Palm Beach ?inland port? proposal taking shape

Palm Beach ôinland portö proposal taking shape A proposal for an 'inland port' facility in western Palm Beach, Fla. is gaining ground, with a preliminary report on the project posted last week on the Florida Department of Transportation Web site, and a new report on potential market demand underway.
   The Port of Palm Beach board of commissioners has worked to bring various stakeholders into the process now being led by the FDOT through an informal task force and through entities that could be impacted by the project, said Lori Baer, Port of Palm Beach director.
   'There is a tremendous amount of interest in this,' Baer said. 'We're seeing a lot a momentum to move forward, and the process is accelerating.'
   The idea of an inland intermodal facility ' similar to inland container terminals already in operation in several other states ' started to take shape in 2006, after port staffers developed a conceptual plan for an inland intermodal yard to handle growing container volumes at the space-constrained Port of Palm Beach. Port officials asked the FDOT to help examine the concept's feasibility, and the proposal has since evolved into a regional intermodal facility that could serve the entire southern half of the state.
   The idea is to complete a rail network that would link the western Palm Beach County facility to the Tampa Bay area and the other ports on the state's Southeast Coast. It would include the existing networks of the Florida East Coast Railway along the Atlantic Coast, the Central Florida and Gulf Coast portions of CSX Transportation's Florida network, and short line track, most notably the track used by U.S. Sugar-owned South Central Florida Express (SCFE) that crosses the state south of Lake Okeechobee.
   The Virginia Ports Authority pioneered the inland port concept 20 years ago, developing an intermodal yard in Front Royal, Va., 70 miles west of Washington, and some 220 miles from the Norfolk area seaport terminals. The Norfolk Southern Railway operates a dedicated intermodal train between the Virginia Inland Port (VIP) and the seaport. The state ports authority offers space at the VIP to steamship lines in agreements similar to space allocated in and near seaports.
   It took years for the now successful VIP to find a significant market, and consultants contracted by the FDOT are working to determine the market feasibility of an inland intermodal terminal serving southern Florida.
   The initial study completed for the FDOT this year by the Fort Lauderdale office of Massachusetts-based consulting firm Cambridge Systematics Inc., looked into basic issues, including available land (without looking at specific sites), transport connectivity, and the proximity to major Florida markets, as well as environmental concerns and community support.
   The report concluded there is a 'high potential' for a mixed-use regional freight hub in western Palm Beach County. Such a facility would enhance the South Florida transportation system, and would likely improve distribution and warehousing services for the area.
   The new study, known as the 'Phase II' report, is to provide preliminary findings in April and a final report in May. That would allow time for the state legislature to act during the 2008 session if the report is favorable.
   Phase II will include a market assessment, specifically looking at the types of services and the infrastructure needs related to an inland port, as well as short-term and long-term market demand by potential users. That portion of the study will also examine the alternatives for locations and some of the service characteristics of the facility.
   The study will also delve into operational issues, and provide an economic impact assessment and a preliminary look at funding strategies, most likely with some kind of public/private partnership.
   Martin Associates, a Lancaster, Pa.-based consulting firm, has started a series of interviews with potential stakeholders in the inland port, including steamship lines, the three key rail carriers, major industrial development companies, importers, exporters, and distribution center operators.