A Combined Report for Freight Information Real-time System for ...

t B Detailed Test Plans






Submitted to: United States Department of Transportation

Submitted by: Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)

May 30, 2002










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NOTICE
Comments on this combined report are welcome and may
be provided to the Evaluation Team in written form via e-mail,
fax or mail to:
Mark Jensen
SAIC
1411 Marsh Street, Suite 107
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Phone: 805-546-1024; Fax: 805-546-0326
E-mail: jensenm@saic.com





















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Preface
This combined report contains two parts which comprise a Freight Information Real-time System
for Transport (FIRST) evaluation document, which are identified as follows:

Part A Final Evaluation Plan

Part B Detailed Test Plans
In support of the US Department of Transportations (USDOTs) intermodal freight intelligent
transportation system (ITS) program and under the direction of the USDOT ITS Joint Program
Office (JPO), an Evaluation Team lead by SAIC was selected to develop and implement an
evaluation of the FIRST system. The ultimate goal of this evaluation is to identify any benefits in
operational efficiency, air quality, and customer satisfaction with the implementation of the
FIRST information technology system for the intermodal freight industry at the Port of New
York/New Jersey
.
The Part A Final Evaluation Plan document was developed to serve as a planning and guidance
document from which a successful evaluation effort will be implemented. The Evaluation Plan is
typically the first major step in the evaluation life cycle.
This document is immediately followed by the Part B Detailed Evaluation Test Plans
document, which provides more detailed guidance for performing associated tests and
measurements while conducting the three specific evaluation studies.




























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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part A Final Evaluation Plan
PREFACE ............................................................................................................................................V

A.1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. A-1

A.1.1 T
HE
FIRST D
EMONSTRATION
P
ROJECT
.................................................................................. A-2

A.1.2 B
ENEFITS OF
FIRST.............................................................................................................. A-5

A.2.0 REVIEW OF EXISTING STUDIES....................................................................................... A-7

A.2.1 G
ATE
O
PERATION
S
TUDIES
.................................................................................................... A-7

A.2.2 T
ERMINAL
E
FFICIENCY
S
TUDIES
............................................................................................ A-7

A.3.0 FIRST PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................ A-8

A.3.1 C
URRENT
M
ETHODOLOGY FOR
T
RUCK
P
ROCESSING AT
P
ORT
E
NTRY
...................................... A-8

A.3.2 FIRST S
YSTEM
I
NTERVENTION AND
I
NFORMATION

I
NTEGRATION
........................................... A-9

A.4.0 EVALUATION PLAN.......................................................................................................... A-14

A.4.1 I
NTERMODAL
F
REIGHT
O
PERATIONS
S
TUDY
..........................................................................A-14

A.4.2 A
IR
Q
UALITY
S
TUDY
...........................................................................................................A-16

A.4.3 C
USTOMER
S
ATISFACTION
S
TUDY
........................................................................................A-17

A.5.0 MANAGEMENT PLAN....................................................................................................... A-19

A.5.1 E
VALUATION
O
RGANIZATION
...............................................................................................A-19

A.5.2 E
VALUATION
D
ELIVERABLES
...............................................................................................A-19

A.5.3 E
VALUATION
S
CHEDULE
......................................................................................................A-20
Part B Detailed Test Plans
B.1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. B-1

B.2.0
INTERMODAL FREIGHT OPERATIONS TEST PLAN...................................................... B-1


B.2.1 O
BJECTIVE
............................................................................................................................B-1

B.2.2 A
PPROACH
............................................................................................................................B-1

B.2.3 W
ORK
S
TEPS
.........................................................................................................................B-5

B.2.3 W
ORK
S
TEPS
.........................................................................................................................B-6

B.3.0 AIR QUALITY TEST PLAN.................................................................................................. B-7

B.3.1 O
BJECTIVE
............................................................................................................................B-7

B.3.2 A
PPROACH
............................................................................................................................B-7

B.3.3 W
ORK
S
TEPS
.........................................................................................................................B-8

B.4.0 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TEST PLAN ......................................................................... B-9

B.4.1 O
BJECTIVE
............................................................................................................................B-9

B.4.2 A
PPROACH
............................................................................................................................B-9

B.4.3 W
ORK
S
TEPS
.......................................................................................................................B-11

B.5.0 SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT SCHEDULE .................................................................... B-11

APPENDIX A. SURVEY DATA COLLECTION TOOLS DEVELOPED TO DATE.................... B-13















LIST OF FIGURES
Figure A.1-1 Four-Block Long Truck Line at a Port of NY/NJ Terminal ................................ A-1
Figure A.1-2. FIRST System Overview .................................................................................... A-3
Figure A.1-3. FIRST Information Sources, Types, and Users................................................... A-4
Figure A.3-1. FIRST Web Site Home Web Page .................................................................. A-11
Figure A.3-2. Sample Container Trace Web Page ............................................................... A-11
Figure A.3-3. Sample Booking Detail Web Page ................................................................ A-12
Figure A.3-4. Sample View Nominations Web Page ........................................................... A-12
Figure A.3-5. FIRST View Watchlist Alerts Web Page ...................................................... A-13
Figure B.2-1. Intermodal Freight Operations Evaluation Approach Process Chart of Drayage
Operations without FIRST.................................................................................................. B-4
Figure B.2-2. Intermodal Freight Operations Evaluation Approach Process Chart of Drayage
Operations with FIRST ....................................................................................................... B-4
Figure B.2-2. Intermodal Freight Operations Evaluation Approach Process Chart of Drayage
Operations with FIRST ....................................................................................................... B-5
Figure B.2-3. Methods for Queue Length/ Trouble Ticket Study ............................................. B-7








LIST OF TABLES
Table A.1-1. Comparison of the Six Intermodal ITS Operational Tests ................................... A-2
Table A.1-2. Expected Benefits from the FIRST Implementation............................................ A-6
Table A.2-1. Terminal Gate Analysis Findings for the Terminals ............................................. A-7
Table A.3-1. FIRST User Groups ............................................................................................ A-10
Table A.4-1. Intermodal Freight System Operations Evaluation Technical Approach........... A-15
Table A.4-2. Improvements in Air Quality Evaluation Technical Approach........................... A-16
Table A.4-3. Customer Satisfaction Evaluation Approach......................................