Freight Planning

2050 Regional transportation plan - freight chapter

The Freight Chapter from the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan (adopted August 9, 2023 by the Birmingham MPO) includes:

Click here to view the results of the 4 question survey sent to regional freight stakeholders as part of the development of the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan

Safety improvements are coming to Norfolk Southern served communities in Birmingham and Trussville - September 2023

The RPCGB supported the City of Birmingham, City of Trussville and Norfolk Southern Railway as they were awarded an $8 million federal Consolidated Rail and Infrastructure Safety and Improvements (CRISI) Program planning and design grant through the U.S Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Under the banner of REDESIGN Alabama–Reduce Extended Delays; Enhance Safety; and Invest in Growing Neighborhoods–the group plans to collectively design for two grade-separated crossings in Woodlawn (including at Harris Homes), add rail capacity for Norfolk Southern to help reduce blocked crossings, and a bridge on the boundary between Birmingham and Trussville at Mary Taylor Road.

Blocked rail crossings have caused safety, equity, environmental, and economic challenges for Woodlawn and Trussville residents. REDESIGN Alabama intends to address these issues by providing landing zones for trains and allow local operations to process them with minimal impact on the surrounding communities.

PARTNERSHIP WITH TDOT for “Freight Movement along Freight Alley – The Greater Chattanooga Region” – APPROVED BY FHWA JANUARY 2021

In March 2019, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) was awarded a National Economic Partnership Grant by FHWA for a freight study entitled “Freight Movement along Freight Alley – The Greater Chattanooga Region.” The study encompassed a 58-county, tri-state area of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama that is within the Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion. The RPCGB, on behalf of the Birmingham MPO, was one of 20 consortium members alongside TDOT for the study. The RPCGB provided $5,000 in matching funds and assisted with data collection as a consortia member. In January 2021, FHWA approved the report which can be found at the link below.

Birmingham Regional Freight Plan – Adopted March 2019

The first Regional Freight Plan was adopted by the Birmingham MPO in March 2019.  This plan will provide the basis by which future funding priorities of the MPO are established for freight-related accommodations within Jefferson, Shelby, and portions of St. Clair and Blount counties.

The region is located at the crossroads of multiple interstates and three Class I railroads (Norfolk Southern, CSXT and BNSF), is home to Alabama’s largest international airport (BHM), the Bessemer Municipal Airport (EYK), and has access to the inland waterway system through Port Birmingham. An established network of industrial parks, foreign trade zone sites (No. 98), and privately-owned industrial properties provide the region with capacity to grow and expand. Redevelopment of and encroachment on industrial properties by residential and commercial developers continues to create conflicts and compromise future freight activities.

Freight needs identified as part of part of this plan are focused on all modes of transportation, including highway, port/waterway, and aviation. The project needs in the plan reflect high, medium and low ranked projects. Project types include capacity, operations, and maintenance.

  • Trucks dominate total tonnage, moving 68 percent or 94.2 million tons of commodities into, out of, and within the region by weight and 81 percent by value ($119.3 million). The second highest used mode in the region is rail, accounting for 20 percent or 28.5 million tons by weight and 6 percent by value ($8.5 million).

  • The most significant commodities moving into, out of, and within the region are bulk products such as coal, coal n.e.c., and gravel, which account for 42 percent of all commodities by weight.

  • Alabama is the largest trading partner for Birmingham, comprising 52 percent of all movements in the Birmingham region. Nearby states, including Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee, also rank in the top five trading partners.

  • Commodity forecasts show trucks continuing as the dominant mode, accounting for approximately 71 percent of all movement, an increase from the 68 percent share seen in 2015. Trucking tonnage is estimated to grow a total of 31 percent, driving the region to an overall growth in freight tonnage of 25 percent. Rail tonnages are estimated to decrease by 3 percent, resulting in a loss of mode share.

For a brief overview of the Regional Freight Plan please click the button below to view our Executive Summary Brochure: