Most commonly in the case of intermodal projects, the alleged market failure is the potential for obtaining the external benefits given in the preceding list. The justification ought to be supported primarily by quantitative estimates of the value of external benefits. Analysis Tools Governments should apply standard methods for evaluating infrastructure investment proposals. The performance of completed projects should be systematically evaluated according to established guidelines. The federal government, cooperatively with the states and metropolitan planning organizations, should undertake research and tests to develop and demonstrate such standard methods.
Research also is needed to measure and project freight system performance.
Existing federal programs intended to facilitate intermodal freight should be quantitatively evaluated, and future federal initiatives affecting freight should incorporate program evaluation. The committee examined options for provisions of federal surface transportation programs aimed at improving intermodal freight efficiency. Highway Trust Fund Revenues for Nonhighway Freight Projects Increased flexibility to choose the kinds of projects that receive funding from federal highway user fee revenues would free states to manage their transportation programs by defining objectives and searching for the optimal means to attain them. However, expanding flexibility entails risks. First, it tends to undermine the user-pays principle.