Institutional Strategies in the Freight Transportation System

The freight industry is a unique blend of private and public-sector organizations, each with its own objectives and constraints. Political and jurisdictional boundaries do not define market relationships, but they do have a significant influence on infrastructure funding. Effective freight policy will require coordination and collaboration among public and private interests. New forms of public-private and public-public partnerships are needed to address challenges that do not conform to government jurisdictions, geographic boundaries, or traditional dividing lines between government and business. Some state DOTs and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), for example, have established freight offices and they and others have formed freight advisory councils in order to engage carriers and shippers on issues of mutual interest. A number of states are involved in multistate, multimodal collaborations to deal with freight transportation problems and objectives that cross state boundaries. The objective of this project is to describe successful and promising institutional strategies for the current and future freight industry. Determining which strategies are successful and promising will require the following: (1)Determination of federal, state, and local interests and roles regarding freight movement; (2)Identification of existing institutional strategies and their context and original purpose; (3)Definition of the levers of influence in shaping the freight industry (e.g., money, regulation, and leadership); and (4)Consideration of regulatory and other constraints on the effectiveness of institutional strategies. A review of domestic and international experience should be used to identify successful and promising institutional strategies. Of particular interest are joint entities that have the authority to make improvements to the freight system. The research will identify potential institutional changes to address local, state, regional, and national needs and opportunities for efficient freight transportation. It will incorporate the results of work completed and underway supported by organizations such as the NCHRP, FHWA, and AASHTO.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=1581
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $300000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  NCFRP 09

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  University Transportation Centers Program
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  National Cooperative Freight Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001
• Project Managers:

  Chisholm-Smith, Gwen

• Start Date: 20070703
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 13669

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Freight service; Freight terminals; Freight traffic; Freight traffic measurement; Freight transportation; Infrastructure; Metropolitan planning organizations; Research projects; Strategic planning
• Subject Areas: Economics; Freight Transportation; Highways; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01543769
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Cooperative Freight Research Program
• Contract Numbers: NCFRP 09
• Files: RIP
• Created Date: Nov 21 2014 1:05AM