Intermodal Freight Facility Locations Across U.S. Transportation Modes

Intermodal Freight Facilities data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics includes transfer locations for commodities moving between modes like rail, air, marine, and pipelines. The dataset comprises separate layers for TOFC/COFC, Air-to-Truck, Marine Roll-on/Roll-off, and Pipeline terminals, with geographical coverage of the United States and its territories. It was compiled in February 2021 and updated in September 2023 as part of the National Transportation Atlas Database.

Use Cases

• Map Air-to-Truck facilities for the top 60 airports by freight volume to analyze cargo hub connectivity.
• Analyze Marine Roll-on/Roll-off terminal locations using associated NAV_UNIT_ID to link with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers port data.
• Study Pipeline terminal data on storage capacity and connected modes (truck/rail/water) for infrastructure capacity planning.
• Identify TOFC/COFC facilities with rail operations using the reported rail company code for intermodal network analysis.

Strengths

• Data is sourced from authoritative entities like the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• Includes four distinct, specialized layers (TOFC/COFC, Air-to-Truck, Marine Ro/Ro, Pipelines) for detailed modal analysis.
• Geographical coverage explicitly includes the United States and U.S. territories.

Limitations

• The dataset's structure is complex, with four separate layers that were previously combined, which may complicate integrated analysis.
• Specific sample data, row counts, column definitions, and file formats are not provided in the input.
• The description does not specify the update frequency, only providing specific compilation and update dates.

Provenance

Source

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), U.S. Department of Transportation.

Collection Method

Compiled from primary sources including port and port operator websites, and linked to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Port Facilities dataset via NAV_UNIT_ID.

Time Range

Data reflects status as of the 2023 update; Air-to-Truck layer references top airports by freight in 2017.

Freshness

Updated on September 08, 2023.

Geography

United States and U.S. territories.