# Presentation: 201478

## presented by
Jim Brogan
Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

October 2, 2001

***Addressing Freight in the Planning and Programming Process***

***presented by***
***Jim Brogan***
***Cambridge Systematics, Inc.***
***October 2, 2001***

***FHWA Freight Planning Conference***

## 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**

**Notes:**
This presentation is designed to complement the white paper in your read-ahead package.  Designed to provide a brief overview of the current issues in freight planning and potential federal actions to address those issues as we move toward reauthorization.

..

These are not recommendations, they’re merely designed to spark some discussion as we move into our breakout groups.

## 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.**

**Notes:**
Broad focus of freight operations; narrow focus of freight planning

Fixed jurisdictional boundaries of states and MPOs make it difficult to address freight movements that occur on a national and global scale.

## 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.**

**Notes:**
A lot to learn.....as they attempt to build freight planning programs. 

Congestion at expected points....land side access to intermodal facilities....though this affects global and national efficiencies, the impacts are felt locally.....

Though freight movements occur on a global scale, it remains an important local issue.

## Transportation Planning Process

**What obstacles do projects generated ****by:**
**Local implementing agencies**
**State DOTs/MPOs**
**Private sector**
**face as they navigate through this ****process?**

**1. Needs Identification**

**3. Project Programming**
**(TIP/STIP)**

**4. Project Development**

**2. Long Range**
**Plan Development**

**Notes:**
As I said....we identified projects that were generated by three different types of agencies. ... how they navigate thru the planning process, and the obstacles they encounter along the way.

The planning process as we defined it consists of four steps....

NI: where the need for freight improvement projects is identified by project proposals or as a result of freight studies.
LRP: ..
TIP/STIP: where projects are evaluated and ranked
PD: where detailed scoping takes place, NEPA reviews, and permits/approvals obtained.

## 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.**

**Notes:**
Actually own and maintain roadways not part of State/Interstate highway system.

Since they are responsible for implementing 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.**

**Notes:**
Non-gateway states/MPOs

Trucks in neighborhood

Keeping trucks off main street, etc.

## 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.**

**Notes:**

.....evaluate the Need for and impact of freight improvement projects

Very few freight specific projects are identified by LIAs.  Freight movements benefit only co-incidentally thru capacity improvements or bridge 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.**

**Notes:**
Since State DOTs, MPOs, and Regional Coalitions are multi-jurisdictional in nature, they are better able to propose...

We found that...

for two reasons:

First, since they are able to concentrate on freight, they have a solid understanding of the freight issues in their areas and ways in which to address those issues... often thru a FAC, but also just thru casual contact with  freight stakeholders.
Second, they have an intimate knowledge of the transportation planning process and are able to frame freight projects in such a way that they are more likely to be approved...

Despite that...

## 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.**

**Notes:**
Projects proposed by these agencies often meet obstacles as they work their way thru the process.

Particularly at non-gateway states and MPOs....Lack of private sector participation makes it hard to understand freight movements in the area and develop strategies.

One of the most frequent ways freight projects were proposed was by the completion of Statewide and regional freight studies...these not only provide planners with a solid understanding of the freight system in their area, but also make specific project recommendations.

Economic and business development impacts...

Regional coalitions are an excellent forum for generating project ideas, but lack mechanisms......., as they depend on member agencies to do that.

## 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**

**Notes:**

“backdoor method”...

## 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.**

**Notes:**
When the private sector can plan and fund a project itself, it would normally prefer to do that...thus, projects that enter the public planning process are normally in need of some assistance, either thru direct funding support or thru letters of credit or loan guarantees.

As you can see,  privately planned and funded projects can spawn projects that must be addressed thru the public 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.**

**Notes:**
As I discussed earlier, in some cases only the LIA or MPO member agency is authorized to propose projects.........especially if there is no FAC or other method of private sector involvement.

Private sector used to dealing with 12-18 month time frame, while public process is 20 years.....often do not have staff resources or patience for the long haul.

There still exist some cultural barriers.......

## 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.

**Notes:**
Information improvements are designed to...

Coordination improvements are designed to ...

Process improvements are designed to...

## 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?**

**Notes:**
I don’t want to go into each one of these, as they’re not recommendations...they are only designed to generate some discussion in the breakout groups.

Information actions are aimed at improving data and training.

Good planning starts with good data......there is a lack of quality commodity flow data, especially at the local level.  These actions are designed to provide better data either thru the collection or purchase of commodity data from private sources.

They are also designed to provide better training to states/MPOs thru more/better training opportunities and/or increased recruiting efforts for freight specialists.

## 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?**

**Notes:**
These actions are designed to improve coordination among public sector agencies and between the public and private sectors.

Creation of an umbrella office that could cut across traditional modal divisions.

Including private sector in the decision-making process thru creation of FACs or the inclusion on MPO boards.

## 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?**

**Notes:**
These are designed to improve the planning process itself to make it more amenable to freight projects thru more specific planning requirements, evaluation criteria that would better reflect freight benefits, or strategies to engage the private sector thru quick-fix project that may improve their willingness to stay in the long-term.