Freight Villages
Context Sensitive Design
FHWA Talking Freight Series
May 18, 2005
Roberta Weisbrod, Ph.D.
Partnership for Sustainable Ports © 2005
A Global Freight Village In the
Tremley Point Area
An analysis of the Global Freight Village Concept
and its applicability in
Union County, New Jersey
Prepared by
The Union County Department Of Economic Development
The County Of Union
Board Of Chosen Freeholders
Freight Villages
• Characterization and Value
• US Impetus/initiatives
• Context sensitive design
Freight villages: Defined
• Cluster of freight-related business
• In a secure perimeter• Single management• Master planned• Near cities• High quality settings• Support services
Freight Villages:
Where are they found?
• Over 40 in Europe
• France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland
• Networked
Freight Villages: Physical characteristics
Aspect Paris Barcelona Bremen Toulouse
Acres 125 500 300 740
Urban + + + +
Seaport - + + -
Airport + + +
Rail + + + +
Hiways 3 2 2 5
Owners Pub Pub/pr Pub/pr Pub
Freight villages
• Multi-modal options
• Intermodal transfer
• Logistics services
• Rich in freight options
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are needed to see this picture.
Freight Villages
Comprehensive Services (Barcelona)
Freight Villages: Functional characteristics
• Intermodal operations• Integrated distribution• Smart warehousing• Logistics• Showrooms• Customs• And support services
Freight Villages: Support services
• Security• Maintenance • Office space• Meeting/conference rooms• Eating facilities• Banking, mail, extra warehouse• Public transportation/internal transit
Freight Villages:
layout of support services
Freight Villages: Additional support services/related businesses
• Vehicle service, repair, leasing• Hotel/motel• Truck stop• Training facility• Employment agency• Insurance• Communications (ISP, webserve, GPS)
Freight Villages
Inappropriate Uses:
• Passive storage• Storage of empty containers• Uncontrolled public use (retail, car rental)• Heavy manufacturing
Freight Villages: Benefits to businesses
• Market proximity• Access to multimodal transport• High quality perimeter security• Efficiency• Business services• Synergistic business opportunities• Esthetic
Freight Villages: Public benefits
• Support/Enable trade• Relieve congestion, VMT• Encourage a growth sector of the economy• Provide jobs in urban area, access to jobs• Restore lands to tax roles• High-value use of property• Landscaping and natural resource protection• Esthetic
Freight Villages: Esthetics
Building by Ricardo Bofill at Zona Actividades Logisticas (freight village), Barcelona
Clip
Freight Villages: What is the US Impetus?
The Urban Freight Dilemma
• Trade -- value & growth are high• Urban areas as market -- benefit from cheap
goods, jobs, value-added businesses• Real estate for freight is scarce/expensive • Congestion, VMT, emissions result• And urban area loses business/quality of life
Freight Villages:Map showing Tremley Point
195
44
0
2781
439
27
LINDEN
0TREMLEY POINT
STATEN ISLAND
LINDEN, NEW JERSEY
0 1.8.60 1.2
Miles
KEYWater AreaCounty (High Res)Census PlaceHighwayStreets
Interstate HighwayRailroad
$NJ TPK EXIT 12
CHEMICAL COAST LINE
$ NJ TPK EXIT 13A
PROPOSED CONNECTOR ROAD
Freight Villages: Case Study
Tremley Point, Union County, New Jersey
• County is rich in freight transport• Near major market • Classic Brownfield• Wetlands• Investment anticipated
Freight villages: Tremley Point feasibility
• In the center of a major market
• Freight transport-rich• Classic brownfield• Wetlands• Investment anticipated
TREMLEY POINT WITH 20 MILE RADIUS0 3010 20
Miles
TREMLEY POINT
NEW YORK CITY
MIDDLESEX COUNTY
MORRIS COUNTY
UNION COUNTY
ESSEX COUNTY
Freight Villages: Tremley Point
Drivers for Tremley Point freight village:• Local roads truck traffic
• Waves of brownfield redevelopment • Port growth• Need for freight-related real estate• Garbage intermodal proposal• NJTPA study• Creative leap
Freight Villages
NJTPA Study
• Brownfields: perfect for freight infrastructure• High value smart warehouses• Planned unit developments
• <www.njtpa.org>
Freight Villages
A Freight Village at Tremley Point?
Acreage 300-400, brownfieldsProximate city <20 milesInt’l airport +Seaport +Rail +Interstate access <->Barge +Small plane airport +Public/private partner?Strong public interest
Freight Villages: Coming to America?
Actions for developing Tremley Point FV
• Develop land use plans with City of Linden• Encourage state interest/support• Encourage private investors -- meet directly• Work with adjacent counties• Improve access to Interstate
“Global Freight Villages: A Solution to the Urban Freight Dilemma”
Paper prepared for TRB Annual Meeting 2002
by
Roberta Weisbrod, Partnership for Sustainable Ports
Ernest Swiger, Planners Diversified
Mary Kay Murphy, Union County
Gerhard Muller, US Merchant Marine Academy
Contact: Roberta Weisbrod
Freight Villages: Context sensitive design and sustainability features
• Improve land values - highest and best use
• Appropriate density - minimize foot print
• Jobs for local residents - opportunity/access
• Access to CBD
• Consolidation of deliveries possible
• Natural area protection/enhancement
Freight Villages: Critical evaluation from the EU
Issues:• Top-down planning• Non-market based decision making -- overbuild• Consolidation goal not always achieved• EU City Freight: www.cityfreight.org; • & Best urban freight solutions www.bestufs.net
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CSD planning principals avoid most EU mistakes
Freight Villages: Improving the concept of CSD
Make explicit the following values:
• Improve environment: air emissions, VMT
• Improve business efficiency (reduce/avoid congestion, reduce costs, energy use)
• Allow urban labor access to jobs
• Improve work conditions of mgmt. & labor
Freight Villages: Issues to consider and research
Making the case/improving the outcome:
• Quantify benefits of compactness, etc• Maximize public benefits (spillover)• Quantify value for public/private sectors• Quantify ROI for public/private sectors• Design for the future