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FHWA Talking Freight

Can Your State Recover from Major Disruptions to Freight Systems?

Eight Steps to Resiliency

Barbara IvanovWashington State Department of Transportation

Freight Systems Division Co-DirectorNovember 18, 2009

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Why Do Freight Disruptions Matter?2007- 08 Closures in Washington State Caused $75 M Economic Loss

2007 –

Due to record-high floodwaters, a

20‑mile section of I‑5 near

Chehalis, Washington was

completely closed from December

3 – 6. The two detours open to all

trucks added 476 or 577 miles to

trips taken around the closure.

2009 –

Severe flooding closed I‑5 near

Chehalis, Washington from

January 7 - 9. The state’s

mountain passes were also closed

due to avalanches and slides, so

there were no detours available.

Flood damaged I-5 – December 2007

I-5 southbound – January 2009

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I-5 Closure Detour Map: 2007

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What happened during the 2008 I-90 closure in Washington State?

Due to record snow fall, warm temperatures in the mountain passes and resulting

avalanche danger, WSDOT closed I‑90 at Snoqualmie Pass from January 29

through February 2, 2008.

Washington’s other east-west routes, Highway 2 at Stevens Pass and Highway 12 over White Pass, also had to be closed for avalanche control and to clear accidents.

The severe weather caused Oregon DOT to close I-84, their major east-west freight corridor, so that all east-west detour routes were closed for a time.

Tanker truck stuck on I-90 after an avalanche – January 2008

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I-90 Closure Detour Map: January – February 2008

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What was the freight-related economic impact of the I-5 and I-90 closures in 2007/08?

• The loss to Washington State’s economy due to the closures

of I-5 in 2007 and I-90 in 2008 was close to $75 million.

- Over $47 million was lost due to the impact of the I‑5 closure in

December 2007.

- Almost $28 million of losses were caused by the I‑90 closures

from January 29 through February 2, 2008.

• The total economic loss includes:- Direct impacts - the additional costs and lost sales revenues incurred by freight-

dependent industries during and immediately after the closures. It also includes

investments companies make to lessen the impacts of future disruptions.

- Indirect damage - occurs to the freight-dependent sectors’ suppliers and customers.

- Induced impacts - happen as decreased spending and lower efficiency cascades through

the state’s economy.

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How Can We Develop Resilient Freight Systems?

Resiliency is defined as the ability to rapidly restore service after a disruption.

WSDOT worked with the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics to develop a freight system resiliency plan that any state can use. It includes:

• Best practices of public-sector freight system resiliency planning in the U.S.,

• A logical approach to develop a statewide freight system resiliency plan,

• Stakeholders’ roles and tasks to implement a resiliency plan.

I-5 Corridor Flooding in Washington StateDecember 7, 2007

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What Are the Eight Steps of a State Freight System Resiliency Plan?

1. Identify the customers of the state’s freight transportation system. In Washington State the meta-supply chains are: • Global Gateways• Made in Washington• Delivering Goods to You

2. Set goals and metrics for recovery that meet those customers’ needs, for example: • Global Gateways: Return container flow through the ports to 70 percent of

previous level within five days of event. • Delivering Goods: Restore truck access on an urban freight corridor to 90

percent of previous level within three days.

3. Analyze vulnerabilities of the region’s transportation network and consider: • Independent actions of private firms,• Infrastructure and modal interdependencies, and• Vulnerability of different customer segments.

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Freight Resiliency Planning Steps:

4. Engage private sector partners. • Build relationships and develop a freight communication plan. • The center of the communication plan is the freight notification process.

5. Decide what policy and regulatory procedures need to be in place before disruptions occur.

6. Decide how you will set priorities and agree on trigger setting processes. • When there’s scarce capacity, who gets to use it? • When will DOT take over from first responders? • Who’s in charge during the recovery phase?

7. Run failure analysis simulations on the most critical infrastructure.

8. Test and improve the plan by running large-scale exercises.

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I. Global Gateways

International and national trade flows through Washington

II. Made in Washington

Regional economies rely on freight-dependent industriesManufacturing, construction, agribusiness and wood products sectors.

III. Delivering Goods To You

Retail and wholesale distribution systemsUp to 80 percent of urban truck trips support retail and wholesale distribution.

Step1. WSDOT Identified Freight-Dependent Industries in Washington State

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What Do Washington State’s Freight System Customers Need?

In 2007, WSDOT and MIT interviewed state freight customers about their expectations of government, their business continuity plans, and how they’ll work with government when there is a high-impact disruption. Shippers and carriers said that:

• They don't know who in government to call post-disruption for information, and rely on the media for real-time information.

• There was no communication system in place allowing government agencies to communicate directly with freight customers.

• They expect government to have pre-established rational priorities.

• They value accurate, timely information above all else.

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WSDOT worked with UW and WSU to developthe state’s first GIS-based multimodal freightmodel in 2009. When loaded with commodityflow data and route impedance factors, the model will help the state:

• Understand how disruptions change the waycompanies route goods,

• Plan to protect high-risk freight-dependent sectors, and

• Prioritize future transportation investments based on the risk of economic loss to the state.

WSDOT used the new state freight model toanalyze two supply chains: the potato industryand diesel fuel distribution.

Steps 3 & 7. WSDOT Builds Statewide Freight Model

to Analyze Supply Chain Vulnerabilities

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Diesel Fuel Distribution in Washington State

terminal racks

truck

pipeline

barge

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Diesel Fuel is Delivered by Truck From Terminals

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If a Terminal Closes, the Shortest Distance for Truck Delivery of Diesel Fuel Changes

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Different Supply Chains Have Very Different Sensitivity to Freight Corridor Disruptions

Potato Growing and ProcessingShippers’ margin per truckload of potatoes is low, so during a disruption they’re unlikely to use long, expensive detours.

The supply chain is dependent on east-west truck trips on I-90 between growers, processors and the market.

Diesel Delivery from Terminals toFuel StationsVery large volumes are moved short distances by truck.

Resiliency is built into the diesel truck delivery system as companies regularly change sources when fuel prices change.

Very little I-90 travel.

Photo courtesy of the WA State Potato Commission

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Step 4. WSDOT’s Freight Notification System

There are three components of a freight notification system (FNS):

1. Develop situational awareness: the process in which information about freight corridor conditions is sent to FNS managers.

2. Set up a robust distribution service: many companies offer email, text and voice mail message distribution services at low cost.

3. Maintain freight customer database: shippers, carriers and government.

WSDOT started the freight notification system during the I-5 closure in

December 2007, and improved it during the closures in 2009. The notices:

• Send targeted messages in simple English with links to maps and diagrams.• Focus on road conditions, and safe and legal detours for trucks.• Provide predictive information so shippers and carriers can plan ahead.• Are very specific about allowed use on detours. • Are sent whenever there’s a change in conditions, and tell customers when the

next notice will be sent.• Are distributed directly to customers through WSDOT’s freight listserve and

multipliers. There are 4,000 contacts on the WSDOT freight list serve.

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WSDOT Freight Notification System At Work

Freight System Users Update on I-5 ClosureTuesday, Dec. 4

4 p.m.

Here is our latest update. We will send you another e-mail update Wednesday

mid-morning. We must wait for daylight tomorrow to assess roadway conditions.

In the meantime, you can check the following web links for detailed information:

Washington/Oregon www.

We will send further e-mail updates as situations change.

Flooded I-5 in Chehalis still closed; crews wait for river to recede

I-5 remains closed from Exit 68 in Lewis County (11 miles south of Chehalis) to

Exit 88 near Grand Mound in Thurston County (approximately 20 miles south of

Olympia) due to flooding. It will remain closed through Thursday at a minimum

and possibly longer, depending on when the floodwaters recede and how much

damage the roadway may have incurred. We believe we will be better able to

assess conditions tomorrow and provide a better estimate of the opening date by

mid-morning Wednesday.Detour map (440 miles one way) is found at www.

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Steps 5 & 6. WSDOT’s New Commercial Vehicle Pass System

WSDOT is working with the Washington Emergency Management Division (EMD) and State Patrol to develop a new commercial vehicle pass system that will safelyand efficiently authorize emergency, essential and other goods delivery to andthrough affected areas during a highway disruption of two to seven days duration.

Washington State has set three goods categories in priority order:• Category ‘A’ Emergency - set by the State EMD and event dependent,• Category ‘B’ Essential - food and water, fuel, health care supplies, perishable livestock

and feed, parcel trucks, cash, and empty trucks returning to resupply these goods, and• Category ‘C’ Other - all other goods as detour capacity allows.

When operational in 1Q/10, the online system will:• Authorize use of available highway detours, when there is no or reduced capacity on

major freight corridors.• Allow shippers and trucking companies to apply for a commercial vehicle pass

online and print it at their location. The pass is date and time stamped and affixed to the truck cab.

• Control volume on highway detours to ensure safety.

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What Lessons Has WSDOT Learned During Implementation of the State Resiliency Plan?

Response does not equal recovery: the skills, objectives and resource needs are different. Expect to negotiate freight resiliency plans with internal divisions and other public agencies.

The public and private sectors must jointly own the recovery plan. Both have a role to fill.

The state DOT must have a credible, reliable and user-friendly freight notification system for freight shippers and carriers.

The state needs to pre-plan mechanisms to fast-track recovery.

The state has to be able to manage freight lane scarcity.

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For More Information:

Please go to the WSDOT Freight Systems Division website athttp://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Freight/publications.htm Development of a Statewide Freight System Resiliency Plan: Final Research Report

Storm-Related Closures of I-5 and I-90: Freight Transportation

Economic Impact Assessment Report, Winter 2007-2008

Or contact the Washington State Department of Transportation Freight Systems Division at: 360-705-7932 freight@wsdot.wa.gov

Washington StateDepartment of Transportation