Trucks are one of the largest contributors to air pollution in the region, and function within a system that is imbalanced. 84% of the freight transported in New York State is moved by truck, while other modes of transportation such as railways and waterways are underutilized. Among the goods transported in the region, food is one of the main carbon emitting commodities. Meanwhile, small and medium sized farmers produce at a much lower rate than their potential capacity due to a lack of processing infrastructure. We are proposing an industrial working waterfront that will agglomerate two vital segments of the Hudson Valley’s agricultural operations: processing and distribution. This will become one of a series of hubs that integrates diverse and intermodal operations, modeling the transition towards a less carbon-intensive transportation infrastructure for the Hudson Valley.
