RECORD OF
MEETING
FREIGHT
TASK FORCE
DATE/TIME/PLACE: Monday,
ATTENDANCE:
Ted Thompson (NYSDOT Region 1), Jack Earl (NYSDOT Freight and Economic
Development Division), Roger Bergeron (Boston & Maine), Larry Arnold (UPS),
Dick Corp (NYSTA), John Newman, Kristina Younger (CDTC)
DISCUSSION
SUMMARY:
Welcome and introductions started the meeting.
There was concurrence with the minutes of the previous meeting. The retirement of Tom Magglioca from his
position as Port Business Manager was noted.
Kristina Younger was requested to write a letter of appreciation for his
Task Force service.
Status Reports: NYSDOT Region:
Ted Thompson reported on recent activities, including a Syracuse Rail meeting
regarding the break-up/consolidation of Conrail. NYSDOT
Main Office: Jack Earl gave a status report on HR1135 -- the $350 M
Economic Development Program. The
project list is now being "finalized". The Industrial Access Program is receiving a
significant number of applications and an increase from the current budget
level of $5M/year may be considered.
THRUWAY: EZ Pass is fully
operational for commercial accounts, with 435 companies currently enrolled
using 15,000 tags. Targeted marketing to
the remaining 2800 commercial account holders not yet enrolled is planned for
the spring/summer. Thruway Authority
sales of EZ Pass are being dwarfed by MTA sales by a greater than 2 to 1
margin. Safety concerns regarding EZ
Pass operation are being addressed through an aggressive enforcement effort
with commercial carriers, including 24-hour notice to offenders on speed violations. The
Thruway Authority is working together with major trucking companies, such as
UPS on the ability of short double (28') trailers to use dedicated EZ Pass
lanes. The recent improvement in the
Thruway's bond rating was also noted.
UPS: Larry Arnold welcomed us to
the Latham facility and expressed satisfaction with the EZ Pass system.
Addition of Port and Airport to CDTC: Recent addition of the Albany County
Airport Authority and the Albany Port District Commission to CDTC's Policy
Board and Planning Committee were noted.
The transition from task force to CDTC Advisory Committee was briefly discussed. Current thinking would have Advisory
Committees report to the Planning Committee quarterly.
Status of CDTC TIP Update, New Visions Plan: The New Visions Plan was adopted in
March and a final document is now in preparation. Only minor changes from the public review
draft were included. The status of the
update to the capital program, known as the Transportation Improvement Program
(TIP) was provided, with a highlight on projects of importance to goods
movement. In general, the task force was
pleased with the degree to which their concerns on merit evaluation had been
incorporated.
Tour of UPS Facility: Larry Arnold gave us a tour of the UPS distribution
facility, both for local deliveries and the regional hub operation. With an emphasis on the use of technology,
importance of teamwork, and recent efficiency improvements, the tour provided a
good overview of UPS regional operations.
ACTION
ITEMS:
CDTC staff will continue to monitor the Conrail merger proceedings. It was suggested the impact of the merger
might be a good topic for the Fall Roundtable, with shipper and railroad
panels.
* NEXT MEETING: Monday, July 21 or 28, 1997,