Fast-Forward: Key Issues in Modernizing the U.S. Freight-Transportation System for Future Economic Growth

Preface......Page 4
Contents......Page 8
Figures......Page 12
Tables......Page 16
Summary......Page 18
Acknowledgments......Page 34
Abbreviations......Page 36
Freight-Transportation Issues......Page 40
The Questions We Addressed......Page 52
Stakeholder Interviews......Page 54
Meta-Analysis of Existing Studies......Page 59
CHAPTER THREE - Evolution and State of the U.S. Freight-Transportation System......Page 62
Most Freight Is Moved by Truck......Page 63
Freight Ton-Miles Are Distributed Nearly Equally on Railways and Highways......Page 66
The Ton-Miles Associated with Both Truck and Rail Have Shown Substantial Growth Recently......Page 67
Bulk Commodities Make Up Most Goods Movement in Terms of Ton-Miles......Page 68
Freight Trucking and Highways......Page 69
Rail and Rail Operations......Page 72
Intermodal Freight Shipments......Page 82
Information Systems Play a Vital Role in Long-Distance Freight Transportation......Page 83
International Freight Volumes......Page 84
Social Effects of Freight Transportation......Page 89
Economic Effects......Page 90
Environmental Effects......Page 91
Energy Use and Greenhouse-Gas Emissions......Page 92
Safety......Page 93
Congestion......Page 95
CHAPTER FOUR - Determinants of Highway, Rail, and Port Capacity......Page 98
Recent Economic Slowdown......Page 99
Highway Freight Capacity......Page 100
Rail-Freight Capacity......Page 110
Port Capacity......Page 116
Port and Terminal Productivity Measures......Page 118
Identifying the Key Issues......Page 124
Issue 1: Increasing the Capacity of the U.S. National and International Freight Systems Through Operational Improvementsand Selective Infrastructure Enhancement......Page 125
Issue 2: Creating an Adaptable, Less Vulnerable, and More ResilientFreight-Transportation System......Page 135
Issue 3: Addressing the Energy and Environmental Issues Associated with Freight Transportation......Page 138
Issue 4: Making the Case for Public and Private Investmentin Freight-Transportation Infrastructure and for Establishing Sustainable Priorities for Funding......Page 140
Final Comment......Page 146
Bibliography......Page 148