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1. CONSIDERATIONS FOR 21ST CENTURY FREIGHT MOVEMENT Dr. Steve Roop
Assistant Director 
Texas Transportation Institute  
3. Freight Transportation: Convergence of Critical Issues:  Over the Next Two Decades:
Increase demand on highways
Increase in maintenance expenditures
Decrease in funds available for capacity expansion
Diminishing returns on highway expenditures
Projected growth in freight 
Increased truck traffic
Environmental issues & restrictions
Homeland security constraints
Insufficient public funds available to address transportation needs 
4. 	
 
5. U.S. Domestic Freight Tonnage Growth Forecasts by Mode, 2000-2020 
6. Federal and State Expenditures for All Transportation Modes 
7. Obligation on Federal Funds for Roadway Projects by Improvement Types 
8. Transportation Fuel Considerations Oil Dependency 
9. Anticipating the Peak 
10. Anticipating the Peak 
14. Current Freight Issues Demand on highways is increasing while lane-miles remain constant 
15. Congested Highways, 2000Congestion Disrupts Freight-Truck Service by Making Trips Slower, Less Reliable, and More Expensive 
17. Highway Safety Highway Injuries & Fatalities
2.9 million injured persons in 2002
42,815 fatalities in 2002
Economic Impacts of Motor Vehicle Crashes
Crashes in the United States cost an estimated $231 billion; $820 per person; or 2% of the Gross Domestic Product
 
18. Current Freight Issues - Rail Transportation Public Policy Characterized By: 	
Growing recognition that freight rail is a critical component of the nations goods movement system
Actively seeking assistance from rail to stem the growing tide in freight volumes
 
19. Current Freight Issues - Rail Railroads are increasingly receptive to appropriately configured public-private partnership opportunities:
Alameda Corridor
Chicago CREATE Project 
Virginia I-81
Balance public-private benefits
Represents a major departure from historic, independent stance 
20. Current Freight Rail Issues  Public-Private Partnerships 
21. Miles of Rail Line in the US 
22. Railroad Productivity is Increasing 
23. Decline in Rail Rates Versus Other Modes Following Deregulation  
24. Declining Freight-Rail Revenue per Ton-Mile 
25. Class I Railroad Return on Investment Versus Cost of Capital  
26. Needed Capital Expenditures Exceed Class I Funds Available for Reinvestment  
27. Railroad Capital Needs are Far More Intensive Than Other Industries 
28. Emerging Freight Rail Strategy Railroads are beginning to evaluate revenues by each major commodity category
Network congestion, 
Crew and locomotive shortages,
Rising fuel prices 
An emerging business strategy may result in the shedding of some commodity groups:
Control volume of business in several key corridors and terminals 
Increase loads having higher profit margins
Recent decision to reduce aggregate car-loadings by 1/3 in Texas 
Require unit-train operations
   
29. Projected Rail Growth and Investment Over the Next 20 Years 
30. Projected Rail Growth and Investment Over the Next 20 Years 
31. Projected Rail Growth and Investment Over the Next 20 Years 
32. * Comparison of Constrained and Aggressive Investments The 20-year Cost of Failure to Invest in Freight Rail Infrastructure 
33. Current Freight Rail Funding Programs: Potential Approaches to Freight Rail Funding:
Rail User Fees/Surcharges (Alameda Corridor)
Direct Federal Appropriations
CMAQ Program Grants
Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA)
Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Finance Program (RRIF)
Borders and Corridors
Federal Tax-Credit Bond-Financing Programs
Tax Exempt Debt for Railroad Infrastructure
Infrastructure Tax Credit 
34. Critical Issues Affecting Trucking Trucking is the dominant freight mode
Carries approximately 90% of intercity freight
Industry revenues approaching 10 times that of rail
Has advantage in 
door-to-door flexibility  
Low market entry costs
Transit speed
Public right of way
 
35. Critical Issues Affecting Trucking Trucking concerns:
Highly competitive mode
Thin margins
High variable costs
Sensitivity to fuel prices
Driver issues
Recruitment
Training
Retention
Hours of service
Safety
Size and weight 
 
36. Desirable Characteristics for 21st Century Freight Movement  Separation of Freight and Passenger Traffic
Safety
Productivity
Grade Separation
Safety
Productivity
Alternative Energy Sources
Oil independence
Cost containment
Automation
Cost containment
Simplicity of Design
Reliability
Cost containment
Compatibility with JIT delivery strategies
Cost containment
Security 
37. Desirable Characteristics for 21st Century Freight Movement Separation of Freight and Passenger Traffic
Truck-only lanes
Truck toll facilities
Urban by-pass routes
Additional private-sector opportunities to design, build, operate, and maintain highway infrastructure  
38. Desirable Characteristics for 21st Century Freight Movement Energy Independence 
Evaluation of Alternatives
Policy Support  added incentives
Security
Inspection 
Tracking
Route designation 
39. 21st Century Freight Movement Needed: New Approaches  
Public-private cooperation
Additional funding
Trucking-rail alliances
Facility relocation 
Urban by-passes
New technologies  
40. Introduction to TransDec2.0A Multimodal / Multicriteria Decision Framework 
Texas Transportation Institute 
41. TransDec2.0 Multicriteria Approach
Decisions often require trade-offs
Contemplation of competing or conflicting objectives
Reliance on a variety of measures
Different scales
Variety of metrics
Objective and subjective factors
Need to consider measures other than dollars 
42. TransDec2.0 Provides a Framework Within Which to Rank and Select Alternative Projects
Results in a Single Index
Provides Component Contributions
Allows Modification and Updates
Stores, Reports, and Prints Results 
43. TransDec2.0 A Common Decision Framework:
Establish Broad Hierarchy of Goals
Safety
Environment
Mobility
Cost effectiveness
 Define Objectives that address each goal
Usually discrete efforts or processes
Select performance measures that reflect achievement of the objectives
Define rating scales and preferred outcomes 
44. TransDec2.0 Rating Scales  
Numerical
Project cost per pound of emissions eliminated (low value preferred)
Average free flow traffic speed (high value preferred)
Categorical Ratings or Rankings
High, Medium, Low  
Level of Service  A, B, C, D, F
Binary
Yes, No 
45. TransDec2.0 Combination of Diverse Scales and Measures is Accomplished by Mapping All Scales to a Universal 10-point Metric
 
46. TransDec2.0 Continuous Scale Mapping:
 
47. TransDec2.0 Once Criteria and Performance Measures are Established:
Define Alternative Projects
Collect and Input Data
Establish Objective Weights
Evaluate Project Alternatives
Independent (orthogonal)
Single Index
Component Displays 
48. TransDec2.0 In Summary:
TransDec is a Multicriteria
Cross Modal
Evaluation Framework
Each Evaluation May be Tailored to Situation / Need
Consensus Building Tool
Readily Understood and Communicated
Amenable to what-if Testing Through Alteration of Weights
 
49. TransDec2.0 Example:
Selecting One Project That Best Achieves Both Safety and Mobility Objectives 
Competing  Conflicting Objectives
Safety vs. mobility
Cost vs. impact  
Immediate vs. long term benefits
Differential Emphasis
What is valued  how are weights distributed?
Addition of New Criteria  
51. TransDec2.0 User Interface 
52. Presents a Step by Step Process 
53. Allows User to Define the Structure of the Evaluation 
54. Establish Measurement Scales Suited to the Issues at Hand 
55. Define Alternatives 
56. TransDec2.0 Forms an Evaluation Matrix Based on User Specifications 
57. TransDec2.0 Evaluation Reports 
58. TransDec2.0 Contact Information:
Dr. Steve Roop
Assistant Director 
Texas Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
College Station, TX 77843-3135
(979) 845-5817
s-roop@tamu.edu