Integrating Freight into Transportation Planning and Project-Selection Processes (2007)

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NCHRP Project 8-53 – Integrating Freight into Transportation Planning and Project-Selection Processes 6.0 Suggested Topics for Further Research The research project turned up two general areas where additional research would have clear value: improving the ability of states and MPOs to quantify the public benefits of multijurisdictional freight investments; and identifying, describing, and disseminating best practices in developing advocates for freight planning efforts. „ 6.1 Tools and Methods for Quantifying Public Benefits of Multijurisdictional Freight Investments As described earlier, freight movements are increasingly national and even global in scope, affecting the transportation systems of multiple MPOs, states, and countries. As such, improvements to one element of the system can have benefits that ripple throughout the supply and distribution chain. When investments in one state or MPO result in benefits to several other states or MPOs, it is often difficult to determine how costs, risks, and benefits should be shared. Although there are some analytical tools and techniques available, some of which are described in the Freight Planning and Programming Guidebook developed as part of this effort, there is a need to develop and disseminate guidance to state DOTs and MPOs that helps freight planning practitioners effectively utilize these tools across jurisdictional boundaries. Better understanding and quantifying the potential public benefits of freight investments may allow public sector transportation agencies to target their investments more effectively across the entire transportation system. In addition, it may allow these agencies to allocate transportation resources in proportion with overall system needs and potential benefits. „ 6.2 Developing Advocates for Freight Planning One of the key findings of this effort was that building advocacy among key transportation decision-makers – more so than project evaluation criteria/guidance, innovative funding/financing techniques, and prioritization processes – is critical to moving freight-specific projects forward. If key decision-makers understand the potential public benefits of a project and buy-in to those benefits, it will have a much easier time Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 6-1

NCHRP Project 8-53 – Integrating Freight into Transportation Planning and Project-Selection Processes moving from planning to programming to implementation. In addition, being able to effectively describe benefits and how they would accrue to different groups can help open the door to discussing how costs could be shared. It is critical to help transportation decision-makers, including DOT/MPO management, industry and business leaders, local citizens, and statewide or local elected officials understand the importance of freight transportation as well as the challenges associated with improving the freight system’s ability to absorb future growth. An educational effort targeted at high-level transportation decision-makers can help groom high-level advocates within state DOTs, MPOs, and state legislatures for rail planning activities. These advocates, in turn, can help ensure that freight issues are appropriately reflected in transportation planning and policy guidance and also can help provide or allocate staff and funding resources to accomplish planning, programming, and project development activities. There is a need to identify and disseminate guidance to state DOTs and MPOs on how to effectively develop these freight planning advocates. Through identification and sharing of best practices, sponsorship of peer exchanges, development of targeted workshops, or other strategies, NCHRP, TRB, FHWA, AASHTO, and other entities should assist state DOTs and MPOs in developing these high-level advocates for freight planning and programming activities. 6-2 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.