Analysis of Seasonal Variation of Upper Mississippi River Towboat Traffic

The Upper Mississippi River (UMR) traffic is unsteady due to freezing in winters as well as seasonal variation in demand for transporting commodities. This study quantifies the effects of the UMR traffic seasonality, using Lock Performance Monitoring System (LPMS) and Operations and Maintenance of Navigation Information (OMNI) databases.The research shows that towboats which serve most peak-period lockages of the UMR system shift to some extent to the Illinois and Ohio Rivers during the UMR off-peak. No such significant seasonal shift to other rivers is observed. This study supported the development of US Army Corps of Engineers’ navigation system simulation (NaSS) model by providing practical information about towboat use in the U.S. inland waterway network.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AW020 Standing Committee on Inland Water Transportation.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Kang, Min-Wook
  • Schonfeld, Paul
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 96th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2017-1-8 to 2017-1-12
• Date: 2017

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 14p
• Monograph Title: TRB 96th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Inland water transportation; Inland waterways traffic; Locks (Waterways); Seasons; Towboat operations; Towboats
• Geographic Terms: Upper Mississippi River
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01622349
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 17-02212
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 13 2017 4:14PM