food and farm products dominates movement along the river, it is not the
only commodity moving through its locks and dams; either upriver or down. Other commodities
25 US Army Corps of Engineers, Navigation Data Center, http://www.navigationdatacenter.us/lpms/lpms.htm
0
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Little Goose
Lower Monumental
Ice Harbor
Columbia/Snake River
Transportation System
38 | P a g e
include chemicals (generally agricultural inputs), crude materials, manufactured goods, and
machinery (Figure 28). In previous years (pre-2011) petroleum and petroleum products also
recorded movement through the locks. 26
Within the crude materials commodity group are forest
products and pulp. Similarly, within the primary manufactured goods group are paper and allied
products. The USACE does not disaggregate the movements further.
Figure 28. 2014 Tonnage of Commodities Moved Through the Snake River Locks and
Dams
Ports and Barge Loading Facilities
Within the region, multiple ports and loading facilities can be found along the Snake River from
which barges and other vessels may be loaded for transit. The Lewiston and Clarkston area is
home to several of these, including the Ports of Lewiston, Clarkston, and the Port of Whitman’s
Wilma site. Downstream, additional facilities may be found at Central Ferry locations in both
Whitman and Garfield counties, along with an additional Port of Whitman site at Almota (Figure
29).
26 Ibid.
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Figure 29. Snake River Ports and Barge Loading Facilities
Whitman County’s three water ports (Wilma, Almota, and Central Ferry) each contain grain
storage and barge loading facilities. Wilma possesses a 4.6 million bushel capacity for grain and
dry peas. This site is home to not only grain shipment and storage (Columbia Grain), but also
peas and lentils (Hinrichs Trading Company), along with agricultural input firms (The McGregor
Company and CHS Primeland) (See rail discussion for more on agricultural input firms at
Wilma), and two wood products based firms (Bennett Lumber and Clearwater Fiber). Access to
the Great Northwest Railroad additionally increases the attractiveness of the Wilma site. The
recent addition of CHS Primeland, a fertilizer company, effectively fills the land available at
Wilma and will increase the reported truck volumes experienced. Bennett Lumber restarted
operations on the site in the spring of 2014, also increasing truck volume at the site.
In their 2010-2015 Comprehensive Plan, the port estimates a daily average of 100 trucks per day
into its facility and peak flows of up to 300 per day, seasonally. More recent short counts
conducted on SR 193, and SR 128 lend support to these higher estimates, and may yet be an
understatement of the total truck count as all the firms at the site get to full speed. Counts
40 | P a g e
conducted in September of 2014 identify 44 percent of traffic west of the SR 128 bridge is truck
traffic, with total truck volumes of 360-370 in both directions (Figure 30).
One of the wood products based firms located at the Port of Wilma is Clearwater Fiber.
Clearwater Fiber operates in tight coordination with neighboring Clearwater Paper. Seven to nine
trucks make daily transits between the Wilma facility and the Lewiston Mill. Typically, these
trucks run evening shifts, with each making 10-15 trips per shift. These transfer activities
generate 70-115 daily trips in total. Inputs for these movements are generated through a
combination of onsite chipping and incoming barges. On the barge side, the Wilma facility
receives an average of five barges per month of chips and sawdust upriver from Columbia City,
Oregon (downstream of Portland). The 5 barges convert to roughly six truckloads each. The
Columbia City facility serves as a collector hub from area sawmills. The Wilma chipping facility
additionally provides its own chipping of incoming pulp logs. The chipping operation brings in
about 8,200 trucks a year, or 683 a month (20-25 daily).
Figure 30. Truck Volumes near Port of Whitman’s Wilma Site, September 2014
Further downstream, a second Port of Whitman property is located at Almota. Almota is a
smaller facility than Wilma and primarily serves two grain storage and shipment companies with
their available storage of 3.7 million bushels, along with offering the ability to load barges. The
Port of Whitman estimates that daily truck traffic into the Almota site is 25 trucks per day on
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average, with seasonal peaks of up to 100 during harvest. These estimates are consistent with
short duration traffic counts conducted by WSDOT in 2011 and 2014 (Figure 31), with many of
the trucks being doubles or trains.
Figure 31. Truck Volumes at Port of Whitman’s Almota Site, October 2014
The final river port in Port of Whitman’s portfolio is their Central Ferry facility which adds
another 4.6 million bushels of storage capacity and a third barge loading site. The Central Ferry
facility attracts roughly 60 trucks per day on average, with seasonal peaks up to 125 per day
(Figure 32). The truck traffic is largely attributable to its four grain shipping firms and three
fertilizer companies.27
Directly across the river from the Port of Whitman’s Central Ferry
facilities is the Port of Garfield’s storage and loading facility with a capacity of roughly 4.4
million bushels serving one grain shipping firm, Pomeroy Grain Growers.
27 Port of Whitman information may be found within their Port Comprehensive Plan 2010-2015.
www.portwhitman.com/pdf/CompPlan.pdf
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Figure 32. Truck Volumes at Ferry Sites, October 2014
Over the last several decades, the Port of Lewiston has been a significant inland player in the
movement of bulk goods (e.g. wheat), as well as container traffic down the river. The primary
export from the Port of Lewiston is grain from the Lewis-Clark Terminal (LCT). The LCT is a
jointly owned facility by three regional cooperatives (CHS Primeland, PNW Farmers Coop, and
Uniontown Coop) with a storage capacity in excess of 7 million bushels between their facilities
at both the Ports of Lewiston and Clarkston. Between 1991 and 2014, the Port of Lewiston
shipped an average of 682,338 tons of wheat (Figure 33). Over this same period, the port has
averaged nearly 10,600 containers (TEUs) annually (Figure 34).28
28 Port of Lewiston. http://portoflewiston.com/
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Figure 33. Annual Wheat Tonnage Originated at the Port of Lewiston
Source: Port of Lewiston
Figure 34. Annual Containers Originated at the Port of Lewiston
Source: Port of Lewiston
-
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
201420122010200820062004200220001998199619941992
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s o
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44 | P a g e
Container Challenges - As of April 2015, regular container service by barge from the Port of
Lewiston had been suspended. The suspension of services is a direct result of activities at the
Port of Portland that resulted in the last steamship line (Hapag-Lloyd) no longer making calls.
This line represented 90 percent of the Port of Lewiston’s container volume.29
The lack of
container service and availability at the Port of Lewiston has necessitated the region’s pulse (pea
and lentil) producers, among other container users, to find alternate means of procuring
transportation services, which at this time is significantly dependent upon container delivery by
truck. In addition to the pulse crops being impacted by loss of container movement to Portland,
Clearwater Paper has also experienced significant changes. Prior to the increasing uncertainty
and ultimate loss of container service, Clearwater Paper moved 5,000 containers annually to the
Port of Portland, loaded with primarily paperboard products heading for export to Asian
countries. With the loss of container service, they now rely on truck movements to the Ports of
Seattle and Tacoma for 100 percent of their paperboard exports. Clearwater Paper has expressed
that their desire for barge movements is more than just the economics of the mode; rather, they
highlight that barge movements also minimize the necessity to move the containers between
modes and thus reduce potential product damage.
The lack of barge opportunities may subsequently add to concerns over driver shortages that
already plague the trucking industry nationwide. Trucks are not seen as a desired long term
solution to loss of barge based container movement due to the heavy transport cost over extended
distances and the reduced modal competition. Producers in the region have expressed interest in
the development of improved rail access via closer switching stations. As rail car availability and
reliability of delivery have also become significant issues throughout the Northern Corridor, the
ability to generate access to a rail line is one potential component and is a longer term
mechanism to addressing the issue.
In an effort to improve container movement options and reduce costs for the region’s producers
of peas, lentils, garbanzos, and other containerized products, the Port of Lewiston has recently
29 http://portoflewiston.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CYXSuspensionXNewsXReleaseXAprilX8X2015.pdf
45 | P a g e
established (as of November 2015) a new route to move
containers. Beginning with bi-weekly shipments of 20
containers, the Port of Lewiston is providing barge
service of containers to Boardman, Oregon where they
are then loaded onto rail cars and transported to the ports
in Seattle and Tacoma. The first two shipments (40
containers) were all purchased by one garbanzo
producer/shipper. Port managers estimate that this newly
established route will reduce per container costs currently incurred by producers using trucks.
Truck costs are estimated at roughly $1,800 per container, whereas the barge and rail
combination is $1,400.
While the new barge and rail combination is a positive step for the region’s producers, they
remain hopeful that a new shipping line will return to Portland and reestablish the per container
rates fully by barge, that had ranged from $800 to $900 per container. In the interim, the Port of
Lewiston hopes to expand its container service to weekly movements on full (58 containers)
barges.
Lock Outages
As the lock system ages, planned maintenance becomes a critical factor in extending the life and
viability of the dam and lock system along the Columbia-Snake network. While these planned
maintenance operations may cause temporary outages of river movement, a planned outage is
easier to prepare and adjust for, than is a catastrophic failure. Routine maintenance outages occur
every year (Figure 35).30
Occasionally, major outages must occur that can keep the system down
for extended periods of time. As visible by the significant spikes in 2010-2011, the most recent
of these occurred from December 2010 to March 2011. This extended Lock outage was
meticulously studied by the Freight Policy Transportation Institute (FPTI) at Washington State
30 US Army Corps of Engineers, Public Lock Unavailability Report.
http://www.navigationdatacenter.us/lpms/Public_Lock_Report/Public_Lock_Unavailability_Report-1.htm
46 | P a g e
University to examine the planning and response by the producers impacted and the
transportation services that enable their goods movement. Unlike roadways who can frequently
find reroutes when a segment goes out, the river system has no reroute without using other
modes to move goods around the outage. As such, the system of locks should be considered in its
entirety as they are all interrelated.
Figure 35. Historic Scheduled Lock Unavailability
Source: US Army Corps
The scheduled extended maintenance outage of 2011eliminated barge traffic on much of the
upper Columbia River and the entirety of the Snake River system during a period of the year in
which 35 to 40 percent of annual wheat movement on the river occurs. During this period, wheat
accounts for roughly 80 percent of total movement. The closure thus placed increased demands
on other modes of transportation. In a typical year, February moves more than 400,000 tons of
wheat; the second highest of any month. Similarly, January and December move large volumes
of wheat, ranging from just shy of 300,000 to nearly 375,000 tons. March is the month in which
the year‐low historically occurs with a tonnage of 254,000. Such significant volumes
necessitated strategic interaction among all the actors to minimize the economic impacts of the
closure.
Starting with the Class I rail operators, an increase in the weekly volume of west bound trains
was ordered to accommodate wheat during and around the lock outage. The increased train
volume required additional coordination with the rail loading facilities. Ritzville Warehouse
Company expected three times the normal winter business during the lock closure. These railcar
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47 | P a g e
loading facilities have access to hundreds of miles of track and elevators, making this mode
efficient and affordable, more so than direct trucking, for traditional barge customers.
Additionally, movement of wheat through the barge system in the months leading up to the
outage was 15 percent higher than typical monthly averages in previous years. The high prices of
wheat at this time made the choice to move more wheat sooner a relatively easy choice for many
producers.31
A 14-week extended lock closure is currently scheduled for the Columbia and Snake rivers
between December 12, 2016 and March 20, 2017. This closure will be three weeks longer than
the previous 2011-12 extended closure. The US Army Corps of Engineers will conduct critical
repairs, routine maintenance, and improvements, including those to Snake River locks and dams:
Ice Harbor Lock and Dam – Installation of new operating machinery for the
downstream gate.
Lower Monumental Lock and Dam – Second phase of installation on new downstream
lock gate will replace and install newer, heavier duty gears for gate operation.
Little Goose Lock and Dam – Experienced a failed gudgeon arm in 2014, causing an
emergency outage. Completion of replacement to ensure safe and reliable operation will
occur during the planned outage.
Lower Granite Lock and Dam – No major maintenance planned. Will conduct annual
routine maintenance.32
Learning from the experiences of the 2010-11 extended lock outages, shippers and transportation
actors will again be required to coordinate an effort to ensure minimal economic disruption to the
region. With new multi-car loading facilities coming on board at McCoy and Highline since the
31 Simmons, Sara and Ken Casavant. FPTI Research Report #2. "Industry Preparations for the Columbia-Snake
River Extended Lock Outage, July – December 2010." February 2011.
32 US Army Corp of Engineers, Walla Walla District,
http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/FY17LockOutage.aspx
48 | P a g e
previous closure, the capacity of the entire system may be well suited to once again make the
necessary adjustments for the short duration of river closure. In addition to the downriver
movements of wheat, upriver movements to the Port of Wilma previously discussed, must also
adapt. Unlike wheat production, chips and sawdust moving to Clearwater Paper possess a more
limited shelf-life and ability to preposition product. They anticipate the need to get ahead in
production prior to closure and, as needed, move chips and sawdust by truck from Columbia City
to Lewiston, despite its increased cost.
Air
Despite being substantially dwarfed in volume by other modes within the region, the region’s
two major airports serve vital roles to the communities they serve. Air freight movement that
departs from or arrives in the region is largely processed through the Spokane International
Airport, with truck freight carriers like FedEx, Old-Dominion, and UPS making routine transits
back and forth. While much of the freight of the region is not suited for air transport, several
technology based industries, including Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, make daily use of
air freight opportunities to reach worldwide markets. Despite ceding most air freight operations
to Spokane, both the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport and the Lewiston-Nez Perce County
Airport do handle some air freight movements. Table 4 below demonstrates the significantly
smaller volume of freight originating or terminating with the region’s local airports in
comparison to those in Spokane and Boise. Both the Pullman-Moscow and the Lewiston-Nez
Perce County Airports recorded freight volumes from the same three carriers: Empire Airlines
Inc., FedEx, and Horizon Air (Table 5).
Currently, the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport (PUW) is undertaking expansion and
realignment opportunities. As PUW has experienced increased use by larger aircraft, it does not
currently meet FAA design standards. Working with the FAA, PUW has developed plans that
will permit the realignment of the runways to meet standards. In addition to realignment, PUW
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will look to expand or relocate the current passenger terminal.33
Tentative plans call for building
a new passenger terminal and converting the existing terminal into a freight oriented terminal.
Table 4. Pounds of Freight Enplaned to or from Regional Airports34
Originated Terminated
2014 2015* 2014 2015*
Lewiston (LWS) 658,316 233,573 595,748 222,343
Pullman-Moscow (PUL) 81 2,576 14,481 4,768
Spokane (GEG) 72,394,631 29,269,019 99,583,849 40,226,162
Boise (BOI) 38,093,883 15,730,976 50,134,853 19,201,054
* Value represents January-May 2015. Source: BTS TranStats
Table 5. Pounds of Freight Enplaned by Carrier Serving Pullman-Moscow and Lewiston-
Nez Perce County Airports
Originated Terminated
2014 2015* 2014 2015*
Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport
Empire Airlines Inc. 322,857 113,148 289,225 107,008
Federal Express Corporation 318,891 113,060 283,826 107,010
Horizon Air 15,178 7,365 19,447 8,325
Pullman-Moscow Airport
Empire Airlines Inc. - 1,280 - 432
Federal Express Corporation - 1,280 - 1,282
Horizon Air 81 16 14,481 3,054
*Value represents January-May 2015. Source: BTS TranStats
33 Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport: http://www.puw-ea.com/
34 Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TranStats.
http://www.transtats.bts.gov/DL_SelectFields.asp?Table_ID=292&DB_Short_Name=Air Carriers
50 | P a g e
Railways
The railroads of the four county region of southeast Washington are comprised nearly entirely of
short line railroads that connect to the main lines to the north and west. Short line railroads
largely emerged out of the 1980 Staggers Rail Act, during a period of significant deregulation in
the transportation industry. The Staggers Act deregulated the railroad industry and allowed Class
I railroads to adopt cost reduction strategies through the sale or lease of no- or low-profit, low-
density rail lines.35
During the following decade, this action led to the creation of 227 short line
railroads nationwide, and an additional 229 through the 1990s.36
Despite having been of low
value to the Class I railroads, these lines nonetheless serve valuable functions for the industries
of the communities in which they are found. Subsequently, many of the lines were leased,
purchased, or otherwise obtained by various private or public entities. Short line railroads are
located throughout the state and connect a variety of regional production to the mainline rail
network. 37
With 22 short lines combining for nearly 1,400 miles of railroad, and a recognition that many
have long suffered from deferred maintenance since their ownership by the Class I lines, the
Washington State Legislature commissioned a Washington State Short Line Inventory and Needs
Assessment in 2014.38
Sage et al. identified that roughly 700 miles of track state wide were below
the standards required to efficiently operate 286,000 pound railcars at Class 2 status (Table 6);
largely the current industry standard. This deficit is one that many short line owners and
operators identified as problematic to overcome, given current revenue generation ability. To
sufficiently achieve 286,000 pound capability on the state’s lines and bridges requires a total
statewide investment of $610 million. It is important to note that despite the ability to efficiently
35 Carriers with annual operating revenues of roughly $467 million or more. Two currently operate in Washington
State; BNSF and Union Pacific.
36 Babcock, M.W., and Sanderson, J. 2004. Should Short line Railroads Upgrade Their Systems to Handle Heavy
Axle Load Cars? A Kansas Case Study.
37 http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/AFF740F6-20F2-4C85-8569-F107E5B649D8/0/StateFreightRailPlan.pdf
38 Sage, J.L., Casavant, K.L., and Eustice, J.B. 2015. Washington State Short Line Rail Inventory and Needs
Assessment. Report submitted to WSDOT, June, 2015. WA-RD 842.1.
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handle 286,000 pound cars having become an industry standard, there are short lines that may
not benefit or need much from such an improvement. It is critical that each line economically
evaluate its needs, opportunities and constraints.
Table 6. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Speed Guidelines by Track Type
Track Type Freight Passenger
Excepted <10 mph not allowed
Class 1 10 mph 15 mph
Class 2 25 mph 30 mph
Class 3 40 mph 60 mph
Class 4 60 mph 80 mph
Class 5 80 mph 90 mph
Class 6 110 mph
Class 7 125 mph
Class 8 160 mph
Class 9 200 mph
Several short lines are present within the region, with varying levels of operation and condition
(Figure 36). Watco’s Great Northwest Railroad spans 77 miles of rail line along the Snake River,
all of which meet Class 2 standards and connects to the Union Pacific line near Starbuck. This
line benefits from solid and growing relationships with shippers in and around the Port of Wilma.
The Port of Whitman County recently obtained project funding for $1.5 million in rail
improvement at the Wilma site. This rehabilitation is in addition to spurs within the port being
developed by the newest tenant, CHS Primeland.39
The new Primeland facility adds capacity for
24,000 tons of dry fertilizer and 2.5 million liquid gallons. This new facility is seen by managers
as an opportunity to reduce transportation costs and thus costs for its customers. Transportation
costs are reduced via the ability to greatly reduce the number of necessary truck miles needed to
service customers from Grangeville, ID to Mead, WA. Primeland’s new facility expects to
39 www.chsprimeland.com
52 | P a g e
receive 75 percent of its fertilizer input via rail. It has the capability to receive dry inputs by rail
and truck, and liquid by rail, barge, and truck. Until the Wilma facility is ready for operation in
2016, Primeland has no ability to receive liquid inputs by barge, and limited ability by rail.
Primeland’s movement into the port will add to the rail and truck volume already generated by
current tenants like Clearwater Fiber, Bennett Lumber, The McGregor Company, and Hinrichs
Trading Company.
The McGregor Company40
is a fertilizer and agri-chemical company providing farm services
throughout the Pacific Northwest, and has branches in more than 30 communities in eastern
Washington. In 2014, they completed the construction of a new storage and distribution facility
at the Port of Wilma that greatly increased its regional capacity. Wilma is now McGregor’s
fourth facility in the region and possesses the capacity to store 38,000 tons of nutrients that are
mixed and loaded onto trucks on site. In addition to liquid capacity, the site also has a 48,000
square foot dry storage capacity. The majority of inputs arrive at the site by rail, and some
additional by barge. McGregor utilizes 1,500 railcars throughout the short line and mainline
system. From the Wilma facility, McGregor delivers product to its retail outlets and direct to
farms from Walla Walla, to Spokane, to Grangeville.
40 www.mcgregor.com
53 | P a g e
Figure 36. Short Line Railroads of Southeast Washington
While the Great Northwest Railroad is in solid shape moving forward, the same cannot be
readily said for the 38 miles of track owned by the Port of Columbia and operated by Watco near
Dayton. All 38 miles of this line have been identified as structurally deficient to efficiently and
safely operate 286,000 railcars at Class 2 status. In addition to the rail, tie, and ballast
54 | P a g e
replacement needed, the line has 13 bridges, of which 10-12 are in need of at least rehabilitation
and potentially replacement (Table 7).
Currently, the owner and operator find themselves in a Catch-22 scenario, and thus an impasse.
In order to secure state support for funding and infrastructure investment from sources like
WSDOT’s Freight Rail Assistance Program (FRAP), or the Freight Rail Investment Bank
(FRIB), or directly from the operator, the line must be able to demonstrate, via benefit cost
analysis or the like, the likely benefits and economic impacts generated by the investment.
However, at this time the state of the line is in such a condition that the Port has had little success
in generating significant potential customer interest in using the line.
Table 7. Estimated Infrastructure Investment Needs on Port of Columbia’s Railroad to
Achieve 286,000 pound, Class 2 Suitability*
Item Unit Unit Cost Quantity Cost
Rail Replacement Track Foot $90 201,168 $18,105,120
Joint Rehabilitation Each $30 10,316 $312,297
Crosstie Replacement Each $90 29,528 $2,657,475
Ballast Distribution Ton $25 40,234 $1,005,840
Surface Line and Dress Track Foot $3 201,168 $550,169
Ditching Track Foot $6 201,168 $1,106,424
Bridge Rehabilitation Each $125,000 10 $1,250,000
Bridge Replacement Each $550,000 2 $1,072,500
Total $26,059,825
Misc. Items, Sales Tax, Mobilization Lump Sum 15% $3,908,974
Projected Total $29,968,798.84
*Note: Estimates are based off current identified deficiencies and replacement costs, not on detailed engineering
estimates.
The third major short line rail road within the region is significant sections of the state owned
Palouse River and Coulee City (PCC) Railroad found primarily in Whitman County and
connected to the Union Pacific to the west, and the BNSF to the north. Within the region, the
PCC lines includes the P&L line (Potlatch and Lewiston), the PV Hooper Line, and the WIM
55 | P a g e
line (Washington Idaho Montana), in addition to several miles that are not currently in service
between Colfax and Pullman, Pullman to Moscow, and north of Pullman towards Palouse
(Figure 33). Both the P&L line and the WIM line are operated by the Washington Idaho Railway
(WIR). In May of 2015, WSDOT released their 2015-2025 PCC strategic plan, in which they
identify nearly $60 million in capital needs for the entirety of the PCC system, much of which
accrues within Whitman County (Table 8).41
Within the Palouse RTPO region, nearly $35
million of capital needs were identified.
Table 8. System Capital Needs for Palouse RTPO Region PCC Lines
286k lb. Capacity Projects Description Cost
P&L Marshall to McCoy Replace 11 bridges and repair 4 Bridges $ 5,988,000.00
Track Rehabilitation in Curves Total Track Miles
Rehabilitated
Rail Miles
Replaced (incl. in
total miles)
Cost
P&L/WIM 20.2 5.2 $ 9,020,000.00
Hooper 9.3 6.7 $ 7,260,000.00
PV 10.8 6.6 $ 7,520,000.00
Total 40.3 18.5 $ 23,800,000.00
Replace Defective Rail
Cost
System wide Allowance Estimated initial defective rail replacement $ 5,000,000.00
Total (in 2015 dollars) Total capital Project Need $ 34,788,000.00
Operationally, much of the PCC system has direct and significant linkages to the Washington
grain train program. Of the 118 state owned grain train cars, 89 operate on the PCC, 60 of which
operate on the PV Hooper line in the region. In 2013, roughly 20 percent of Washington wheat
41 WSDOT Freight Services Division, 2015. Palouse River and Coulee City Rail System: 2015 to 2025 Strategic
Plan. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/936F27B0-8F84-49C4-AF4E-
33E7216E1A23/105893/2015PCCStrategicPlan1.pdf
56 | P a g e
was transported, in part, on the PCC. In addition to wheat movement, other commodities include
barley and lentils.
Importantly, the short line rail network of the region, particularly the PCC, provides vital truck
connectivity for regional farmers and shippers. WSDOT has estimated,42
and interviews
conducted for this report reaffirm, that most truck legs of wheat transits cover roughly 10-20
miles. This short distance is reflective of the high cost of truck movement for heavy, bulk
commodities like wheat. It also generates importance for the proper location and functioning of
grain loading facilities for rail and barge. Those rail loading facilities and their capacities can be
seen in Figure 37. Even at the minimum travel buffer of 10 Euclidean43
miles the rail loading
facilities sufficiently cover much of the region in Whitman County. More detail on wheat
movements is presented in the next section.
In addition to agricultural products being moved on the PCC line, Potlatch, Idaho based Bennett
Lumber utilizes the WIM and P&L lines to connect with the BNSF in Marshall. Bennett Lumber
has recently worked with the line owner, Watco, to upgrade the Idaho segment of the line
connecting to Palouse. The firm estimates that they routinely move 8-10 cars per week on the
line as they ship primarily white fir to customers as far away as Texas and Chicago. Bennett
Lumber representatives have indicated that line quality on the Idaho side continues to improve,
while that on the Washington side lags in rail quality. This sentiment is reinforced in the Short
line Inventory showing that 73 percent of the WIM is deficient in its capability to handle 286,000
pound cars at a Class 2 standard.
42 Ibid.
43 A Euclidean distance measures the straight line radius from the facility. This is independent of the road network.
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Figure 37. Rail Loading Facility Capacities on the PCC System
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Characterizing Retail Distribution
Thus far, the majority of the discussion has been focused on the agricultural production and
transportation needs of the region. The degree of attention paid, is warranted based on the
proportion of freight traffic that is attributable to agriculture in terms of its inputs and commodity
movements. However, as identifiable throughout the town specific maps, retail firms make up a
substantial number of individual businesses. By and large, the vast majority of these firms are
found in the region’s two larger centers, Pullman and Clarkston. Unlike many movements
considered for wheat harvest in which single point origin and destination trips are the majority,
retail distribution frequently involves many more stops throughout many locations and towns and
frequently involve trucks that routinely enter and leave the region on a daily basis. This type of
route delivery can be readily visualized by the distribution routes and logistics of parcel delivery
services like that of UPS or FedEx in which larger trucks (truck and trailer) provide service to
the region (found in Pullman and Lewiston-Clarkston Valley), and smaller delivery vans make
their pickups and deliveries throughout the service area. These services characterize many of the
freight needs of retail and technology firms. Several firms have high enough demand that they
are able to secure dedicated trailers from trucking firms on a routine (daily) basis.
Retail Grocery Stores
Among the retail distribution channels common to the region, as it is to all regions, is the retail
distribution of food for grocery establishments. The nature of the modern grocery retailing
industry is reliance on just-in-time (JIT) services; providing delivery for direct placement onto
store shelves for sale. This evolution of JIT has been brought on in part by the demand for more
store square footage dedicated to sales as opposed to holding inventory, thus leaving little room
to hold large volumes of goods. The ability of JIT to take hold is largely based on efficient and
reliable freight movement and logistics systems throughout the US. The region has fewer than 20
identifiable grocery retail establishments in Washington (Figure 38).44
44 InfoUSA, August 2015.
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Figure 38. Retail Grocery Establishments
Multiple delivery systems routinely occur on near daily bases at individual grocers and between
grocers. On the larger end of the grocer size, the region has two Walmart Supercenters (Pullman,
Clarkston), as well as larger Albertson’s, Safeway and Costco, in addition to multiple smaller
grocers throughout the region. At the larger stores, such as Safeway, food distribution is
achieved by both dedicated firm truck delivery (Safeway trucks serving Safeway stores), food
distribution firms like Food Services of America, or Swift trucking, as well as product specific
trucks like soda, beer, and bread. This diversity of trucks and truck sizes also comes with a
diversity of delivery styles. Many larger stores experience two common delivery means.
Products are delivered both the dedicated loading dock area of the store, as well as direct
delivery to the store front. Typically, individual product deliveries, (e.g. bread or beer) are
directly delivered to the store front and shelves are stocked by the driver. This common practice
is found throughout the nation. Many of these delivery drivers have a route in which they serve
as both a delivery agent, as well as the sales representative and inventory tracker. Key among
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concerns of these types of drivers and deliveries is the ability to efficiently and safely ingress and
egress the premises. Stores with large parking lots are often readily navigable without requiring
the driver to back up for any reason. Other situations may call for the driver to park in, or
partially in the roadway or turn lane. This occurrence is a frequent observation of drivers and
deliveries in downtown areas with little dedicated off street parking, and is characteristic of not
only food delivery, but much retail delivery in downtown districts.
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Characterizing the Wheat Supply Chain
Farm Origins
In 2012, wheat was grown on more than 2.1 million acres throughout Washington, primarily in
the southeast region. These acres produced 141 million bushels, or nearly 65 bushels per acre.45
Significant additional acreage is left fallow in any given year to promote soil health and
moisture, while other parcels of potential wheat producing lands are currently maintained in the
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) (Figure 39). As evident from Figure 39, the major wheat
production area of Washington is expansive, covering significant portions of 8 to 10 southeastern
counties.
Figure 39. Regional Production Area for Washington Wheat46
45 http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/
46 WSDA, http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/natresources/AgLandUse.aspx
62 | P a g e
Roughly progressing sequentially over the harvest season from southwest to northeast, wheat
harvest occurs throughout late summer as the crop becomes ready. Upon harvest, much of the
wheat is moved by farm truck to local storage. Until recent decades, such movements were
conducted by more, smaller trucks; however those trucks are now frequently replaced by larger
trucks moving up to 26 tons of wheat per trip. One bushel of wheat weighs approximately 60
pounds, making the entire weight of the 2012 harvest, 4.23 million tons. This yield thus
generates an estimated 162,716 truck trips between farm and initial grain elevator (Table 9).
Table 9. Farm Truck Trips to Support Wheat Harvest
2012 Wheat Acres Harvested 2,186,813
2012 Wheat Yield (Bu) 141,020,565
Weight per Bushel (lbs) 60
2012 Weight Yield (tons) 4,230,617
Tons Hauled per Truck 26
Truck Trips Needed to Support Harvest 162,716
As previously identified, wheat production is quite dispersed. Such dispersion places the
generated trucks trips on numerous roadways throughout the region. Figure 40 below highlights
an approximation of the dispersed nature of truck trips generated by harvest. Such trucks may be
expected to begin on the network at the point near the field where they can access a roadway
suitable for truck traffic. Each truck collects wheat from approximately 13 acres. The USDA’s
CropScape layer was used to identify parcels of land utilized for wheat production in 2014. This
data layer permits the generation of very precise estimates of the number of acres dedicated to
wheat, or other selected crop.
Figure 2 demonstrated that for Washington wheat farmers, truck movement constitutes a small
portion of travel, yet a vital one as wheat does not grow directly on the rail line or the river. From
the farm, most trucks are destined for nearby storage either to be moved again later by truck, to
be loaded onto the rail, or to be loaded onto a barge for its river segment.
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Figure 40. Wheat Harvest Truck Trips Generated (Whitman, Asotin, Garfield, Columbia
Counties) 2014. Grid cells represent 1 mi2
Source: USDA CropScape.
After the Farm
As one moves along the wheat supply chain, the number of marketing actors quickly diminishes.
While there were 2,871 wheat farms in Washington in 2012,47
there were less than 30 major
wheat suppliers and buyers with grain storage capacity in the state. These elevators (mostly
cooperatives) have grain elevators storage for just over 131 million bushels of wheat plus
additional capacity, as needed, through ground piles. The storage facilities throughout the region
47 http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/
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vary considerably in size and access to rail or river connections (Figure 41). More storage can
also be found on farm.
Figure 41. Grain Storage Facility Relationship to Transportation Network48
The Freight Policy Transportation Institute (FPTI) at Washington State University (WSU) has
surveyed or otherwise been in communication with many of the elevator managers in recent
years. FPTI’s most recent survey sought to understand the average catchment area of the region’s
elevators.
48 USDA CropScape, http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/; Washington State Department of Agriculture Publicly
Licensed Grain Warehouses http://agr.wa.gov/FP/pubs/docs/gwalicensebook.pdf
65 | P a g e
The average elevator drew in farms located 10 to 20 miles from any one of their facilities. Some
larger facilities with direct access to rail or barge possessed a slightly larger catchment.
Assuming the catchment falls on the short end of the range, Figure 42 displays the approximate
coverage of the region’s wheat production by the known locations of the storage facilities.
Survey respondents were asked to identify the primary reasons for their modal choice decisions
for outbound shipments. Of the 19 marketing firms’ responses collected, eight indicated that
costs were the primary factor, while another seven indicated that the availability or relative
location of the mode was a primary consideration. Market price also played a smaller role, two
responses, in modal choices.
Figure 42. Grain Storage Facility Catchment Areas49
49 USDA CropScape, http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/; Washington State Department of Agriculture Publicly
Licensed Grain Warehouses http://agr.wa.gov/FP/pubs/docs/gwalicensebook.pdf
66 | P a g e
Responses to the modal choice questions fall in line with the observations shown in Figure 2 that
suggest discrete geographic differences in modal usage. These differences reflect the availability
and relative rates of the rail and barge modes and the distance required to move the wheat to the
nearest access points by truck. Further, these responses are reflective of the relative ton-mile
expenses faced in a multimodal supply chain such as wheat. Tables 10 and 11 show the relative
equivalencies of the three modes of transport in terms of cargo capacity (Table 10) and costs
(Table 11).
Table 10. Standard Modal Capacities
Table 11. Modal Equivalencies50
Equivalent Units Mode of Transportation
Equivalence By Mode 1 Barge 16 Rail Cars 70 Trucks
Cost per Ton-Mile (cents) 0.72 2.24 26.61
Ton-Mile per Gallon of Fuel 616 478 150
50Texas Transportation Institute. A Modal Comparison of Domestic Freight Transportation Effects on the General
Public: 2001-2009. http://nationalwaterwaysfoundation.org/study/finalreporttti.pdf. February 2012.
Standard Modal Freight Unit Capacities
Modal Freight Unit Standard Cargo Capacity
Highway - Truck 26 tons
Rail - Bulk Car 111 tons
Barge - Dry Bulk 1,750 tons
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Stakeholder Identified Constraints
Valuable information may be gained in relation to the suitability of a transportation system
directly from the users of the system and those actively engaged with it. To ascertain those
stakeholders’ inputs on the condition of the transportation system of the region, a series of group
based Regional Truck-Freight Mobility Meetings were held, in addition to multiple one-on-one
interviews with key stakeholders unable to attend group sessions. The process sought to
encourage stakeholder buy-in to, and ownership of, the process whose goal is to facilitate their
improved regional mobility. The meetings and interviews sought to begin to establish a means of
collecting key operational characteristics of the industries. Below are the highlights of the needs
voiced by participants and stakeholders. Needs are presented by the city or county in which they
are found.
Clarkston
Clarkston is perceived by several of the local stakeholders as a pass through entity, as opposed to
a major generator or receiver of freight movements. However, several notable locations of origin
or destination may be found, primarily in the vicinity of the Port of Clarkston. Such activity is
related to port tenants as well as major retail outlets near the port, including both Walmart and
Costco. This area of the city also had the most needs identified among stakeholders, including:
Efficiency of the “Blue Bridge” leading into Clarkston from Lewiston on Hwy 12
(Bridge St) and subsequent movement through Clarkston heading west. Concerns over
the bridge include its dimension (e.g. width) as well as the interchanges on either side of
the bridge.
Bridge complications are compounded with delays related to the traffic light at high
volume times creating a bottleneck in downtown.
o Several stakeholders indicated an evaluation of signal synchronization is needed.
Major concerns have been expressed over the continued support of river movements by
barge in conjunction with the dam and lock network. In the opinion of stakeholders,
significant repercussions will be felt throughout the region, including increased freight on
the roadway, increased dependency on railroads, and subsequent costs and rates
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associated with such change in network utilization. This then significantly impacts any
comparative advantage that may be experienced by the region’s producers.
Pullman
Pullman is home to not only Washington State University, but also several retail outlets,
including Walmart, that generate freight trips. Located on the north side of Pullman is the Port of
Whitman, with several freight producing tenants like Decagon Devices, who each generate daily
freight trips. Neighboring the port property is Schweitzer Engineering Labs (SEL) that
additionally brings in multiple truck trips daily; typically via logistics and delivery companies
like FedEx or UPS.
Terre View Drive and the accompanying roadways near the Port of Whitman and SEL
frequently experience significant congestion during times of high volume that typically
coincides with shift changes at SEL and other facilities.
The current major concern is downtown congestion at peak times (3:30-6pm). Pullman
currently has 9 coordinated signals. A recently completed traffic study examined
alternatives to downtown traffic flows and management. Due to the nature of the built
and physical environment downtown, the options identified were limited. None of the
ideas posed have gained significant traction with city officials, with the exception of
signal optimization. Options include:
o Signal Optimization (completed Fall 2015);
o Coupled one way south on Grand between Davis Way and Paradise Street, and
one way north turning right from Grand onto Paradise St and left onto Kamiaken
Street, and left onto Olsen Street.
o Removal of select parking areas during peak flows. This would add a southbound
lane on Grand;
Other concerns directly related to freight include that of tight turning movement.
o Right turn off of Davis;
o Left Turn from Grand onto Paradise.
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o Right turns off of Bishop onto Main/SR-270
Colfax
Colfax is the only traffic lighted segment of US-195 between Lewiston/Clarkston and I-90 in
Spokane. Additionally, Colfax is the eastern terminus of SR-26, making it a substantial hub of
flow in the region. Major issues identified within Colfax include:
US-195 and SR-26 intersection bridges are aged and in need significant repair, if not
replacement and realignment to provide better flow at the “Y” interchange. The current
alignment no longer reflects current traffic patterns and the bridges built in 1931 and
1938 are structurally deficient.
As all traffic is filtered through the downtown area, suitable and safe turn opportunities
are vital to ensuring turning traffic does not constrain other flows, causing significant
back-ups. The intersection of US-195 and SR-272 is identified as needing improved turn
lanes for safety and efficiency. The current building footprint in this vicinity creates
significant limitations to redesign opportunities.
Once on SR 272, concerns arise between Mill Street and the Hauser Heights subdivision.
These concerns center on the roadway width and the deterioration of the shoulder, despite
several attempts by the state to remedy the roadway. City officials highlight this section
as routinely used by pedestrians and bicycles, making the lack of stable shoulder width a
significant safety concern.
Increasingly, vehicles, including trucks, avoid passage through downtown Colfax by way
of South Main Street to Fairview. This route takes travelers past the Hospital and out to
Airport Road where it then reconnects to SR 26. The geometry and location of the
intersection of US 195 and South Main Street creates unusual traffic flows and difficult
turning opportunities. An evaluation of the current traffic flow and hindrances should be
undertaken.
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Palouse
Palouse may be found in the northern portion of Whitman County and provides connectivity to
Idaho, as well as still providing rail access opportunities. Several of the identified needs include
those in relation to the rail.
Rail improvement needs.
o 550 feet of the rail within Palouse remains in need of improvement due to
significant deferred maintenance. The line suffers from too little ballast. The lack
of suitable ballast on the line recently created an issue of a train bouncing into
pavement, causing damage.
o The line connects over to Idaho and Bennett lumber. Bennett has put private
money into the Idaho side. Washington side is part of the PCC, operated by WIR.
Grain Elevator
o Additional work is needed to enable modal connectivity. The elevator cannot
currently get trucks efficiently to the rail.
Concerns with Highway 27 from Pullman where the 90 degree turn on Bridge Street by
trucks and implements may need a change in the bridge overtime.
Port of Columbia
The Port of Columbia is located on the western end of the region in Columbia County, near
Dayton. The Port owns and operates several facilities with a host of varied tenants. Their modal
access opportunities include truck, rail and barge. The major needs currently voiced by the port
include that caused by the conditions on their port owned rail line.
Port owned short line is operated by Watco. The line is in significant need of
improvements following years of deferred maintenance. Currently, a standstill exists
between the owner and operator, as they find themselves effectively in a Catch-22
situation in which the operator would like to see customers on the line or committed to
using the line before investing, but the owner feels that the line needs to be economically
viable for safe and efficient movement before they can entice new customers to the line.
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The seven miles or more from Prescott to Dayton is in a deteriorated condition overall,
including bridges, so the line is embargoed at this time. The Port has attempted to access
Rail Bank funding but thus far has not been successful.
Dayton and Waitsburg
Dayton and Waitsburg are two of the major towns found on US-12 between Walla Walla and
Clarkston. Similar to Colfax, these towns frequently serve as pass through communities for both
passenger and freight traffic. Both also are found within significant agricultural growing regions
and thus experience significant agricultural based traffic. Within the area around these two
communities, the following concerns have been voiced:
The intersection of US-12 and Cameron in Dayton is a significant concern;
The old Vantage bridge is only one lane due to weight limits. This bridge is located near
the future site of the Columbia Pulp Mill; however, at this time Columbia Pulp does not
expect significant truck traffic to require use of the bridge.
Within Waitsburg, the growing number of wind turbines being erected has increased the
volume of trucks moving in the region with extended lengths. This poses several turning
issues, particularly downtown Waitsburg in which there is a 90 degree turn. The long
trucks moving turbine components requires the stoppage of traffic and a complicated set
of maneuvers to navigate the corner.
Whitman County
Whitman County is the largest in both size and population within the Palouse RPTO region.
Within the county, several prominent issues arise.
Bridges
o Whitman County has more bridges than any other county in Washington, a total
of 251county owned bridges.51
Of these bridges, 56 are considered to be either
Functionally Obsolete (FO) or Structurally Deficient (SD); again, this is more
than any other county in the state.
Roadways
51 http://www.crab.wa.gov/LibraryData/REPORTS/CRAB/CRAB_Annual/2014/2014DataTables.pdf
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o Whitman County has the fourth highest volume of rural centerline miles of any
county in Washington. Of its 1,899 miles of rural roadway, 1,461 are unpaved
roadways (second most of any county in the state).52
o Whitman County has no T-1 or T-2 county roads. It possesses 2.76 miles of T-3
roads, 37.97 miles of T-4 roads, and 248.72 miles of T-5 roads.
o The volume of unpaved and other non-all season roadways poses concern to some
freight users as the necessity to use longer routes than would have otherwise been
necessary increases their transport costs. Others feel the road closures are only a
minor hindrance as they are typically able to plan around the closures.
o A roadway of particular concern to many users is the Almota Grade. This
roadway serves as a significant modal connector to grain facilities on the river.
The roadway suffers from multiple concerns including width, safety, curvature,
and structural sufficiency. The route often faces issue with rutting and thus
uneven travelling surfaces.
Asotin, Garfield and Columbia Counties
The remaining three counties within the RTPO region have significantly fewer, but important
centerline county miles and bridges. While specific needs are not identified on the bridges and
roadways below, the importance of their continued functionality for freight movement should not
be underestimated given the dispersed nature of production in the region.
Bridges
o Asotin County has 18 bridges on county roads, of which 2 are rated as either FO
or SD.
o Columbia County has 62 bridges on county roads, of which 10 are rated as either
FO or SD.
o Garfield County has 32 bridges on county roads, of which 6 are rated as either FO
or SD.
52 http://www.crab.wa.gov/LibraryData/REPORTS/CRAB/CRAB_Annual/2014/2014DataTables.pdf
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Roadways
o Asotin County has 400 miles of county roadway, of which 80 are considered
urban and the remaining rural. Of the 400 miles, 233 are unpaved. 0.15 miles are
classified as T-2, along with 22.95 miles of T-3, and 19.98 miles of T-4.
o Columbia County has 502 miles of rural roadway, of which 354 are unpaved.
10.30 miles are classified as T-3, along with 49.13 miles of T-4, and 146.81 miles
of T-5.
o Garfield County has 447 miles of rural county roadways, of which 318 are
unpaved. 10.13 miles are classified as T-4, along with 125.75 miles of T-5.
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Case Studies
A major component of economic development in rural regions such as Southeast Washington is
an understanding of how the transportation assets of the region serve to attract or inhibit the
growth of existing industry, or the enticing of new industries in the region. Using the newly
completed McCoy Grain Terminal LLC and the planned Columbia Pulp Mill operations as case
studies, we identify the key metrics of concern in evaluating the future of transportation in the
region. These cases serve as examples of the decision making process and economic impacts
generated by investment in the transportation system assets at both the private and public level.
Federal, state and local governments are increasingly tasked with improving freight mobility
through operational improvements and new public or private infrastructure, recognizing that the
health and economic well-being of communities significantly depends upon transportation.
Industry and economic development officials often seek to locate regional loading facilities near
their communities as a means of improving the efficiency of the freight movements for their
commodities and market outlets. Similarly, as new uses for agricultural product based waste or
residual material arise, the need to identify effective locations for such processing facilities
becomes a critical factor in their potential for success. Public investment in support of such
facilities should raise at least two questions:
Will the facility succeed in the private marketplace by generating a sustained return
as a commercial investment?
Is any public investment justified based on the public net benefits (often referred to
by economists as externalities, both positive and negative) produced?
Many variables associated with the demand for such facilities and related infrastructure costs and
the functions of such facilities are unknown and create risk and uncertainty. As states and regions
seek to increase freight movement efficiencies and capture the economic gains associated with
them, a consistent and viable process to evaluate the merits of intermodal facilities, regional
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loading centers, and resource based processing plants is needed. Casavant et al.53
developed such
processes through an easy to implement criteria focused on intermodal truck-rail facilities.
Casavant’s criteria are designed to identify the relative importance of a set of attributes (Table
12) to an intermodal facility. Each attribute may be evaluated qualitatively as Critical, Necessary,
Contributory, or Not Important. The elements identified by Casavant et al, are used here in the
evaluation of the McCoy Grain Terminal LLC and Columbia Pulp Mill.
53 Casavant, K., Jessup, E., & Monet, A. (2004). Determining the Potential Economic Viability of Inter-Modal
Truck-Rail facilities in Washington State. Report prepared for Washington State Transportation Commission and the
Washington State Department of transportation. December 2004.
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Table 12. Attributes Contributing to the Viability of Rural Based Agricultural Facilities
Proximity To: Operational Attributes Product
Attributes Public Characteristics
(Proxy for Access) (Asset Efficiency)
Class I Railroad
Need for Changing,
Directing, and Dividing
Cargo
Commodity
Mix
Public/Private
Partnership
Short Line Rail with
Class I Connection
Distribution Efficiencies
and first/last mile
characteristics
Ratio of
Transport Rate
to Value of
Product
Magnitude of
Public Participation
Major Interstate or
Freight Corridor Capacity
Demand
Opportunities
and Prospects
Level of Working
Relationship
Between State and
Private Agents
Population Center Degree of Automation
Labor Availability
and Training
Deepwater and
Inland Ports or
Airport
Time to Build
Tax and Zoning
Initiatives
Land use
compatibility both
in policy and
available area
Major Production
Points including
agriculture and
energy clusters
Major Destination
Markets
Adequate
Land/Space
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McCoy Grain Terminal LLC
The history of grain development in Washington has gone hand-in-hand with technological
development and the evolution of transportation in the region. Whether it was steam boats on the
Snake River, railroads around the falls and rapids, or highway development, all have served to
support the development of the highest density wheat producing county in the world ‒ Whitman
County.
As previously described in the wheat supply chain chapter, the competition among, and capacity
of, the modes contributing to wheat movement has provided efficient and market responsive
service in the region. Though a mature transportation system, adaptation is required to provide
ready flexibility to changing market conditions and demands, as well as changes to the
transportation system itself ‒ both planned and unforeseen. While geography is a major driver of
the direction and modal usage within the wheat supply chain (recall Figure 2), those directional
movements are not static. A major case in point was the 2011 lock closure along the Columbia-
Snake waterway previously discussed in this report.54,55
While the lock outages may seem an
anomaly within the movement of wheat in the region, the necessity to adjust to changing
conditions is ever present. The deployment of new unit train loading facilities is one such change
that has and is changing the spatial dynamics of wheat movement in the state.
Ritzville had previously been the location of the region’s major multiple car (110 car unit trains
or shorter 50 to 60 car shuttle trains) loading facility and significantly reshaped the landscape of
grain flow in the region upon its introduction. The Ritzville facility immediately began to
compete for grain volume that was previously shipped by truck-barge to the river and to a
smaller degree with grain shipped on the PCC rail system. What Ritzville offered was lower
rates, ample storage at critical times (between three and four million bushels, including outside
storage), the ability to move large volumes of grain quickly, scale efficiencies, and a high degree
54 Refer to FPTI reports: 1, 2, 9, 10, and 12 for full details on industry response to the closure.
http://www.fpti.wsu.edu/reports.htm
55 Another, longer (roughly 14 weeks) outage is scheduled to take place in late 2016.
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of customer service (not charging for double handling, storage availability at harvest time,
partially subsidized truck movements, etc.).
A second multiple car loading facility with similar configuration has recently begun operation
south of Spokane. The McCoy Grain Terminal LLC facility further affects the geographical
landscape and direction of the grain flows (Figure 43). This site began major operations in 2013-
2014 and is drawing from local elevators, more than 20 located within 20 miles, and on farm
storage as well as serving a storage function for some movements from the Midwest. The McCoy
facility lies on the Washington State owned P&L branch of the PCC short line. Jointly funded
(roughly $24 million) by two regional cooperatives, Pacific Northwest Farmers’ Cooperative
(PNW) and the Cooperative Agricultural Producers (Co-Ag), McCoy provides the combined
1,500 grower members an additional outlet in getting their product to the market effectively.
Within 20 miles of the facility, more than 200,000 acres of wheat are produced in Whitman
County alone.
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Figure 43. McCoy Grain Terminal LLC56
Not only does the McCoy Grain Terminal operate as a storage facility and significant hub in the
movement of wheat on to the rail system, but the McCoy Grain Terminal LLCLLC firm serves
as a major new marketing outlet for the region’s growers. As a trading company, McCoy Grain
Terminal LLC is significantly oriented towards the export market. The capacity and movement
flexibility it creates allows the region’s cooperatives and their farmers to meet the market needs
and guaranteed delivery of product.
56 Wheat yield data rendered from USDA CropScape, http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/
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How then does McCoy Grain Terminal LLC stack up to the attributes listed in Table 12 We
highlight those considered to be most critical or necessary. Further, Table 13 ranks 12 of the
attributes considered to be at least contributory to viability.
Available Volume in Local Production Area: Whitman County is the highest density
wheat producing county in the nation providing ample product volume. Figure 43
highlights the density of wheat production in the region as it relates to the location of the
McCoy facility.
Railroad Access: The McCoy facility lies on the P&L line of the PCC. This line links
directly to the BNSF in Marshall. At the time of construction, proponents of the facility
identified substantial physical need on the P&L line to ensure its adequacy to serve as a
major loading facility. In 2013, the Port of Whitman County unsuccessfully sought
TIGER-V funds to upgrade the P&L line such that capacity could adequately and safely
hold 286,000 pound cars. Bridges were of major concern in that application in order to
sustainably handle the anticipated loads. Not only is rail access important in terms of
moving the commodity to market, it also serves as a collection agent from the area
elevators. Many of the country elevators along lines such as the PCC system have limited
individual capacity and limited range from which they draw, typical 10-20 miles.
However, the added capacity within the linked system offered by the McCoy facility adds
power to the attractiveness and utility of the elevators on the system.
Public-Private Partnerships: The ability of the McCoy facility to operate as planned
requires a significant degree of public-private partnership. As the state owns the line on
which the facility sits, state investment is needed and justified based on the social
benefits from such a system. These benefits are generated through increased economic
competitiveness of the region’s producers and diversion of heavy trucks off the roadway.
The McCoy facility certainly contributes to the reduction in roadway miles. The facility’s
managers estimate that:
o Without the facility, 16.4 million bushels of wheat would be hauled an average of
75 miles from farm storage to Central Ferry. This movement requires nearly
20,000 trucks
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o With the facility, truck trips to nearby rail loading facilities increase, therefore the
volume shipped by rail from storage to McCoy increases, and the number of
trucks to McCoy increases (about 25 miles), all acting to reduce total truck miles.
Major Destination Markets: With more than 85 percent of its wheat exported annually,
Washington’s destination markets are distant and vast, and intricately linked to the
region’s major export ports. The location and operating practices of McCoy LLC allows
it to utilize both the Puget Sound ports and those reached by the Columbia-Snake system.
This allowance is enabled via the partnerships established during its development. In
addition to the McCoy facility, McCoy LLC or its funding partners also have storage and
access at Central Ferry, Almota and Lewis-Clark terminals, thus providing ready access
to the barge system. Through these multiple venues, McCoy is able to flexibly reach its
destination markets with significant volume capacity at competitive prices.
Table 13. Attribute Importance to Grain Loading Facility.
Attributes Importance
Ownership Type B
Access to Modes A
Capacity B
Distance to/from Supply
Markets A
Distance to/from
Destination Markets B
Commodity Mix B
Ratio of Transportation
Rate to Commodity
Value
A
Time to Build Degree of
Automation C
Labor Availability C
Labor Cost C
Tax/Zoning Incentives C
Available Land/Space A
The evaluation scheme is A = Critical, B = Necessary, C = Contributory
As previously identified, the conditions of grain movements in the Pacific Northwest are not
static. While the addition of the McCoy facility has certainly had an impact, those changes are
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not final. An additional large grain terminal is nearing completion. The Highline Grain Terminal
will add rail loading opportunity in Spokane County, and may draw from current McCoy
farmers, as they seek to minimize their transport costs. As competing facilities are brought
online, the movement patterns and necessary miles traversed on the roadway are altered. Such
alterations continue to seek opportunities to reduce shipping costs via a reduction in truck miles
required.
Columbia Pulp
Washington State has historically been a major producer of timber and timber related products.
These products include the production of pulp and paper from numerous mills found throughout
counties on the west side of the state. As pulp production has historically been based on the
utilization of woody products, its production has largely escaped the region within Washington’s
southeast counties. Neighboring Lewiston however, does find itself as a significant hub of pulp
and paper products, bringing inputs from up to 300 miles away and utilizing Port of Wilma
facilities for significant portions of its chipping operation.
As technologies evolve and new uses for what has been traditionally considered agricultural
waste emerge, the possibility of promising industries in the region exist. Such research into the
utilization of the biomass (e.g. wheat straw) left on the ground following harvest have included
biofuels, and now pulp. Previous uses for the straw by-products either involved burning of the
straw to return some nutrients to the soils, or some have been sold in low value markets as
bedding for farm animals.
Columbia Pulp possesses what it believes to be the right mix of technology and location to
efficiently produce and market the residual straw in the form of pulp. Inherent to their business
model is the pulping process by which they may utilize fewer chemicals, energy, and water than
conventional wood pulping processes. Their processes, according to the company, thus produce
the pulp with reduced environmental impacts, and creates valuable byproducts in the form of
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sugars and lignin.57
Environmental benefits are generated in part due to the closed mill process of
the new technology. This closed process means no discharge as is typically seen in pulp mills.
This also eliminates the sulfuric odor typically emitted.
Columbia Pulp, LLC is in the process of opening the first full scale straw pulp mill in the US on
their 449 acre site near Starbuck and Lyons Ferry in Columbia County, along SR 261 (Figure
44). Company executives are aiming for an operational date to begin production in late 2016, at
which time they will begin scaling up operations until they reach an operational capacity of
140,000 tons per year of pulp. An additional 75,000 tons of byproduct will also be produced
annually.
Figure 44. Columbia Pulp and Existing SR 261 Traffic Volumes
At operational capacity, the 140,000 tons per year of pulp produced requires straw inputs of
220,000 tons. These straw inputs are baled (1,000 pounds each) and collected from regional
farms after harvest and stored in nearby facilities. A typical flat trailer will be able to move 48
bales, thus requiring roughly 9,000 incoming truck trips per year. Columbia Pulp has begun
57 http://www.columbiapulp.net/
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storage of bales at off site locations within 2-miles of the facility. These staging and storage
areas will serve as the primary repository of bales coming in from farms. Bales will then be
transferred to site as required for operation; generating roughly 35-50 trucks per day. Another 25
trucks per week are expected incoming with chemical inputs. As can be seen in Figure 44 above,
this volume of new trucks on the roadway will increase the trucks trips on SR 261. Currently, the
southern intersection of SR 261 with US 12 has an AADT of roughly 600 vehicles, 20 percent of
which are trucks. To the north of the new facility, AADT is 320, with trucks comprising 17
percent.
To generate the necessary volume of inputs requires significant accessible acres of straw
residuals. Such acres are readily available in the region. Figure 45 below, highlights the biomass
availability within the region along with a Euclidean buffer of 50 miles to approximate the
needed catchment of the facility. Similar availability exists outside the Palouse RPTO region, to
the west of the new facility. Table 14 furthers the visualization of the necessary catchment of the
facility. Minimum catchment, if using all available, would be roughly 30 miles from the facility.
Given current contract estimates for the first three years by Columbia Pulp, they gauge the
catchment region to be approximately 90 miles. At this distance, the facility is collecting roughly
1/5 of the biomass available.
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Figure 45. Columbia Pulp Estimated Catchment Area, within Palouse RTPO region58
Table 14. Dry Tons of Biomass Available within 25, 50, 75, and 90 mile Zones of the
Columbia Pulp Facility
Buffer Zone Straw
25 Mile Buffer 150,734 50 Mile Buffer 544,464 75 Mile Buffer 1,046,077
90 Mile Buffer 1,284,156
58 Straw Biomass availability estimated from FPTI Developed Databases, http://ses.wsu.edu/fpti/biofuel-feedstock/
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The above catchment discussions highlight considerations brought to light by the attributes
recommended by Casavant, namely Available Volume in Production Area. Other important
attributes of consideration include:
Railroad Access: The new Columbia Pulp facility is located directly on a Union Pacific
Spur that is serviced by Watco. Given that the facility will ship out its pulp by-product in
a heavy form that is 50 percent moisture, such access is important. Facility operators
anticipate an outgoing rail volume of approximately 25 cars per week in tank cars.
Major Destination Markets: The products (both pulp and by-products) to be produced at
the Columbia Pulp site will be roughly 50 percent moisture, thus making them rather
heavy movements. Such heavy movements and the typical market competitiveness of the
pulp industry necessarily limit the viable distance over which the product may be moved.
It is anticipated that the market area for the pulp product will be roughly 250 to 300
miles. Typical customers include those downstream firms located in areas of Wallula,
Lewiston, Wenatchee, and Yakima. These firms produce products such as paper cup
holders, and to-go boxes among other wood based products of similar form.
Further, Table 15 ranks 13 of the attributes considered to be at least contributory to viability.
Readily apparent from the above relationships and items in Table 13, is the necessity to carefully
balance the transportation costs on both the input and output sides. As is the case with wheat
production in general, the distance needed to move product by truck can quickly impact
production costs, thus the ability to readily locate on or near rail facilities is a vital consideration.
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Table 15. Attribute Importance to Wheat Straw Pulp Facility
Attributes Importance
Ownership Type C
Access to Modes A
Capacity B
Distance to/from Input
Supply Markets B
Distance to/from
Destination Markets A
Distribution Efficiencies
and First/Last Mile
Characteristics
A
Major Production Points
including Agriculture
and Energy Production
A
Ratio of Transportation
Rate to Commodity
Value A
Demand Opportunities
and Prospects A
Labor Availability B
Labor Cost C
Tax/Zoning Incentives C
Available Land/Space A
The evaluation scheme is A = Critical, B = Necessary, C = Contributory
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Washington State Freight Mobility Plan and the Region
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) defines freight economic
corridors as those roadways, railways, and waterways of importance for the movement of
commerce within the state. Identification of corridors is based on classification by the Freight
and Goods Transportation System (FGTS). In addition to tonnage designations describing the
roadways and their economic importance, WSDOT further considers the roadway’s importance
to resiliency and valued supply chains. The following summarizes the WSDOT criteria used to
define Truck Freight Economic Corridors:59
1. Any T1 freight corridor carrying more than 10 million tons per year.
2. Any T2 freight corridor carrying 4 to 10 million tons per year.
3. Alternative freight routes that serve as alternatives to T1 truck routes that experience
severe-weather closures, and carry 300,000 to four million tons per year.
4. First/last mile connector routes between freight-intensive land uses and T1 and T2 freight
corridors. These criteria are used to identify the connector routes:
Statewide:
To-and-from T1 and T2 truck routes and strategic U.S. defense facilities;
Over-dimensional truck freight routes that connect the state’s significant
intermodal facilities to the T1 and T2 highway system.
In urban areas:
To-and-from the Interstate system and the (1) closest major airport with air freight
service, (2) marine terminals, ports, barge loaders and other intermodal facilities,
and (3) warehouse/industrial lands;
59 WSDOT, Washington State Freight Economic Corridors. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Freight/EconCorridors.htm
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From high-volume urban freight intermodal facilities to other urban intermodal
facilities, e.g. from the Port of Seattle to the BNSF rail yard in Seattle
In rural areas:
To-and-from state freight hubs located within five miles of T1 and T2 highways;
freight hubs are defined as: (1) agricultural processing centers, (2) distribution
centers, (3) intermodal facilities, and (4) industrial/commercial zoned land;
Routes that carry one million tons during three months of the year (reflecting
seasonality) of agricultural, timber or other resource industry sector goods.
The region served by the Palouse RTPO has no T1 truck freight corridors, and is limited in T-2
routes. US 195 serves as the sole major T-2 route through the Southeast Washington region.
Additionally, the easternmost segments of SR 26, east of SR 127 to Colfax, are classified as T-
2.60
Several additional segments also permit grouping into the freight economic corridor
classification by merit of their designation as first/last mile connector routes to T1/T2 corridors.
These segments may be seen in Figures 46 and 47. Evident from these figures is the substantial
understatement or complete absence of several of the region’s most prominent intermodal
facilities in support of agricultural movement. As previously identified in this report, wheat and
other commodities of the region constitute major components of freight movement and are
highly reliant on rail and barge movements. Notable facilities and their connectors that are absent
or understated include:
Port of Whitman – Wilma Rail Loading.
o SR 193 is currently identified as a T-3, and a first/last connector based on barge
loading; however, rail loading connectivity is likely more significant.
Port of Whitman – Almota Barge Loading.
o No indication provided on state maps of barge loading facility at Almota.
60 Based on WSDOT 2013 FGTS data. Maps currently displayed on WSDOT Freight Services website depict 2011
data in which SR-26 does not meet T-2 status.
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o SR 194 to Almota is classified as T-3.
o This roadway, grade, has been identified as a significant concern by regional
stakeholders.
Port of Whitman/Garfield – Central Ferry Barge Loading.
o No indication provided on state maps of barge loading facility at Central Ferry.
o SR 127 is a T-3, but no indication as a roadway of significance.
All PCC rail loading facilities
o 17 PCC rail loading facilities may be found on the PCC system within the Palouse
RTPO counties. Only 2-3 may be considered to be tangent to an economic
corridor (Hooper, Rosalia, Colfax).
Major concerns for the Palouse RTPO should stem from the figures below in that the agricultural
processing facilities identified by the state (Apple, Beef, Dairy, and Potato) are effectively
irrelevant to the region. Additionally, the figures fail to identify that wheat is the third highest
commodity in value, at $1.014 billion dollars. This places the industry behind only Apples at
$2.189 billion, and Milk at $1.299 billion.61
Though out produced by value, the tonnage of
wheat produced in Washington surpasses that of Apples and Milk. Washington produces roughly
one-third more wheat by tonnage, than apples.
61 Washington State Department of Agriculture. http://agr.wa.gov/AgInWa/docs/126-CropMap2015-ForCopier.pdf
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Figure 46. Truck Freight Economic Corridors in the Palouse RTPO
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Figure 47. Truck Freight Economic Corridors in Lewis Clark Valley MPO
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Findings: A Practical Design Approach
While wheat production and movement is not the sole activity taking place in the region, it is a
dominant force. Reviewing the locality maps throughout this document, it becomes obvious that
the majority of freight dependent or generating firms within many communities are agriculturally
based. This thus allows agricultural freight movement to be a significant indicator of system
wide movement. The dispersed nature of wheat production and transportation generates
difficulties in amassing individual roadway tonnage to meet the top economic corridor
determinants established by WSDOT. This dispersion is found not only in the production
regions, but also in its intermodal connectivity points at more than 25 rail loading or barge
loading facilities found throughout the region. While limited consolidation of facilities does
occur, the wheat industry likely experiences less of it due to the high relative expense of truck
transport as compared to other modes. With these limitations in mind moving forward, regional
and state planners may take advantage of established Practical Design approaches to encourage
efficient, effective, and sustainable decisions and investments. WSDOT identifies Practical
Design as permitting;
Maximum results with limited funding;
Tailored solutions for the project’s purpose and need;
Phased solutions that address more critical and current needs;
Design guidance that transitions from a rigid structure to a more flexible framework; and
Freedom to innovate.
While all the above items should serve as valuable tools for planners, the phased solutions
approach may be the most valuable in relation to intermodal needs of the region and its major
agricultural industries on both the input and output sides. This phased approached allows and
encourages the development of infrastructure investment plans that take a system wide approach
to identify those links and nodes within a system that are most limiting and then moving up the
chain of limitations. Through the course of data collection and stakeholder interviews for this
report, we have identified a set of potential projects and further analyses that will aid in seeking
94 | P a g e
opportunities to enhance the efficiency of flow and safety of freight movement throughout the
region (Table 16). The list does not seek to prioritize the included items, nor does it suggest that
those not included are not significant. Rather, the items contained in the table highlight those
issues identified by stakeholders as most pressing or concerning.
Many of the items contained in Table 16 involve planning or further study of various
components of the transportation system within the region. The role of the Palouse RTPO in
these activities should be in the support of impacted entities or users in building complete and
cohesive justifications for investment. To better enable the Palouse RTPO to perform this role,
they would be well served to collaborate with the state to improve the consideration of regional
roadways and intermodal assets in the identified State Freight Economic corridors; this includes
more inclusive considerations of significant impact locations and a more geographically relevant
consideration of connector routes. The current 5 mile designation for rural freight hubs
connecting to T-1 and T-2 routes is severely limited in a region like southeast Washington and
the expanse over which production occurs. Such status elevation will broaden the opportunities
thus available to the region’s stakeholders.
95 | P a g e
Table 16. Identified Freight Flow and Safety Improvement Projects
Project Description Cities, Counties or Ports
Impacted Supporting Information
"Blue Bridge" efficacy and interchange study City of Clarkston, Asotin County, Port of Clarkston
See Figure 7
Clarkston signal synchronization evaluation City of Clarkston, Asotin County, Port of Clarkston
See Figure 7
Detailed Pullman truck flow analysis (Terre View Dr, and Grand Ave/Paradise St Emphasis)
City of Pullman, Whitman County, Port of Whitman
See Figure 19
US 195 and SR 26 intersection realignment City of Colfax, Whitman County
See Figure 8
US 195 and SR 272 intersection evaluation for safety and efficacy
City of Colfax, Whitman County
See Figure 8
US 195 and South Main St Intersection traffic flow evaluation
City of Colfax, Whitman County
See Figure 8
SR 272 Mill St to Hauser Heights roadway Improvement Project
City of Colfax, Whitman County
See Figure 8
WIM Railroad Benefit Cost Analysis WSDOT, City of Palouse, Whitman County
See Figure 34, Table 8
P&L Railroad Bridge replacement and rehabilitation
WSDOT, Whitman County See Figure 34, Table 8
P&L/WIM track rehabilitation WSDOT Whitman County See Figure 34, Table 8
Palouse intermodal connectivity assessment (accessibility of rail loading facility)
City of Palouse See Figure 17
Palouse Bridge Street assessment for large truck/farm implement capability
City of Palouse See Figure 17
Port of Columbia Railroad Benefit Cost Analysis Port of Columbia, City of Dayton, Columbia County
See Figure 33, Table 7
US-12 (Emphasis in Dayton and Waitsburg) oversize/over-length load compatibility study
City of Dayton, City of Waitsburg, Columbia County
See Figure 10
Highway Bridge Replacement/Rehabilitation Program (with coordinated county prioritization) All Counties CRAB Data Library
Whitman - 56 Bridges; Asotin 2 Bridges; Columbia 10 Bridges; Garfield 6 Bridges
Seasonal road closure reduction program (increasing Inventory of all-weather roads)
All Counties
Almota grade (SR 194) structural and safety improvement
Whitman County, Port of Whitman
Figure 28
96 | P a g e
Appendix
Table A-1. Short Duration Count Events
Town Highway MP Start Date End Date Town Highway MP Start Date End Date
22.8 27.7 06/24/13 06/28/13
4.4 12.4 08/26/13 08/30/13
4.4 15.0
0.0 15.0
36.6 40.6 06/23/14 06/27/14
35.7 36.9
15.5 04/14/14 04/18/14 36.9
8.8 04/18/11 04/22/11 SR 271 0.0 04/21/14 04/25/14
US 12 422.0 09/29/14 10/03/14 SR 6 19.2
39.2 05/12/14 05/16/14 14.9
40.8 09/15/14 09/18/14 15.5
SR 27 15.1
SR 27 15.3
125.2 9.1 10/27/14 10/31/14
125.3 0.0
133.1 390.8
133.4 422.0
28.5 04/21/14 04/25/14 402.1
42.8 404.0
38.6 405.2
367.6 22.8 04/21/15 04/25/14
366.6 15.5 4/14/214 04/18/14
359.6 SR 194 21.0 4/14/214 04/18/14
372.7 SR 27 2.2 04/21/15 04/25/14
382.3 66.2
SR 261 0.0 62.9
27.0 04/21/14 04/25/14 60.0
20.2 04/21/15 04/25/15 SR 271 8.4
102.0 51.7
102.7 48.5
116.9 0.0
117.0 1.9
SR 127 27.1 0.1
Lamont/St John SR 23 35.5 06/24/13 06/28/13 0.0US 195 04/14/14 04/18/14
SR 27
SR 274
US 195
US 19509/09/13 09/13/13
06/23/14 06/27/14
SR 27204/21/14 04/25/14
SR 12709/29/14 10/03/14
SR 23
SR 23 06/24/13 06/28/13
SR 2704/21/14 04/25/14
SR 2610/27/14 10/31/14
SR 27
SR 128 0.5 09/22/14 09/26/14
US 1204/30/12 05/04/12
10/27/14 10/31/14
08/26/13 08/29/13
08/08/11 08/12/11
08/26/13 08/30/13US 195
SR 26
Uniontown
SR 129 05/12/14 05/16/14
SR 129 05/12/14 05/16/14
US 195
SR 129
Garfield
Lacrosse
Lamont/St John
St John
Oakesdale
Palouse
Pomeroy
Pullman
Rosalia
Tekoa
Anatone
Asotin
Colton
Clarkston
Colfax
Dayton
