446 



concern to local areas. Failure to achieve expected fijture shipping volume, and 

 the associated failure to meet projected levels of commercial port development, 

 would affect future bond repayment and distria tax rates. The inland ports 

 would be especially vulnerable to volume changes caused by the drawdown, while 

 the ocean ports would probably see little or no volume and revenue change. 



e. Trucking ond roilroods 



If mode switching does occur, railroads will profit from the increased 

 volume. Shortage of hopper can might be a constraint, although the railroads 

 continue to suggest that serious shortages are unlikely. Unloading bottlenecks 

 at terminal facilities are also a potential problem. 



A number of rail lines in the region are under threat of abandonment. 

 Increased rail traffic from mode switching could have the beneficial effea 

 of preserving some lines from abandonment, thus preserving some effeaive 

 intermodaJ rate competition. 



f. Highways 



Increased truck traffic near multiple car loading facilities in the hinterland 

 away from the river could have an adverse effea on local highway condition 

 and traffic safety, but overall highway ton-mileage might decrease because of 

 the decline in truck traffic carrying grain to the river. This would decrease 

 deterioration of the roads to the river but increase the traffic and damage on 

 local roads which are not built for the magnitude or density of such traffic. 

 Research by Casavant (reference 1) indicates that maintenance costs on affeaed 

 eastern Washington road segments would change by 5« to 7.5* for each ton-mile 

 net change in grain movement by truck. 



1 he faa that some roads are subject to weight restriaions during the 

 spring is an additional complication that may influence some shippers marketing 

 decisions. Instead of a 10-month marketing year, some shippers located on 

 poor highways may have only an 8-month period when they can get access 

 to barge transponacion. 



g. Lumber, chips, & poper products 



1 he river is used for shipping logs, lumber and wood chips. Although 

 these shipments would be disrupted by a drawdown, shipf)ers of these relatively 

 nonperishable items may face fewer storage constraints, and hence greater 

 latitude for prepositioning products than is true for grain shippers. That is, these 



