COMMERCIAL NAVIGATION ON THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER: AN ECONOMIC REVIEW OF ITS DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES AFFECTING MINNESOTA

Inland waterway transport is a significant carrier of domestic cargo, accounting for about 14% of the total traffic. During the past decade cargo carried by the inland waterways increased by 46% (62% when the Great Lakes are excluded). By increasing the absolute amount of freight carried greater than the average (42%), the inland waterway's relative share of total freight traffic has also grown over the past decade. Also, development of the Upper Mississippi River into a major inland waterway has been even more significant for Minnesota and the Midwest than for much of the rest of the nation. A transportation model, based on competitive assumptions and employing a derived demand analysis, is presented. The model predicts that there will be an increase in demand for transportation services, especially barge services. The current issues in commercial navigation which affect Minnesota involve a resolution of the conflict between developmental and environmental values.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

  Water Resources Research Center
  Minneapolis, MN  United States  55455

  Office of Water Research and Technology

  C Street between 18th and 19th Streets, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20242
• Authors:
  • Christianson, R W
• Publication Date: 1974-10

Media Info

• Pagination: 125 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barges; Benefit cost analysis; Commercial transportation; Demand; Dredging; Economic analysis; Economic models; Economics; Freight transportation; Inland waterways; Marine transit; Policy; Waste disposal; Water transportation
• Geographic Terms: Minnesota; Mississippi River
• Old TRIS Terms: Barge transportation systems; Cargo transportation; Inland waterways economics; Waterway transportation
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Freight Transportation; Marine Transportation; Policy; Public Transportation; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00090699
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: WRRC-Bull-75
• Contract Numbers: DI-14-31-0001-3601
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 26 1978 12:00AM