Approaches to Mitigate Freight Congestion
Gao ID: GAO-09-163R November 20, 2008Strong productivity gains in the U.S. economy hinge, in part, on transportation networks working efficiently. Continued development and efficient management of the nation's freight transportation system--especially highways and rail lines that connect international gateways and intermodal facilities to retailers, producers, and consumers--are important to sustaining the nation's competitive position in the global economy. However, the increasing congestion on the transportation system poses a threat to the efficient flow of the nation's goods and has strained the system in some locations. Moreover, recent growth in international trade has placed even greater pressures on ports, border crossings, and distribution hubs. Congestion delays that significantly constrain freight mobility in these areas could result in increased economic costs for the nation. The Federal Highway Administration has calculated that delays caused by highway bottlenecks cost the trucking industry alone more than $8 billion a year. Recognizing that freight congestion has been well-defined and studied, Congress asked us to research technologies and projects currently in place or in development that could improve freight mobility, including low-cost approaches. In doing our work, we learned that the National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) is currently conducting a comprehensive research project to identify low-cost and quickly implementable approaches to address freight mobility constraints. To not duplicate NCFRP's efforts by conducting a similar review, we limited the scope of our work. Therefore, as agreed with your staff, this report provides high-level information on (1) the ongoing research project being conducted by NCFRP, and (2) examples of implemented or planned technologies and projects to improve freight mobility that fall under the two broad approaches we identified in our earlier report--efforts to increase the efficient use of existing infrastructure and to add new capacity to the transportation network.
The NCFRP study is focused on identifying low-cost and quickly implementable approaches to address freight mobility constraints. The research group conducting the study intends to capture information on low-cost improvements that have been or are in the process of being implemented, the costs that were associated with and the impact of the improvements, and any lessons learned. The information collected will be used to develop a searchable database that will allow users to find low-cost and quickly implementable solutions to their particular freight mobility issue, based on defined criteria. The research group issued its first interim report in May 2008, which outlined the study's scope and methodology, and plans to complete its next interim report by January 2009. We have previously reported on two broad approaches for improving freight mobility and examples of technologies and projects being implemented or studied that fall under those two approaches. During this engagement, we identified other technologies and projects that could help to mitigate congestion, but we did not attempt to determine if these technologies and projects would be considered low-cost. The first broad approach is to increase the efficient use of existing infrastructure. For example, some ports use radio frequency identification technology to electronically identify and track container contents. With such tags, cranes equipped with readers that remove cargo from ships can read the container's allowing the terminal operator to better stage containers. The second broad approach is to add new capacity to the transportation network, such as building new facilities, roads, and bridges. For example, DOT is looking at the possibility of improving freight movement through developing truck-only lanes, which are lanes dedicated for trucks that are physically separated from passenger vehicles. We provided DOT with a draft of this report for its review and comment. In response, DOT suggested technical corrections, which we incorporated into the report, as appropriate. Further, DOT noted that while the draft report addresses several practical approaches for mitigating freight congestion, it does not discuss expanding the use of waterborne transportation, or "America's Marine Highway" which some DOT officials believe has the potential to mitigate surface freight transportation congestion.
GAO-09-163R, Approaches to Mitigate Freight Congestion
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United States Government Accountability Office:
Washington, DC 20548:
November 20, 2008:
The Honorable James L. Oberstar:
Chairman:
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure:
House of Representatives:
The Honorable Peter A. DeFazio:
Chairman:
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit:
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure:
House of Representatives:
Subject: Approaches to Mitigate Freight Congestion:
Strong productivity gains in the U.S. economy hinge, in part, on
transportation networks working efficiently. Continued development and
efficient management of the nation's freight transportation system--
especially highways and rail lines that connect international gateways
and intermodal facilities to retailers, producers, and consumers--are
important to sustaining the nation's competitive position in the global
economy. However, the increasing congestion on the transportation
system poses a threat to the efficient flow of the nation's goods and
has strained the system in some locations. Moreover, recent growth in
international trade has placed even greater pressures on ports, border
crossings, and distribution hubs. Congestion delays that significantly
constrain freight mobility in these areas could result in increased
economic costs for the nation. The Federal Highway Administration has
calculated that delays caused by highway bottlenecks cost the trucking
industry alone more than $8 billion a year.[Footnote 1]
We reported earlier this year on ways in which freight transportation
stakeholders have been addressing those factors, and the many
challenges public planners face in advancing freight projects.[Footnote
2] In that report, we showed how stakeholders have advanced projects
and proposals to enhance freight mobility by increasing system
efficiency and building new infrastructure. The challenges we
identified included competition from nonfreight projects for public
funds and community support in the planning process, lack of
coordination among various government entities and private sector
stakeholders, and limited or restricted availability of public funds
for projects related to freight transportation. Compounding these
challenges facing state and local transportation planners is the fact
that the federal government is not well positioned to enhance freight
mobility due to the absence of a clear federal strategy and role for
freight transportation, an outmoded federal approach to transportation
planning and funding, and the unsustainability of planned federal
transportation funding. We recommended that DOT work with Congress and
freight stakeholders to develop a national strategy to transform the
federal government's involvement in freight transportation projects.
Recognizing that freight congestion has been well-defined and studied,
you asked us to research technologies and projects currently in place
or in development that could improve freight mobility, including low-
cost approaches. In doing our work, we learned that the National
Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) is currently conducting a
comprehensive research project to identify low-cost and quickly
implementable approaches to address freight mobility constraints.
[Footnote 3] To not duplicate NCFRP's efforts by conducting a similar
review, we limited the scope of our work. Therefore, as agreed with
your staff, this report provides high-level information on (1) the
ongoing research project being conducted by NCFRP, and (2) examples of
implemented or planned technologies and projects to improve freight
mobility that fall under the two broad approaches we identified in our
earlier report--efforts to increase the efficient use of existing
infrastructure and to add new capacity to the transportation network.
To obtain information on these issues, we spoke with the lead
researcher working on the NCFRP research project to learn about its
objectives, scope, and methodology. We also reviewed existing
literature on technologies and approaches being implemented to mitigate
congestion, and prior GAO reports on freight and surface
transportation. We interviewed officials with the Department of
Transportation (DOT), as well as industry stakeholders representing
ports and railroads to provide a snapshot of current approaches that
could be used to address freight mobility constraints. Because defining
"low-cost approaches" would have required work outside the scope of
this engagement, we include examples of approaches and projects to
improve freight mobility that may incur substantial investments. We
performed our review from May 2008 to November 2008.
Results in Brief:
The NCFRP study is focused on identifying low-cost and quickly
implementable approaches to address freight mobility constraints. The
research group conducting the study intends to capture information on
low-cost improvements that have been or are in the process of being
implemented, the costs that were associated with and the impact of the
improvements, and any lessons learned. The information collected will
be used to develop a searchable database that will allow users to find
low-cost and quickly implementable solutions to their particular
freight mobility issue, based on defined criteria. The research group
issued its first interim report in May 2008, which outlined the study's
scope and methodology, and plans to complete its next interim report by
January 2009.
As explained above, we have previously reported on two broad approaches
for improving freight mobility and examples of technologies and
projects being implemented or studied that fall under those two
approaches.[Footnote 4] During this engagement, we identified other
technologies and projects that could help to mitigate congestion, but
we did not attempt to determine if these technologies and projects
would be considered low-cost. The first broad approach is to increase
the efficient use of existing infrastructure. For example, some ports
use radio frequency identification technology to electronically
identify and track container contents. With such tags, cranes equipped
with readers that remove cargo from ships can read the container's
allowing the terminal operator to better stage containers. The second
broad approach is to add new capacity to the transportation network,
such as building new facilities, roads, and bridges. For example, DOT
is looking at the possibility of improving freight movement through
developing truck-only lanes, which are lanes dedicated for trucks that
are physically separated from passenger vehicles.
We provided DOT with a draft of this report for its review and comment.
In response, DOT suggested technical corrections, which we incorporated
into the report, as appropriate. Further, DOT noted that while the
draft report addresses several practical approaches for mitigating
freight congestion, it does not discuss expanding the use of waterborne
transportation, or "America's Marine Highway" which some DOT officials
believe has the potential to mitigate surface freight transportation
congestion.
Background:
Freight movement is vital to the functioning of the national economy.
DOT statistics show that the volume of freight moved on the U.S.
transportation system has grown dramatically over the past few decades
and is projected to increase by nearly 70 percent by 2020. According to
DOT, improvements in the efficiency and reliability of freight
transportation have been an engine of prosperity and competitive
advantage; but, the U.S. transportation system now faces challenges
that, unless addressed, may jeopardize its reliability. According to
information from the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the
substantial growth in trade volumes, increased congestion, and scarce
and expensive real estate for freight have radically altered transport
and logistics over the last 5 years. According to DOT, congestion is a
serious problem by contributing to longer and more unpredictable
transit times and results in the increased cost of transporting
freight.[Footnote 5] Additionally, DOT states that the transportation
network's efficiency has not kept pace at a rate commensurate with
growth in travel and commerce; and solutions to congestion will likely
involve a mix of investments to add new capacity, preserve existing
infrastructure, and improve operational efficiency.
Current NCFRP Research Project Focuses on Low-cost, Quickly
Implementable Approaches to Freight Mobility Constraints:
NCFRP has initiated a research project focused on identifying low-cost
and quickly implementable approaches to address freight mobility
constraints. The objectives of the research are to (1) develop a
standardized description of the dimensions of the nation's freight
system; (2) analyze business practices and institutional factors that
influence freight system decision makers and stakeholders; (3) develop
a methodology for identifying, categorizing, and evaluating quickly
implementable, low-cost capital, operational, and public policy actions
to enhance freight mobility; and (4) apply this methodology in a
generic way to create a catalog of improvement actions.
According to the lead researcher of the project, the research group is
working to define the terms "low-cost" and "quickly implementable" as
they relate to specific modes of transportation. The research group has
preliminarily defined a "low-cost" and "quickly implementable"
improvement as an action that modifies existing geometry and
operational features of the freight transportation infrastructure
system to address freight mobility constraints that can be implemented
within a short period without extended disruption of traffic flow. The
research group has defined the scope of its work and the entities to be
interviewed, developed an interview list and guide, defined research
parameters by mode (e.g., rail or ports), and determined freight
mobility constraints for each mode. The research group intends to
interview representatives from trucking, class I and short line
railroads, deepwater and river ports, logistics industry associations,
freight forwarder and package express shippers, federal and state
transportation agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, and labor
unions. To supplement information gathered through the interviews, the
research group plans to conduct a comprehensive review of project
reports and published technical literature to derive information on
implemented, low-cost improvement actions directed at addressing
freight mobility constraints. Through the interviews and literature
searches, the research group expects to capture information on low-cost
improvement actions that have been implemented or are currently being
implemented, what costs were associated with and the impact of the
improvement action, and any lessons learned. All the information
collected will be used to develop a searchable database that will allow
users to find low-cost and quickly implementable solutions to their
particular freight mobility issue based on defined criteria. The goal
is to document each type of improvement action by mode, size, and
applicability of the improvement action. The research group issued its
first interim report in May 2008, which outlines the study's scope and
methodology, and plans to complete its next interim report by January
2009.
Increasing the Efficiency of Existing Infrastructure and Adding New
Capacity to the Transportation Network Could Improve Freight Mobility:
As we have previously reported, one approach that freight stakeholders
use to improve freight mobility involves advancing projects and
proposals designed to increase the efficient use of existing
infrastructure. Among other things, these activities include
restructuring operations at ports, changing hours of operation,
deploying technology, and introducing congestion pricing strategies.
The following are examples of activities designed to increase
efficiency of existing infrastructure that we identified during this
engagement or on which we have previously reported.
* Chassis pools: According to an official representing port
authorities, typically port terminal operators or ocean carriers own
their own truck container chassis[Footnote 6] and when loading freight,
would use their own chassis in the loading process. Chassis pools, on
the other hand, provide chassis that any company can use, which saves
time by eliminating the process of locating and using specific chassis.
An example of a chassis pool in operation is at the Port of Virginia.
[Footnote 7] According to information from the Environmental Protection
Agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, the Port of Virginia
established a chassis pool in 2004 requiring all shipping lines to
provide chassis that any company can use in loading its freight. As a
result, the number of chassis stored at the port has been reduced by
5,000 to 6,000 and has opened up 40 to 60 acres of land recaptured for
other uses at the port. Further, local trucking companies have reported
that the number of moves their drivers complete in a day has risen
dramatically. For example, drivers who would previously only be able to
move two to three containers per day can now move up to 10 containers
daily.
* Radio Frequency Identification (RFID): RFID is an automated data-
capture technology that can be used to electronically identify, track,
and store information contained on a tag. A radio frequency reader
scans the tag and sends the information to a database. For freight
purposes, an official representing port authorities stated that
containers can be coded with RFID tags, and the cranes removing cargo
from ships can be equipped with RFID readers. The RFID reader scans the
coded RFID tag for information on the container. With information on
the contents of the container, the terminal operator can better
position the container for when it is actually moved to a staging area.
This approach helps to reduce paperwork and saves time and resources.
According to the industry association official, RFID technology on
cranes is currently being used at the Port of Long Beach. The port
authority official also stated that this process is also being used for
trucks entering an intermodal terminal or transfer station. Containers
on trucks can be read prior to getting to the transfer station. The
information can be relayed to the station, allowing them to prepare for
arrival and processing, which results in faster movement of freight.
* Virtual container yard: A virtual container yard is a Web-based
information exchange platform that allows users to match empty
equipment needs so they can interchange, or "street turn," empty
containers without first returning them to a terminal, rail ramp, or
container yard. In many cases, after a container is unloaded by an
importer, it is removed from the port to an off-site depot for storage
until an exporter calls for a container. In 2006, the ports of Los
Angeles and Long Beach and the Alameda Corridor Transportation
Authority in southern California implemented a virtual container yard
in an attempt to increase the number of containers taken directly to
exporters by five-fold.[Footnote 8]
* Extending business hours: Some businesses in New York City have opted
to extend hours of operation for receiving shipments to reduce peak
daytime traffic congestion. As a result, these businesses receive
special incentives from the City to receive deliveries late in the day.
For instance, some retail stores have arranged to have employees
receive deliveries after 9:00 p.m. The City, in turn, has provided
special approval of curbside parking to these businesses and has agreed
not to ticket delivery vehicles during off-peak hours. This approach
has the potential to reduce peak hour congestion by giving drivers a
wider delivery window and avoiding traffic delays.[Footnote 9]
* Congestion Pricing: Congestion pricing involves charging users a
toll, fee, or surcharge for using transportation infrastructure during
certain peak periods of travel. One congestion pricing approach is the
Off-Peak program created by PierPASS. PierPASS is a not-for-profit
company created by marine terminal operators at the Los Angeles and
Long Beach ports to address multi-terminal issues such as congestion,
security and air quality. In 2005, PierPASS launched the Off-Peak
program in an effort to encourage cargo owners to arrange transport
during nights and weekends. The program imposes a $50 per 20-foot
equivalent unit "Traffic Mitigation Fee" on loaded containers that are
moved during peak hours. According to a PierPass official, the program
has resulted in approximately 36 percent of traffic moving at night,
taking thousands of truck trips out of daytime freeway traffic
patterns, thus alleviating daytime congestion. These concepts are also
useful for passenger traffic.[Footnote 10]
A second approach that freight stakeholders are using to improve
freight mobility involves projects and proposals to create or add new
capacity to existing infrastructure. This includes building or adding
to facilities, such as establishing inland ports, freight rail
improvements, bridge replacement/improvements, on-dock rail access, and
establishing additional truck and rail corridors. The following are
examples of various approaches for creating or adding to capacity to
improve freight mobility. We have previously reported on some of these
examples and others were identified during the timeframe of this
engagement.
* Establishing inland ports: An inland port is a site located away from
traditional land, air, and coastal borders with the vision to
facilitate and process international trade through strategic investment
in multi-modal transportation assets, and by promoting value-added
services as goods move through the supply chain. One such example is
the Virginia Inland Port, located in Front Royal, Virginia, started
operations in 1989. According to the Virginia Port Authority, the
Virginia Inland Port provides a link between truck and rail for the
transport of ocean-going containers. Containers are transported by
truck from seaports located in Virginia to the Inland Port for
immediate loading upon a rail car or for short-term storage prior to
loading. According to a report by the Appalachian Regional Commission,
prior to the operation of the inland port, companies in this region
were using trucks and railroads to move products to ports in Baltimore
and Philadelphia. They did so because distance made the Port of
Virginia not cost competitive.[Footnote 11] The report states that
shippers in the northern Appalachian region now have the option of
moving freight directly to the Port of Virginia through the inland
port, rather than the longer highway routes to Baltimore and
Philadelphia. The report states that the project has resulted in time
savings.
* Freight rail improvements: Railroad improvements include building new
intermodal facilities and adding tracks to the rail network to relieve
capacity constraints and enhance freight mobility. For example, the
railroads serving southern California have added or are beginning to
build new double track lines into and out of Los Angeles to accommodate
the growing freight traffic. According to information reported by one
railroad, double tracking will enable the railroad to nearly double
train capacity that connects the Los Angeles area with all southern
U.S. markets and the major eastern rail gateways. Additionally,
transportation planners in Houston, Texas, have proposed several
projects to relieve congestion along busy freight rail corridors,
including construction of a new mainline track and a new bridge to
relieve congestion in bottlenecked sections, construction of grade
separations to allow for trains to stop without causing delays or
safety hazards to the public, and construction of new rail corridors
that bypass populated areas.[Footnote 12]
* Bridge improvement/replacement: Improving or replacing bridges in
certain locations can allow for increased volume of traffic carrying
freight. For example, a project to rebuild a bridge at the Port of Long
Beach will accommodate growing highway traffic and will allow larger
ships to pass underneath. The project is scheduled to begin in 2010 and
cost an estimated $851 million. Also, a project at the Port of Los
Angeles will replace a bridge which is too small to accommodate high
truck volumes. The highway project is expected to cost $686 million.
Both projects will be funded by federal, state, local, port funds, and
through fees charged on import/export cargo. The highway project and
bridge replacement will allow trucks to more quickly haul their loads
from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to the Intermodal
Container Transfer Facility located 3 miles away.
* On-dock rail access: According to a port industry official, at
traditional ports, ships at the receiving port off-load freight to
trucks, which transport the freight to a rail station, where it is then
transferred to a train for transport to its destination city. On-dock
rail places rail facilities at the port terminal--eliminating the need
for transport by truck and resulting in a reduction of pollution and
traffic on roads. For example, the industry official stated that the
Port of Tacoma, Washington, has four dockside rail yards that move
cargo quickly and efficiently from container terminals. The first of
these four dockside rail yards opened in 1981. The port industry
official also stated that the on-dock rail yards have reduced the
number of trucks on city streets and highways and that each full train
that leaves the port represents 250 to 300 trucks not on the roads,
reducing highway congestion and diesel emissions.
* Truck-only lanes: Truck-only lanes are highways in which lanes
dedicated for trucks are physically separated from passenger vehicles.
As part of its Corridors of the Future Program, DOT is looking at the
possibility of improving freight movement through developing truck-only
lanes. An example of this is a project to study dedicated and
segregated truck lanes for the Interstate 70 corridor running from
Kansas City to the Ohio/West Virginia border. The concept proposes
adding four dedicated truck lanes to the existing infrastructure, two
in each direction, with at least one interchange per county providing
access to the truck lanes and includes, conceptually, truck staging
areas. These lanes present the opportunity to pilot size and weight
increases on a facility dedicated to trucks. The dedicated truck lanes
are seen as a way to reduce congestion, improve safety, and offset the
maintenance costs of general purpose lanes.
Agency Comments:
We provided DOT with a draft of this report for its review and comment.
In response, DOT suggested technical corrections, which we incorporated
into the report as appropriate. Further, DOT noted that while the draft
report addresses several practical approaches to mitigating freight
congestion, it does not discuss expanding the use of waterborne
transportation, or "America's Marine Highway." DOT said this program is
being studied by TRB[Footnote 13] and some DOT officials believe it has
the potential to mitigate surface freight transportation congestion to
an equal or greater degree than the other examples in the report. We
did not intend for the examples in the report to be exhaustive and
determining the extent to which the examples would mitigate congestion
was not in the scope of our work. DOT's comments said expanded use of
waterborne transportation could be an effective way to help relieve
significant shore-side congestion because waterborne transportation is
generally underutilized and has substantial capacity. DOT said tapping
into America's Marine Highways, consisting of more than 25,000 miles of
inland, intracoastal, and coastal waterways, could be cost effective,
requires very little new infrastructure, and could represent
significant fuel savings and air emissions reductions.
We are sending copies of this report to interested congressional
committees and the Secretary of Transportation. This report will be
available at no cost on the GAO Web site at [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov].
Should you or your staff have any questions about this report, please
contact me at (202) 512-2834 or herrp@gao.gov. Contact points for our
Office of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on
the last page of this report. Key contributors to this report were Andy
Clinton, Steven Ervin, Sally Moino, and Courtney Williams.
Signed by:
Phillip R. Herr:
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues:
[End of section]
Related GAO Products:
Surface Transportation: Restructured Federal Approach Needed for More
Focused, Performance-Based, and Sustainable Programs. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-400]. Washington, D.C.: March
6, 2008.
Highway Public-Private Partnerships: More Rigorous Up-front Analysis
Could Better Secure Potential Benefits and Protect the Public Interest.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-44]. Washington,
D.C.: February 8, 2008.
Freight Transportation: National Policy and Strategies Can Help Improve
Freight Mobility. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-
287]. Washington, D.C.: January 7, 2008.
Surface Transportation: Strategies Are Available for Making Existing
Road Infrastructure Perform Better. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-
bin/getrpt?GAO-07-920]. Washington, D.C.: July 26, 2007.
Intermodal Transportation: DOT Could Take Further Actions to Address
Intermodal Barriers. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-
07-718]. Washington, D.C.: June 20, 2007.
Freight Railroads: Industry Health Has Improved, but Concerns about
Competition and Capacity Should Be Addressed. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-94]. Washington, D.C.: October
6, 2006.
Intermodal Transportation: Challenges to and Potential Strategies for
Developing Improved Intermodal Capabilities. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-855T]. Washington, D.C.: June
15, 2006.
Highway Finance: States' Expanding Use of Tolling Illustrates Diverse
Challenges and Strategies. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-
bin/getrpt?GAO-06-554]. Washington, D.C.: June 28, 2006.
Freight Transportation: Short Sea Shipping Option Shows Importance of
Systematic Approach to Public Investment Decisions. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-768]. Washington, D.C.: July
29, 2005.
Surface Transportation: Many Factors Affect Investment Decisions.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-744]. Washington,
D.C.: June 30, 2004.
Freight Transportation: Strategies Needed to Address Planning and
Financing Limitations. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-
bin/getrpt?GAO-04-165]. Washington, D.C.: December 19, 2003.
Surface and Maritime Transportation: Challenges and Strategies for
Enhancing Mobility. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-
02-1132T]. Washington, D.C.: September 30, 2002.
Marine Transportation: Federal Financing and an Infrastructure
Investment Framework. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-
02-1090T]. Washington, D.C.: September 9, 2002.
Highway Infrastructure: Interstate Physical Conditions Have Improved,
but Congestion and Other Pressures Continue. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-02-571]. Washington, D.C.: May
31, 2002.
[End of section]
Footnotes:
[1] U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The Transportation Challenge: Moving the
U.S. Economy (Washington, D.C., 2008).
[2] GAO, Freight Transportation: National Policy and Strategies Can
Help Improve Freight Mobility, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-
bin/getrpt?GAO-08-287] (Washington D.C.: Jan. 7, 2008).
[3] NCFRP was initiated under The Safe, Accountable, Flexible,
Efficient Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users. DOT was
directed to have NCFRP managed by the National Academy of Sciences
(NAS). NAS, operating through the Transportation Research Board (TRB),
is now managing this program. TRB is one of six major divisions of the
National Research Council, a private nonprofit institution that is the
principal operating agency of NAS in providing services to the
government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities.
The research project is being carried out by Battelle Memorial
Institute under the guidance of a NCFRP project panel.
[4] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-287].
[5] U.S. Department of Transportation, The Freight Story: A National
Perspective on Enhancing Freight Transportation (Washington, D.C.,
November 2002).
[6] Truck container chassis are the flat trailer beds that cargo
containers are loaded onto when being transported by truck.
[7] The Virginia Port Authority owns Norfolk International Terminals,
Newport News Marine Terminal, Portsmouth Marine Terminal and the
Virginia Inland Port, in Front Royal; combined, these four facilities
make up the Port of Virginia.
[8] Previously reported in [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-
bin/getrpt?GAO-08-287].
[9] Previously reported in [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-
bin/getrpt?GAO-08-287].
[10] Previously reported in [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-
bin/getrpt?GAO-08-287].
[11] Appalachian Regional Commission, Meeting the Transportation
Challenges of the 21ST Century: Intermodal Opportunities in the
Appalachian Region (2004).
[12] Previously reported in [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-
bin/getrpt?GAO-08-287].
[13] More information on this study can be found at: [hyperlink,
http://www.trb.org/TRBNet/ProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=2410].
[End of section]
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