Friday, November 17, 2000, AARF Building, Albany International Airport

Attendance:

William Behrens (NYSTA) Dean Bernard (UPS)

Ed Brown (Mobile Air) Helen Chadderdon (Albany Int. Airport) Chungchin Chen (CDRPC) Gerald Deluca (NYSMTA)

Larry Doak (AFCO) Art Dutcher (Saratoga Transport)

Ed Fitzgerald (CP Rail) Michael Franchini (Albany County)

Dwight Hadley (Albany Int. Airport) Martin Hull (CDTA)

John Ingemie (Mobile Air Transport) Ken Musgrave (Emery Worldwide)

Dan Spigner (BAX Global) Ted Thompson (NYSDOT - Region 1)

Missy Young (Southwest Airlines) Katherine Forster (CDTC)

Regrets: Steve Iachetta, Jeff Millens, Teresa Chapman

Dean Bernard from UPS gave a tour of both the UPS cargo facility and a UPS cargo plane. Albany serves as a regional hub for the area. At present they ship around 15 crates a day with one plane in the early morning and one in the late afternoon. This increases dramatically in rush periods around the holidays where they can have up to six planes a day. The new cargo facility is serving them well.

The Expressway service from CP Rail is designed for short haul market (under 250 miles is not feasible) for dedicated trains between dedicated terminals. It was designed with the truckers industry. Motor carriers are interested in the service because it has low operating margins; it avoids highway congestion and is an answer to the shortage of drivers for hauling at present.

Presently this service is being offered from Montreal - Toronto - Detroit. Chicago will be added in 2001 as will a connection from Montreal - New York City. The feedback they are receiving is very positive. Customers appreciate the ease of doing business, the fast terminal throughput times, the consistent on-time performance and the automated reservation system. The schedule will be coordinated to go all the way from Chicago to New York. These long haul shipments will not have to go through customs.

Airport Cargo Study

The Air Cargo study investigates the possibilities for future cargo at the airport. The study has confirmed some things the Airport Authority already knew and is helping identify what's going out and what's coming in. There are 55,000 square feet at the airport including the new cargo facility with 37,000 square feet rented. Future plans include a direct road from the cargo facility to Route 7; a runway extension near the new cargo facility, which could add up to 100,000 square feet and the possibility of establishing an FTZ (foreign trade zone).

The Airport Authority hopes that these upcoming plans will encourage more people to locate at the airport. The Airport Authority is also working at getting the Town of Colonie's mitigation fees eliminated for the airport businesses. It is proposed that the old cargo facility will be removed along with the ARFF building to allow expansion of the terminal. The Airport Board still has to review the Air Cargo study. It will be available next year for public review.

Albany County – The Albany-Shaker Road schedule has been accelerated. Bid letting will be in April-May 2001 and construction should start in June-July.

Saratoga Transport – The hours of service for truckers has been extended for a year (federal legislation to change this was being considered). Comments are still coming in. Commerce is still good through the holidays.

NYSDOT – Applied for the third round of CORBOR funding. The Delanson line through Voorhesville is now opened for CP Rail to use. The Champlain border expansion is proceeding with the funding they received from General Services and the CORBOR program. There will be a 60-day trial for tandem truck use from Scotia to Glenville park.

NYS Thruway – The Task Force's new Thruway representative introduced himself. At the Thruway he works on the 1-95 corridor, commercial vehicles, tandem trucks and special haul permits.

Mobile Air – Mobile Air is very interested in the cargo study and suggests that it be presented at a future Task Force meeting. Would like to see Albany as a hub, especially from Montreal to Albany, but the volumes are not here yet.

AFCO – AFCO manages cargo buildings. They also participate in meetings like this in other cities. Southwest has added a lot of value to this area. AFCO hopes that the air cargo businesses will use the Task Force to help keep in touch.

CDRPC – The Planning Commission is helping the airport identify the potential for a foreign trade zone at the airport. (For example jet fuel could benefit from being duty-free). The airport land-use study for Schenectady is almost done.

CORBOR Funding - This federal funding program is known as the Corridors and Borders program and awards funding to National Corridor projects and Border Crossing projects (that are within 100 km from a national border). As mentioned in the August meeting, NYSDOT-Region 1 has applied for the third round of CORBOR. Included in the application package was a request for funding for the Champlain border crossing, the CP Rail clearance project (up at Rouse's point) and the Thruway tandem truck lot project here in Albany. The recipients of the funding should be announced early next year.

TIP Update - The TIP is in the process of being updated. A call letter has been sent out to the municipalities asking for new projects that they want to have considered for the new TIP (2001-2006). However the funding is very limited.

Feb. 16, 2001, 1:30 pm - CDTC Freight Task Force Meeting (location to be announced)