Integration and Consolidation of Border Freight Transportation Data for Planning Applications (0-5339-1)

The quality of truck transportation handled in Texas increased dramatically in the 1990s especially after the full implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Accurate information on truck volumes and truck characteristics is critical to the transportation planning and transportation operation activities performed by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other agencies responsible for the freeway and roadway system in the state of Texas. Information for freight transportation planning, in particular truck-related data, is expensive and difficult to collect, but various agencies located at the Texas-Mexico border already gather information that is used for operation or statistical purposes. This report covering first-year activities identifies planning information needs, determine data that are being collected by various federal, state, and local agencies, and proposes. Second-year activities will involve collecting and analyzing loading characteristics of heavy vehicles associated with cross border trade required for determining infrastructure impacts.