Defining the Range of Urban Congestion Impacts on Freight and Their Consequences for Business Activity

The causes and impacts of urban traffic congestion are intrinsically tied to changes occurring in business practices and the economy. The freight delivery requirements of businesses and their sensitivity to congestion are also increasing as many types of business seek to serve wider markets and apply new logistics and production technologies with increasing reliance on just-in-time supply chains, overnight courier services, intermodal facilities and international gateways. In response, regional business organizations are starting to take a leadership role in focusing attention on urban traffic congestion and its impacts on freight movement and business activity. This paper uses examples from three cases – Vancouver (BC), Chicago (IL) and Portland (OR) – to show how regional business organizations have been working with public agencies to study the economic implications of future congestion growth and the economic benefits of investing in efforts to mitigate it. It utilizes findings from those studies to develop a taxonomy of the many different ways in which urban traffic congestion is changing the freight delivery and operational decisions of businesses, and increasing their costs. It then identifies needs for improved transportation and economic analysis methods that are sensitive to those factors.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Weisbrod, Glen E
  • Fitzroy, Stephen S
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 87th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2008-1-13 to 2008-1-17
• Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: DVD
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 17p
• Monograph Title: TRB 87th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Economic growth; Economic impacts; Freight traffic; Inventory; Productivity; Regional economics; Scheduling; Traffic congestion; Travel time; Urban goods movement
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Freight Transportation; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I70: Traffic and Transport;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01091055
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 08-2319
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 31 2008 8:04AM