Developing and Applying Level-of-Service Framework to Land-Based Port-of-Entry Infrastructure Planning

Major land-based ports of entry (POEs) are key surface transportation components within the global supply chain. Appropriate planning methodologies are critical for assessing whether port infrastructure is adequate to meet projected demands and support economic and trade objectives. However, the development and the application of planning methodologies to assess the delay and congestion impacts of inaction or specific port improvement scenarios have not kept pace with the growing significance of these key surface transportation assets. In response to these methodology gaps, a level-of-service (LOS) framework and analysis was developed during the Pembina–Emerson POE study (2012). The LOS framework and performance measurement algorithms for POEs were developed from LOS concepts in the Highway Capacity Manual 2010. The LOS framework and performance measurement algorithms can be applied to any major border crossing to assess port throughput with any combination of policy settings, processing times, staffing levels, or infrastructure improvement scenarios. The LOS methodology can assess port improvement scenarios and provide a standardized basis for port-to-port and border-to-border comparisons. Combining the LOS framework (a trade-off analysis) with 30th highest hour design (an infrastructure design approach) provides transportation policy makers, planners, and engineers greater flexibility to assess the implications of various port improvement scenarios, infrastructure designs, and phasing considerations as well as the potential to generate outputs that enhance economic analysis for proposed port improvement scenarios.