Download pdf - GREATEST The Case for Freight ARIZONA - Transportation

The Case for FreightGREATESTNEEDS–ARIZONA

Increasing capacity on our nation’s transportation system will:

•UnlockGridlock,•GenerateJobs,•DeliverFreight,•AccessEnergy,•ConnectCommunities

Did you know?

•Theamountoffreightmovedinthiscoun-try—frommilk,tooth-pasteandtoiletpapertosparkplugs,wheatandwindturbines—isexpectedtodoubleinthenext40years?

•TheInterstateHigh-waySystemrepre-sentsonly4percentoftotalmilesbutcarries70percentofcommer-cialtrucktraffic?

•Eachofthetoptenworstfreight-truckbottleneckscauseoveronemillionhoursofdelayayear?

“The Phoenix-Tucson corridor is the transportation heart and soul of an untapped vital economic engine that stretches across one of the fastest-growing areas in America. Arizona is exploring 21st Century solutions, such as inter-city rail and connections with our freight rail partners to transform city, suburban and rural areas. Passenger and freight rail projects throughout Arizona will help diversify our economy with job opportunities, affordable housing and a new vitality for decades to come.”

—John S. Halikowski, Arizona Department of Transportation Director

FreightCapacityNeedsRail Improvements—Phoenix-to-Tucson Corridor

TheheavilytraveledcorridorbetweenPhoenixandTucsonhasbeenandcontinuestobethesubjectofmanyplanningstudiesoverthepastfourdecades.ItisthecoreoftheAri-zonaSunCorridorMegapolitan,oneof11emergingmegaregionsintheUnitedStates.AmajorityofthetripsbetweenPhoenixandTucsonarecurrentlymadeonInterstate10,whichistheonlyhigh-capacitycorridorconnectingthesecities.RecentstudieshavebeencompletedfortheI-10corridorthatindicatetheneedtowidenthefreewayto10lanes,andadditionalparallelcapacityisneededtoaccommodatethefreightandtrafficmovementsprojectedforthiscorridor.EachoftheruralcommunitieslocatedbetweenPhoenixandTucsonareplannedtobeincorporatedintotheSunCorridor,andwouldbenefitfromparallelcorridorstoI-10thatwouldensureefficientconnectionswiththesegrowingcities.

I-10 Corridor is the principal connection for people and goods between Phoenix and Tucson

TheproposedprojectwouldestablishintercitypassengerrailservicebetweenPhoenixandTucson,whichwouldprovideanalternativemodeoftransportfortravelbetweenthesecities,andenhancetheconnectivitytoseveralcommunitiesbyplanningforpas-sengerstationlocationsalongtheroute.Anewraillinewouldbedefinedforallorpartoftheroute,whichcanbecoordinatedwithland-useplanningofseveralruralcommuni-tieslocatedinPimaandPinalCounties.Currently,severalpotentialcorridoralignmentsareunderstudy,eachwouldhavethepotentialtoconnectseveralruralcommunitiestobothPhoenixandTucson.

For more information: http://expandingcapacity.transportation.org/

Interstate10isalsoamajorcorridorforfreightmovements,notonlywithinthestateofArizona,butisaprimaryroutefortranscontinentaltrade.TheSunsetCorridoroftheUnionPacificRailroadparallelstheinterstateformuchofthedistancebetweenPhoenixandTucson.ThisrailcorridorisaprimarymovementofcargofromLosAngelestovariouslocationsacrossthecountry.CurrentlytheSunsetCorridorisprimarilyasingle-trackmainlinethatdoesnothaveexcesscapacitytoaccommodateadditionalfreightmovements.

Union Pacific has plans to double track the Sunset Corridor, but additional rail-yard capacity is needed to enhance freight movements between Phoenix and Tucson

AseparateprojectwouldbetoexpandthecapacityoftheSunsetCorridorandthePhoenixSubdivisionoftheUPRRtoaccommodateadditionalfreightmovementsbetweenPhoenix,Tucson,andvariouscommuni-tieslocatedinPinalCounty.Toenhancethemovementoffreightinthiscorridor,anewrailclassificationyardandintermodalfacilitiesareneededwithinthecorridortoexpandthecapacityoftheTucsonandPhoe-nixrail-yards,whichcannotexpandduetophysicallimitations.Thenewrailfacilitiescouldprovideaddi-tionalemploymentandeconomicdevelopmenttoruralcommunitieslocatedalongtheSunsetCorridorsuchasCasaGrande,Eloy,andMaranaArizona.

ThecombinationofintercitypassengerrailserviceandstrategicfreightrailimprovementswithinthePhoenix-to-TucsoncorridorwillprovideanalternativemodeforthemovementofpeopleandgoodswithintheemergingSunCorridor.Theprojectswillprovidemultimodalnodeswithinseveralruralcommunitiesbetweenthesecitieswherefuturegrowthandeconomicdevelopmentcanbeconcentratedtocreatelivablepopulationcentersbuiltontheprinciplesofsmartgrowth.


CapacityNeedscontinued

ADOT is currently studying potential intercity corridors that could provide an alternative mode of transporta-tion for several rural communities between Phoenix and Tucson



The recently completed Pinal County Comprehensive Plan is compatible with the proposed projects to im-prove passenger and freight rail between Phoenix and Tucson

