National study says inland river barge traffic safer way to move freight
Shown here, a New Orleans barge passes beneath a bridge. A new study says barges can move a ton of cargo 576 miles with a single gallon of fuel. (Photo Copyright 2008 Jupiterimages Corp.)
The Trucker News Services
7/8/2008
WASHINGTON, — The National Waterways Foundation (NWF) has released a new study comparing selected societal, environmental, and the safety impacts of utilizing inland river barge transportation to highway and rail transportation. Titled "A Modal Comparison of Freight Transportation Effects on the General Public," the study was conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute's Center for Port and Waterways at Texas A&M University and was cost-shared with the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd).
Peer reviewed and conducted over more than one year, the study:
• Compares cargo capacity of trucks, trains and inland river barges. One common 15-barge river tow has the same capacity as 1,050 trucks and 216 rail cars pulled by six locomotives.
• Shows that barges can move a ton of cargo 576 miles with a single gallon of fuel, while trains get 413 and trucks 155 "ton-miles per gallon."
• Determines that, after adjusting for the differences in quantity of cargo moved by each mode, for each member of the public injured in a barge accident, 125.2 are injured in rail accidents and 2171.5 are injured in truck accidents. For fatalities, the rates are 155 trucking fatalities and 22.7 rail fatalities for every barge related fatality.
• Looks at the environmental impacts of the three modes and concludes that inland waterways transport generates fewer emissions of particulate matter, hyrdocarbons, carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide than rail or truck on a per ton mile moved basis, and
• Illustrates the effects of a hypothetical river closure on the St. Louis metropolitan area; i.e., if all area river cargo was diverted to trucks on the St. Louis interstates, delays would increase by 500 percent, accidents would rise by 35-45 percent and maintenance costs would skyrocket.
"While we are truly an intermodal society, this comparison of rail, truck and inland waterways transport modes offers an important new perspective on the real benefits of moving cargo by water," said Peter H. Stephaich, National Waterways Foundation chairman.
The mission of the National Waterways Foundation is to develop the intellectual and factual arguments for an efficient, well-funded and secure inland waterways system.
To see the report or executive summary, click here .