NOACA Technical Report – Intermodal Connector Analysis on the National Highway System

In March 2009, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina counties, published its Intermodal Connector Analysis on the National Highway System. The National Highway System (NHS) is approximately 160,000 miles of roadway important to the nation’s economy, defense and mobility, and intermodal connectors are the public roads leading to major intermodal facilities from the NHS that are designated by U.S. Department of Transportation, state departments of transportation and MPOs. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) defines the minimum amount of freight transfer activity needed at an intermodal facility to designate a connector to that facility as part of the NHS. The criteria are high so that only connectors to major facilities receive the NHS intermodal connector designation.

NOACA’s analysis resulted in its recommendation to delete or modify 16 connectors and add seven new connectors to new and existing facilities in the region. These recommendations have been submitted to FHWA for review and final determination. This technical report is available on NOACA’s web site, www.noaca.org.