Addressing Freight in the Planning and Programming Process Discussion of Conference White Paper

							Addressing Freight in the
Planning and Programming
Process

FHWA Freight Planning Conference
presented by

Jim Brogan
Cambridge Systematics, Inc.



October 2, 2001
Overview
   Freight trends and their implication for States and MPOs

   Freight improvement projects and common obstacles
    • Local implementing agencies
    • State DOTs, MPOs, and regional coalitions
    • Private sector

   Potential actions
    • Information
    • Coordination
    • Process
Freight Transportation Trends
Devolution of Freight Planning



   ISTEA and TEA-21 pushed freight planning responsibility to
    state and local levels.

   At the same time, freight movements are increasingly national
    and global in scope.
Freight Transportation Trends
Capacity Concerns


          System capacity
          increases negligible
          while VMT growth
          considerable:
Freight Transportation Trends
Implications for States and MPOs

   Freight movements and the factors that affect them differ from
    passenger movements, presenting new challenges to states
    and MPOs.

   Increased trade and stagnating capacity contribute to
    congestion at intermodal transfer points, border crossings, and
    along major trade corridors.

   Though freight movements are national and global, impacts are
    felt locally.
 Transportation Planning Process
                                                   What obstacles do
                                                    projects generated
                              2. Long Range         by:
1. Needs Identification
                            Plan Development

                                                      Local implementing
                                                       agencies

                                                      State DOTs/MPOs

3. Project Programming
                                                      Private sector
                          4. Project Development
       (TIP/STIP)

                                                   face as they navigate
                                                     through this
                                                     process?
Local Implementing Agencies
Overview

   Local implementing agencies, such as county/city public works
    departments, often own and maintain local roadways.

   At the state level, local implementing agencies are roughly
    analogous to DOT district or regional offices.

   Local implementing agencies are responsible for the
    implementation of projects and are often the only organizations
    authorized to propose projects.
Local Implementing Agencies
Typical Projects


   Tend to be single mode (normally roadway).

   Tend to be small in scope with local focus.

   Tend to be efforts to mitigate negative impacts of freight
    movements rather than efforts to improve efficiency.
Local Implementing Agencies
Common Project Obstacles

   Staff often lack the experience and regional/national
    perspective to fully appreciate freight issues and their local
    impacts.

   Project eligibility requirements discourage private sector
    participation in the generation of project ideas.

   Lack of appropriate data and tools to properly evaluate freight
    improvement projects.
State DOT Headquarters, MPOs, Coalitions
Overview


   These agencies initiate freight improvement projects in a
    number of ways:
    • via dedicated freight planning staff
    • via private sector freight advisory committees
    • via statewide or regional freight studies.
State DOT Headquarters, MPOs, Coalitions
Typical Projects


   Can be large, multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional

                        - OR -

   Small, easily-implementable, “quick-fixes”

   MPOs and State DOT Headquarters with dedicated freight
    planning staff and funding often have an easier time proposing
    and programming freight improvement projects.
State DOT Headquarters, MPOs, Coalitions
Common Project Obstacles

   Lack of private sector participation in the planning process.

   Lack of resources to conduct statewide or regional freight
    studies.

   TIP and STIP criteria often do not fully reflect the potential
    economic and other benefits of freight projects.

   Regional coalitions lack the mechanisms necessary to
    implement proposed improvement projects.
Private Sector
Overview


   The private sector can initiate projects in several ways:
    • via “normal” planning process (often through a freight
       advisory committee)
    • via political contacts
    • privately planned and funded projects
Private Sector
Typical Projects


   Can be large or small, but always have tangible benefits to the
    private sector.

   Projects that enter the public planning process are often in
    need of some sort of support.

   Privately-funded projects often have associated mitigation
    activities as part of the project approval and permitting process.
    These mitigation activities often come back into the
    transportation planning process.
Private Sector
Common Project Obstacles

   Difficulty in moving out of the “needs identification” phase due
    to project sponsorship requirements.

   Private sector often loses interest in process due to the length
    and time requirements.

   There exists some resistance to the use of public funds to
    specifically benefit private enterprise.
Potential Actions
   Potential actions fall into three categories:
     • Information
        - provide a better understanding of the patterns and
          performance of the freight transportation system.
     • Coordination
        - improve communication within and among public planning
          agencies and the private sector.
     • Process
        - improve the consideration of freight improvement projects
          during the transportation planning process.
Potential Actions
Information

   Expand Federal role in the collection, collation, and
    dissemination of more detailed commodity flow data?

   Coordinate the purchase of private commodity flow data for
    distribution to states and MPOs?

   Provide dedicated funding to recruit, hire, and train freight
    planning specialists?

   Provide freight planning “team training” to better understand
    public and private freight issues and bridge culture divides?
Potential Actions
Coordination
   Establish a freight transportation “umbrella office” to oversee
    freight planning efforts across divisions?

   Encourage State DOTs to take a more proactive role in
    generating freight improvement projects?

   Add private sector freight representatives to MPO boards?

   Establish state and metropolitan freight advisory committees?

   Encourage private sector participation in the proposal of freight
    improvement projects?
Potential Actions
Process
   Specify freight transportation elements to be included in
    statewide and metropolitan long range plans?

   Require closer coordination of statewide long range plans and
    other modal plans (rail, air, and port plans)?

   Separate funding and approval processes for freight projects?

   Revised TIP and STIP criteria to better reflect freight benefits?

   Establish “quick-fix” programs to provide short-term benefits
    and encourage long-range cooperation?