Rural Transportation Gets Connected

By Zanetta Doyle Digest Editor

Making connections between various modes of transportation is critically important for the movement of goods and people. One of the primary responses to this need is an effort to create intermodal systems that result in more efficient transportation, and communities that are more livable, environmentally sound and economically competitive.

This concept first gained attention in the early 1990s with the passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). Today there are several hundred intermodal transportation centers either operating or planned that are making multimodal passenger and freight connections a reality in small metropolitan and rural America.

Intermodalism stresses cooperation among different modes of transportation including airports, highways, ports, railways and intercity bus routes, that lead to connections at new transportation hubs called intermodals. Successful results also include improved system efficiency, quality of service and choice for residents and businesses both nationally and within a specific region. Examples include a park-and-ride center for rural residents who commute downtown or a joint Amtrak-Greyhound-local transit terminal allowing passengers to reach a final destination from their doorstep. It could also be a facility where goods are transferred from a ship to railcar, truck, or from an airplane to a truck.

According to the Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Benefits: 2001 Update, nearly two- thirds of the nation’s rural residents have limited or no access to public transit services. While many challenges remain in achieving the ultimate intermodal system, progress is being made, and the future looks optimistic for further advancements in the nation’s intermodal system.

Intermodal Port for All Seasons

The South Delta Planning & Development District, an EDA funded district located in Greenville, Mississippi, is currently working with the Washington County Board of Supervisors, the city of Greenville and the Greenville Port Commission to expand the Port of Greenville to make it an all-weather intermodal transfer facility. The port previously had the capacity to service two barges when the weather would permit. Upon the completion of construction, which is currently underway, the four-berth covered bridge crane will allow the port to service five barges, four of which could be serviced in any weather condition.

According to William Haney, Executive Director of the South Delta PDD, when discussions for the port expansion began, the city of Greenville and other parties involved realized there was no developed property available, and resources and time needed to create additional acreage were limited. As a result, it was decided that reconfiguring the space already available was the most economical thing to do. “This was basically a quick fix to better utilize acreage that was already there,” said Haney.

The South Delta PDD, also a 2002 NADO Innovation Award nominee for this project, expects the expansion of the port to bring numerous economic benefits by increasing the year-round productivity and capacity of the Port of Greenville, which will improve the efficiency of the port, and enhance service to all businesses in the region relying on the facility for material handling purposes. Haney added that even though there were many obstacles to overcome in getting to the construction phase of the project, the benefits will far outweigh the challenges. “It will create additional jobs because with the added covered bridge crane, they will now be able to use the port year-round whereas before, when it would rain, products like grain could not be unloaded.”

The project, which has been under negotiation for two years, has received funding from various sources including EDA, the Mississippi Development Authority, Capital Improvement Loan Program, Development Infrastructure Program, Port Revitalization Loan, Community Development Block Grant, and the Port of Greenville.

For More Information Contact: Allyson Denson or William Haney, of the South Delta Planning and Development District, Inc. at 662/378-3831 or email sdpdd@bellsouth.net; or the Community Transportation Association of America at www.ctaa.org.

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