Performance Measures for Sustainable Freight Movement (UTCM 09-37-15)

Freight movement by road and rail is a cornerstone of the economy of the United States. However, the movement of freight in the U.S. is increasingly impacted by congestion, overburdened infrastructure, and economic issues. Thus, there is a need to emphasize and improve sustainability of the freight system, by both enhancing the benefits of a robust freight system and minimizing the negative impacts freight movement can have on transportation corridors. In general, sustainability refers to providing for environmental stewardship, economic efficiency and social equity in the present as well as into the future. This project developed a framework and methodology to address the issues of freight sustainability at the transportation corridor level, i.e., for highways and rail facilities. Steps included defining the goals and objectives of sustainability pertaining to freight movement and developing appropriate performance measures that reflect progress toward these goals. A set of performance measures were developed to accommodate the specific needs of both urban and rural corridors. This research also developed a methodology for evaluating individual performance measures for a specific transportation corridor and combined them into an aggregate sustainability indicator. This process enables users to compare results for different corridors or for alternate development scenarios for a specific corridor. This project included a case study for a major freight corridor. The resulting tools provide an analysis methodology for departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, and other private- and public-sector officials to use in planning, project development, operations, and other aspects of their businesses.