aashto-fhwa freight partnership ii survey and meeting: fhwa perspective tony furst, fhwa-office of...

AASHTO-FHWA Freight Partnership II Survey and Meeting:FHWA PerspectiveTony Furst,

FHWA-Office of Freight Management & Operations

April 18, 2007

Federal Highway AdministrationU.S. Department of Transportation2

Meeting Overview February 13-16, 2007 in Natchez,

Mississippi Over 100 State DOT, FHWA, MPO and

Private Sector participants Meeting purpose:

Develop an understanding of the institutional and organizational changes needed to establish permanent freight capacity within organizations.

Understand the role of a freight champion. Understand modal and private sector

issues/concerns. Develop strategies and tactics to advance the

National Freight Policy. Identify future Freight Professional Development

needs and delivery mechanisms.


The Freight Survey

Purpose Prepare for the Freight Partnership II

Meeting Compare to 2005 Gather information to share with

Freight Stakeholders.

Responses State DOTs - 45 FHWA Division Offices – 52 MPOs and Regional Councils – 85


Survey Findings: How High a Priority is Freight Transportation in Your Organization?

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2005 2006/2007

Not at All

Not Very

Neutral

Somewhat

Extremely

FHWA Division Offices


0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2005 2006/2007

Not at All

Not Very

Neutral

Somewhat

Extremely

MPOs and Regional Councils

Survey Not Conducted with MPOs

and Regional Councils in

2005

Survey Findings: How High a Priority is Freight Transportation in Your Organization?


Survey Findings: What High Priority Freight Issues Do You Foresee in the Next 5-10 Yrs?

Congestion Commercial Vehicles Rail Intermodal

Connections/ Planning/Facilities

Water/Ports

Congestion Operations/Capacity Commercial Vehicles Security Funding/Resources

In Your State … For the Nation …

FHWA Division Offices2006/2007


Survey Findings: What High Priority Freight Issues Do You Foresee in the Next 5-10 Yrs?

Commercial vehicles Congestion Rail Intermodal

connections/ planning/facilities

Infrastructure Operations/Capacity

Congestion Operations/Capacity Funding/Resources Security Commercial vehicles Intermodal

connections/ planning/facilities

In Your Region/Locality … For the Nation …

MPOs and Regional Councils2006/2007


Freight Partnership II Meeting Freight Priorities/Issues

Issues heard during modal and private sector panel discussions: Growth in Freight Volumes Capacity / Efficiency / Reliability

People/Drivers Intermodal Facilities Rail Highway

Congestion Security Globalization/Changing Network Fuel/Environmental Concerns Modal/jurisdictional silos


Freight Partnership II Meeting Freight Priorities/Issues –

Resolutions:Systems Perspective

Develop a multimodal infrastructurePlan for multi-jurisdictional freight movements

Develop and nurture partnerships

EducationStaffPolitical leadersGeneral population


Survey Findings: Freight Leadership

Yes

Somewhat

No

Yes

Somewhat

No

Does your organization have an individual in a leadership position who actively advances priority freight initiatives?

Does the leadership in your organization recognize the importance of freight transportation needs in your State?

FHWA Division Offices


Survey Findings: Freight Leadership

Yes

Somewhat

No

Yes

Somewhat

No

Does your organization have an individual in a leadership position who actively advances priority freight initiatives?

Does the leadership in your organization recognize the importance of freight transportation needs in your region or locality?

MPOs and Regional Councils


Freight Partnership II Meeting Freight Champions

Freight champion’s role is evolving Qualities of a freight champion:

Passionate Persistent Visible Knowledgeable Able to build relationships Influential

Having a champion and establishing institutional capacity provides a place for partners to connect.


Survey Findings: Freight Planning from MPO/Regional Council Responses

55% of MPO respondents have a freight plan or a freight element in their long range plan.

64% of MPO respondents move less than half their freight projects to implementation.

MPO’s identified barriers to implementing projects Limited funding/resources Understanding of freight projects/needs Sporadic freight industry involvement


Freight Partnership II Discussion

Freight Planning

Freight is multi-jurisdictional by nature.

Funding is an issue, innovative financing needs consideration

Need to stop operating in stovepipes

Need assistance developing freight plans


National Freight Policy Framework

Vision:The United States freight transportation system will ensure the efficient, reliable, safe and secure movement of goods and support the nation’s economic growth while improving environmental quality.

Objective

2Objective

3Objective

4Objective

5Objective

6Objective

7Objective

1

Vision

Objectives

Strategies

Tactics

Responsibilities/ tasks

ResponsibilityTask Federal State Local Private




7 Objectives Improve the operations of the existing freight transportation

system

Add physical capacity to the freight transportation system in places where investment makes economic sense

Use pricing to better align freight system costs and benefits and encourage the deployment of new technologies

Reduce/remove statutory, regulatory, & institutional barriers to improved freight transportation performance

Proactively identify and address emerging transportation needs

Maximize the safety and security of the freight transportation system

Mitigate and better manage the environmental, health, and community impacts of freight transportation.


Survey Findings: National Freight Policy Framework - MPO/Regional Council Responses

60% of the MPO/Regional Council respondents were not aware of the policy framework.

76% of the MPO/Regional Council respondents weren’t planning on implementing activities as part of the policy framework.


Freight Partnership II Meeting National Freight Policy Framework Workshop to identify activities that

advance the policy framework. Participants organized into groups by region

Participants collectively identified: 2 new objectives. 1 modification to an objective - separating

safety and security (objective 6) into 2 objectives

19 new strategies 29 new tactics & 10 revised tactics 55 new activities


National Freight Policy Framework – Common Tactics

TacticNumber of Activities Identified

Identified as Priority Issue in

Survey?

6.4.1 (NEW)- Establish a program for long-term truck parking facilities along the NHS.

8 yes

7.2.5 (NEW) - Develop a marketing and education campaign targeting community leaders

5

1.1.1 – Focus on bottlenecks. 4 yes

2.1.1 – Focus DOT attention on facilitating SAFETEA-LU designated “Projects of National or Regional Significance” likely to generate the greatest economic returns.

4

4.1.2 – Review public sector statutes, regulations, institutional arrangements and human capital for opportunities to improve freight operations.

4

5.1.4 – Improve analytical tools (e.g. Freight Analysis Framework, Freight Model Improvement Program).

4 yes


National Freight Policy Framework – Discussion Items

Market the Policy.

Address funding in the Policy.

Continue to add to and enhance the Policy.


Survey Findings: Freight Professional Development from FHWA and MPO/Regional Council Responses Engaging the Private Sector is the top

training need 55% of the FHWA Division Office respondents feel

they need beginner level training 89% of the MPO/Regional Council respondents feel

they need intermediate to advanced training. Respondents prefer:

in-person workshops and seminars, peer to peer exchanges, web-based training, and conferences/seminars.


Freight Partnership II Meeting Freight Professional Development

Top training needs identified: Engaging with Freight Stakeholders…and

Keeping Them Engaged General Freight Planning

Freight ForecastingFreight Data and Performance Measures

Financing Freight Projects Freight 101 course discussed by several

groups. Basic freight education with high level training

on the various freight topics (planning, financing, data, etc.)


Freight Partnership II Meeting Freight Professional Development

Preferred delivery mechanisms: In-person workshops Peer exchanges Web-based training Computer-based training Primers, brochures, presentations Best Practices


Freight Partnership II Meeting Freight Professional Development Cont.

Alternative delivery mechanisms Regional multi-modal “field trips”.

Two to three month executive exchange

Expose leaders to other organizations and bring learning back to the home organization.

Short executive-level freight movie.

Video for general audiences.

Sharing across state boundaries


Freight Professional Development –Discussion Items More marketing/outreach needed on Freight

Professional Development opportunities that exist. Start an understanding of freight movement early,

at the grade school level. Offer “Freight 101”/Introductory level Freight

Course to State DOT and MPO staff. Consider requiring Freight training as a

requirement for advancement. Conduct regional freight scans to complement

national and international scans. We need tools to help us educate others about

freight.


Survey Findings: Next Steps for FHWA

Provide training/technical assistance/education/outreach

Provide support as needed

Promote networking with stakeholders

Assist with data collection efforts/ develop analytical tools


Next Steps: Partnership II Meeting

Freight Policy Framework Continue to identify strategies, tactics, and

activities – All Stakeholders Develop strategies, tactics, and activities that were

started in Natchez – Meeting Participants Commit to implementing identified activities –

Meeting Participants Input Freight Policy Framework information into

online database- FHWA Hold regional web conferences/roundtables for

states/regions to do further work on identifying strategies, tactics, and activities – FHWA

Hold follow up outreach for the State DOTs and MPOs who did not get an opportunity for input into the strategies, tactics, and activities – FHWA & AASHTO


Next Steps: Partnership II Meeting

Freight Professional Development\

Address freight professional development needs that were identified during the meeting – FHWA & AASHTO

Develop channels of communication to share information about freight professional development opportunities - FHWA & AASHTO

Develop marketing materials to advertise freight professional development opportunities: FHWA

Comprehensive course catalogue Brochures/Fact Sheets More comprehensive online information Quarterly emails through the Freight Planning LISTSERV

Provide guidance for developing a freight plan - FHWA

aashto-fhwa freight partnership ii survey and meeting: fhwa perspective tony furst, fhwa-office of...

Documents

freight transportation

freight leadership

freight stakeholders

freight champion

department of transportation

freight survey purpose

federal highway administration

high priority freight