Freighted with Urgency

This article discusses the current pressures on the U.S. freight transportation system and how the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is addressing these challenges through the development of a national freight policy. The challenges are diverse and encompass the highway, rail and water transportation sectors as well as international trade, distribution center and environmental issues. Since the USDOT oversees only a small minority of the components of the U.S. transportation system, the federal government must collaborate with the private sector in order to achieve any meaningful changes in the system. This cooperation is the cornerstone of the Framework for a National Freight Policy. This framework begins with a vision and objectives, and then addresses strategies, tactics and individual tasks that USDOT and its partners in the private and public sectors can pursue to achieve those objectives. The framework's objectives are to accomplish the following: (1) improve operation of the existing freight system; (2) add physical capacity to the system in places where investment makes economic sense; (3) use pricing to better align all costs and benefits between users and owners of the freight system and to encourage the deployment of productivity-enhancing technologies; (4) reduce statutory, regulatory and institutional barriers to improve freight transportation; (5) proactively identify and address emerging transportation needs; (6) maximize the safety and security of the freight transportation system; and (7) mitigate and better manage the environmental, health and community impacts of freight transportation. The framework is a work-in-progress and does not yet include a full suite of details below the level of individual tactics, nor does it contain all the strategies and tactics that need to be pursued. The USDOT is soliciting comments on the framework in order to further refine it.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/07jan/03.cfm
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1586080
• Authors:
  • Furst, Tony
• Publication Date: 2007-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: pp 16-19
• Serial:
  • Public Roads
  • Volume: 70
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Federal Highway Administration
  • ISSN: 0033-3735
  • Serial URL: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cooperation; Environment; Freight transportation; Highway transportation; International trade; Policy making; Public private partnerships; Railroad transportation; Stakeholders; Strategic planning; Transportation policy; Water transportation
• Identifier Terms: Framework for a National Freight Policy; U.S. Department of Transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Distribution centers
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Freight Transportation; Highways; Marine Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Railroads; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01044721
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 30 2007 6:59AM