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Trucking <br />The primary mode of transportation for freight to, from, <br />within, and through Hennepin County is the roadway <br />system. Trucks move 83 percent of goods in Hennepin <br />County by weight and 65 percent by value (excluding <br />through traffic), and also provide first- and last -mile <br />connections for goods moving in and out of rail and air <br />terminals. The County State Aid Highway System <br />(CSAH) provides through or bypass routes connecting <br />other roadways, and first- and last -mile connections to <br />local customers and businesses. <br />Figures 4-06 and 4-07 depict regional truck corridor and <br />existing truck volumes on state highways and several county <br />roadways. <br />Intermodal Facilities <br />Intermodal terminals provide the opportunity for freight <br />to transfer from trucks to and from rail, barges, <br />pipelines, and airplanes. These terminals relieve the <br />highway system of truck trips by allowing for the <br />movement of freight by other modes for at least a <br />portion of the trip. <br />The two largest rail yards in Hennepin County are <br />Humboldt and Shoreham, both owned by Canadian <br />Pacific. Humboldt Yard is primarily a switching and <br />transloading yard handling forest products, plastics, and <br />aggregates. Shoreham Yard is one two major <br />intermodal facilities in the Twin Cities region. <br />In many cases, local roadways provide the "last -mile" <br />connection between intermodal terminals and the <br />metropolitan highway system, which is part of the <br />National Highway System (NHS). The only freight <br />intermodal terminal within Hennepin County currently <br />served by an NHS intermodal connector, CSAH <br />153/Lowry Ave., is the Shoreham Yard. <br />Hennepin County supports truck freight movement by <br />developing a system of 10-ton routes and connecting <br />them to major intermodal freight terminals. Roadway <br />design considerations to support freight movement <br />include lane widths, intersection turning radii, <br />intersection control type (stop control, signalization, <br />and roundabouts), bridge sufficiency — clearance height <br />and/or width, and locations with unprotected road <br />crossings of active rail lines. <br />Freight Rail <br />Freight traffic is growing nationally and locally in <br />Hennepin County. At the same time that freight traffic is <br />growing, due to rail mergers and abandonments more <br />freight traffic is being concentrated on fewer routes. <br />The growth in freight traffic is expected to continue due <br />to its ability to offer distinct advantages over other <br />options in terms of fuel efficiency, carbon footprint, and <br />congestion. <br />30 <br />