Intermodal Study
In 1999, the Madison County Council
of Governments began an investigation of the availability of intermodal
transportation in and around the Madison County area. Seeking to provide
valuable information on both passenger and freight transportation, the
Intermodal Study inventoried the the area's rail, highway, air, and
transit connections and services. Although the study specifically targeted
Madison County, it also considered larger regional connections to the
Indianapolis Metropolitan Area and the Great Lakes region. The completed
document strives to promote the awareness of area transportation resources,
recommend action for future needs and improvements, and provide a valuable
reference tool to potential and existing businesses.
Preliminary research and documentation
were completed throughout the late spring and early summer. A portion
of the research included a phone survey administered to area retail
and manufacturing companies with 50 or more employees. These surveys
sought to explore each business' shipping/receiving practices in hopes
of discovering the availability of intermodal sites and the frequency
of intermodal use. The survey also attempted to answer a number of questions
concerning the local workforce, including the number of employees commuting
from outside the county, average employee travel times, and potential/existing
transportation-related issues within the current road network.
Personal interviews were conducted with
a select number of area businesses in order to obtain supplementary
data for the study. In addition to the surveys and interviews, information
was collected from a number of sources including existing transportation
studies, corporate internet sites, and various government agencies.
Mr. Tom Beck, a rail planner from the Indiana Department of Transportation
(INDOT), generously donated several sources of regional intermodal data
that outlined statewide rail locations, current and potential rail systems,
and an intermodal management systems study.
