Unlocking the Future of Freight: SEMCOG Freight Stakeholder Workshop Highlights and Insights – Planned in Partnership with the Council for Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)

Unlocking the future of freight transportation starts with understanding regional needs and challenges. On Thursday, September 7, SEMCOG hosted a Freight Stakeholder Workshop in partnership with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). SEMCOG and the CSCMP brought together a diverse group of freight stakeholders, including representatives from local government, supply chain industries, logistics, rail, air, marine, environmental and community groups, and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).

This workshop is part of a series of engagement efforts for Vision 2050, the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) for Southeast Michigan, which will guide transportation investment priorities throughout the region.

Presenters at the workshop included Colin Forbes – Deputy Region Engineer for MDOT, Mohammed Alghurabi, P.E. – Senior Project Manager of the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project, Kerry Zielinski – Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), and Jeff Nutting – Forecast Coordinator, SEMCOG.

Highlights and Insights

Key outcomes of the workshop include building/maintaining relationships with regional freight stakeholders and incorporating feedback into Vision 2050. SEMCOG asked participants to share valuable insights and desires for the future of freight transportation in the region through breakout group discussions and a pre-meeting survey. The pre-meeting survey provided insights into the regional freight-related subjects and challenges that most concern stakeholders. Following presentations by CSCMP, MDOT, and SEMCOG, participants convened in breakout groups to discuss regional freight challenges and needs. Key themes emerged around Regional Freight Infrastructure and Planning Needs, Emerging Technology, and Collaboration.

Regional Freight Infrastructure and Planning Needs

There was discussion around a range of critical regional freight infrastructure and planning needs, underscoring the importance of addressing issues such as:

• heavy truck weight limits and their impact on road pavements,
• the need to designate truck routes and enforce weight restrictions, and
• the concern that heavy truck laws may reduce competitiveness in other transportation modes.

Discussion also touched upon the need for strategies to manage truck traffic within neighborhoods and determine responsibility for routing and enforcement. Participants championed the need for economic growth by promoting free trade zones and positioning the Detroit area as a distribution center while noting that strict emission policies can hinder the International Registration Bureau (IRB) process. The necessity for long-term sustainable funding for freight improvements, with a focus on established funding programs, was also emphasized.

Along with the importance of addressing community impacts and equity in freight planning, discussion focused on needed infrastructure enhancements for areas sucha as the I-94 Corridor, rail crossings, ports, and the Detroit/Windsor tunnel. Additionally, there was mention of the need to examine rail-port volumes and their effects on various industries, improve truck efficiency for last-mile delivery, conduct a Detroit trucking study, foster understanding among stakeholders, and address the shortage of long-haul truck parking. Overall, the key themes for regional freight infrastructure and planning needs are:

• Truck weight limits
• Truck traffic
• Promote economic growth
• Funding
• Infrastructure needs
• Community impacts

Emerging Technology

The discussion on emerging technology in the context of freight infrastructure revolves around several key aspects.

• It explores the necessary adaptations required for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure within the freight industry, including planning for EV freight infrastructure, integrating drone technology with other modes for potential solutions, and increasing involvement in battery recycling efforts.
• It emphasizes the need to streamline border-crossing procedures through innovations like weight motion technology, electronic forms, and barcode readers for containers.
• The importance of a robust broadband network and access is highlighted as crucial for the future of freight.
• Additionally, questions were raised about the future of Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) technology in freight and suggested the use of modeling to simulate truck routes for optimization purposes.
• Overall, the key themes for emerging technology are:
  1. Electric vehicles
  2. Streamline border crossing

Collaboration

SEMCOG plays a central role in providing toolkits for communities dealing with freight-related planning issues and emphasizes the need for improved coordination and communication on infrastructure projects. It calls for more information sharing about the Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal (DIFT) and encourages additional working sessions, training, and group discussions on freight-related topics to engage diverse partners, including industry and communities. The discussion underscores the potential partnership of the private industry in Electric Vehicle (EV) freight initiatives. It also acknowledges the importance of collaboration with entities such as the Michigan Trucking Association, American Trucking Associations, and state police departments, and stresses the value of working closely with localities, industries, and associations when planning freight infrastructure.

Next Steps

The freight stakeholder workshop was an opportunity for a diverse group of stakeholders to openly discuss the opportunities and challenges of freight transportation in Southeast Michigan. SEMCOG is committed to integrating freight system planning into its regional transportation planning process and the collective insights and feedback gathered from stakeholders will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategies and actions that will be embedded in Vision 2050 and freight planning moving forward. Next steps will include:

• Stakeholder feedback as input for Vision 2050
• Continuing engagement with freight stakeholders, including more meetings and coordination of a freight working group