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The development of an extensive and efficient transportation system has allowed our nation to bridge vast landscapes, connect expanding metropolitan areas, link urban and rural areas and interests, and respond to changing economic opportunities created by new technologies and advances in manufacturing and distribution. As international trade increases and the global economy becomes more integrated, freight transportation is taking on an even more prominent role in the U.S. economy and society. Recognition of freight’s importance to the nation’s economy and society needs to be included in all areas of public policy and institutionalized within the framework of national, state, and local transportation decisionmaking. Although the Intermodal Surface Transportation Equity Act (ISTEA) and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) laid a good foundation for intermodalism, the efficient movement of freight through all modes of transportation has not been fully realized. Congestion, bottlenecks, and inefficient intermodal connections are impeding goods movement, raising costs to consumers, affecting community livability, and constraining our economy and competitiveness.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), as well as major freight stakeholders, has recommended improved freight planning and financing mechanisms for TEA-21 reauthorization. Embracing freight more directly in the Federal surface transportation program, alone, will not resolve all of these issues. However, a concerted effort by those with interests in freight at the Federal, state, and local levels, and a strengthened partnership with the private sector, will enable the development of a comprehensive set of strategies to address freight issues more effectively.1
1. Adapted from the FHWA Freight Story
To learn more about freight policy, please click on these links:
Cambridge Systematics supported the FHWA and the U.S. DOT in the development of freight policies leading to the department’s TEA-21 reauthorization recommendations and currently is supporting the Department in development of a National Freight Action Plan. We also were part of the team that developed the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) for the FHWA to better understand current and future demands and capacity challenges on the nation’s freight system. Cambridge Systematics has developed freight studies or plans for more than 20 states, 30 metropolitan planning organizations (MPO), as well as numerous other organizations. Cambridge Systematics currently is developing state freight forecasting tools through a National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) project, and will be developing and teaching two FHWA/National Highway Institute (NHI) freight courses for states and metropolitan users. Our intermodal freight work is part of our broad transportation planning practice and integrates with other disciplines such as travel demand forecasting, geographic information systems (GIS), commercial vehicle operations (CVO), and innovative financing.
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