Feasibility of Underground Freight Transport in New York City: Lessons Learned and Implications to Other Major Cities in the World

摘要

Under the sponsorship of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), a project has been completed recently to study the technical and economic feasibility of using the new technology of pneumatic capsule pipeline (PCP) for underground freight transport in New York City (NYC). Six different potential applications were investigated, including: (1) conveying materials for underground tunnel construction, (2) conveying solid wastes to outside the City for processing/recycling/disposal, (3) transporting mail and parcels between NYC and Washington, D.C., (4) transporting goods on pallets or in crates, boxes or bags, (5) transporting containers between seaports and an inland processing/inspection station, and (6)ferrying trucks to and from a large food market in Hunts Point of NYC. The study found that all the six aforementioned potential applications are technically feasible, and the first five of the six are also economically feasible (i.e., cost-effective). Implementation of these applications in the future will not only reduce freight transport cost and bring economic boom to the NYC, but will eliminate or mitigate most problems caused by truck including traffic jam, accidents, noise, air pollution, and terrorists attack using truck as bomb. This paper first presents a summary of this NYC freight pipeline study. Then, it discusses lessons learned and implications to other major cities. Key issues on underground freight transport in urban areas, including construction issues, safety, security, and environmental impact, are also addressed. The paper provides information needed by transportation planners for planning underground pipelines and tunnels for freight transport in an urban environment.