摘要: |
Freight investment project prioritization, which is used to assist in planning and programming decisions, differs widely in importance across states. One of the reasons for the difference in importance is the fact that freight projects are costly, and state departments of transportation (DOTs) face limited resources to implement them. As a result, there is substantial opportunity to share and leverage effective practices within various areas of freight investment analysis and methodology from across the country. Researchers conducted a comprehensive analysis of national and international freight prioritization practices with the following objectives: Assess the available freight project prioritization methodologies in a robust, repeatable, and transparent manner to diminish bias. Conduct a comprehensive analysis of all methodologies used in practice by state DOTs. Compare and contrast each methodology, finding similarities and differences to discover patterns and successful practices within the body of literature. Use the knowledge gathered from the results of the analysis to develop a methodological base for state DOTs, regional metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), local entities, and international governments to consider when evaluating their own freight project prioritization and selection practices. The first chapter of this report primarily discusses the research approach of the project, followed by a summarization of the literature review, survey, and case examples. The survey helped determine attitudes toward freight planning and programming within state DOTs. The response rate for state DOTs to the survey was 80%, which included 40 of 50 states. There were actually 41 responses, but since two of these came from Caltrans, the research team counted it as one response for the purpose of determining the accurate response rate among the sample of 50 state DOTs. Respondents were selected for the case examples based on geographic location and heterogeneity in the survey responses. Because this study attempted to fully understand freight perspectives, requirements, and current practice, the entirety of the information needed for this research project could not be provided by one source. The literature review assessed the current practice found in relevant literature, state DOT plans, and regional MPO plans. However, in order to dig deeper in the analysis, a survey was distributed to most existing transportation agencies. Additionally, the case examples allowed the research team to fully gain a comprehensive perspective of freight prioritization. |