Freight Capacity for the 21st Century: Committee for the Study of Freight Capacity for the Next Century (Special Report (National Research Council (U S) Transportation Research Board))

"TRB Special Report 271 - Freight Capacity for the 21st Century" recommends development of a national policy to promote better management and investment decisions in order to maintain and improve the capacity of the nation's freight system. Keeping up with growth in freight transportation requires better use of current facilities and the funding of projects with the biggest payoffs. To ensure adequate freight capacity, Congress and federal agencies must coordinate the activities of dozens of separately administered programs that affect the system. This report recommends four principles to guide decisions about using, enlarging, funding, or regulating the freight transportation system: capital improvements, such as new roads - as well as operating practices for public facilities - should aim for the greatest usefulness considering all costs; local, state, or federal governments should be involved only when they can do the job better than any other entity; whenever the primary benefits of a project are lower costs for the facility's users, user fees - not government subsidies - should pay for the capital and operating costs; and appropriate choices about financing arrangements should be made at the start of a project. SPECIAL REPORT 271: FREIGHT CAPACITY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY......Page 1 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2003 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*......Page 2 THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES......Page 5 Committee for the Study of Freight Capacity for the Next Century......Page 6 Preface......Page 7 Contents......Page 11 Executive Summary......Page 13 1 Introduction......Page 26 CHARGE TO THE COMMITTEE......Page 27 SOURCES OF CONCERN......Page 29 REFERENCES......Page 32 2 Freight Capacity as a Government Policy Issue......Page 33 PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITIES IN FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION......Page 34 IMMEDIATE POLICY ISSUES AFFECTING FREIGHT CAPACITY......Page 39 RECENT POLICY STATEMENTS......Page 55 REFERENCES......Page 57 TRENDS IN TRAFFIC, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND PERFORMANCE......Page 61 CASE STUDIES......Page 87 INDUSTRY INTERVIEWS......Page 113 REFERENCES......Page 114 4 Conclusions and Recommendations......Page 119 CONCLUSIONS......Page 120 RECOMMENDATIONS......Page 130 REFERENCES......Page 153 TRB STUDIES......Page 154 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION......Page 156 OTHER VIEWS......Page 159 REFERENCES......Page 162 Study Committee Biographical Information......Page 163 Committee For The Study Of Freight Capacity For The Next Century, Transportation Research Board. Includes Bibliographical References.