In this session at the 2016 National Regional Transportation Conference, Crystal Jones, Federal Highway Administration, provided an informational overview of freight data, freight and land use, and freight corridors.

1. Building Freight Planning Skills
for Small MPO and Rural
Transportation Planners
Crystal Jones
FHWA Office of Freight Management
and Operations

2. Part 1:
Using and Understanding
Freight Data

3. Why Do You Need Freight Data?
• To Improve Decision-Making Process
• To Use Public Fiscal Resources as Judiciously
as Possible
• To Effectively Plan for Freight Projects and
Programs
• To Evaluate and Monitor Impacts of Freight
Policies
• To Support Transportation Performance
Management Requirements

4. Passenger and Freight Differences
Freight requires different data because
freight is different.
How?
• Decision makers may differ
• Private ownership of key facilities/infrastructure
• No leisure freight transport
• Time of day, day of week variances
• Business cycles strongly influence volume
• Regulatory restrictions on operations

5. Freight Data Uses: Major Categories
• Strategy, Policy and Development
• Needs Identification, Project/Program Selection,
Prioritization, and Evaluation
• System Management and Operations
• Performance Management

6. Freight Data Uses: Major Categories
Strategy, Policy and Development
• Policy and Regulation
• Permits, routing, access
management
• Safety and Security
• Economic Development and Impact
• Visioning and Scenario Planning
Example: Develop policy for new truck rest areas
Source: New York Times

7. Freight Data Uses: Major Categories
Needs Identification, Project/Program
Selection, Prioritization and Evaluation
Modeling & forecasting of freight data supports
all of these processes & products
Processes
• Needs Identification
• Project Selection Criteria
• Project Prioritization
• Investment and Funding Analysis
Products
• Long range plans
• TIPs, STIPs
• Corridor studies
• Special studies
Example:
Freight Bottleneck Study
Source: Kay Nietfeld/European Pressphoto Agency

8. Freight Data Uses: Major Categories
System Management and Operations
• Operations: Short Term and Long Term
• Emergency Response
• Pavement, Bridge,
Environmental
and Safety Management
Example: Assess implications
of freight-intensive event Source: New York Times

9. Freight Data Uses: Major Categories
Performance Management
• Investment trade-offs and consequences
• Public communication on system performance
• Freight targets and measures
Example: Establish state or regional freight
performance measures

10. Freight Analytical Applications:
Overview
Data is applied to characterize, understand, and
plan for freight transportation
Freight applications include:
– Freight trend analysis,
– Freight projection and forecasting,
– Freight impact analysis…
Freight application can be stand-alone or a
component of a larger effort

11. Freight Data Definitions and Terminology
What Makes Up Freight?
Economic Structure
Type of Businesses, Number of Households
Logistics Industry Patterns
Supply Chains, Distribution Networks
Freight Infrastructure/Modes
Highways, Rail Lines, Ports, Access Roads...
Traffic Flows
Trucks, Planes, Rail, Vessels Cars...
OrganizationandPublicPolicy
Ownership,Regulation,Pricing...
Source: Cambridge Systematics

12. Freight Data – You Already Use It!
• Vehicle Classification Counts
• Crash Data
• Oversize/Overweight Permits
• Motor Carrier Citation Data

13. What are the Primary Freight
Data Sources?
Administrative Records
Surveys
Technology Derived
Integrated Datasets/Databases

14. Data Sources: Collection
Approaches
Administrative Records
– Required Reporting (Government or
Private Sector)
• Permit Data
• Railroad Waybills
Technology Derived
– Collected at the State, Regional and Local Levels
• Sensors/Loops
• Weigh in Motion
• Video camera
• Traffic counters
• Cellular/GPS/Bluetooth

15. Data Sources:
Survey Collection Approaches
Shipper Surveys
– Usually Multimodal in Nature
Carrier Surveys
– Single mode generally
– Example: Road Side Intercept Survey
Travel Diaries
– Driver Based (Truck)

16. Freight Data Types
Economic Data describes socioeconomic
conditions: employment, output,
land use, population
Network and
System
Performance
Amount and location of networks
Timeliness, Quality, Volumes
Vehicle/
Equipment
Information on transport mechanism
Shipment and
Flow
Summarizes movement, transfer of
goods

17. Freight Data Type: Economic
Used to Understand:
• Economic Output and Productivity
• Relationship Between Economic Activity and
Demand for Freight
• Freight Production and Consumption Patterns

18. Freight Data Type: Economic
Used to Generate:
• Economic forecasts
• Analysis of future growth by industry,
commodity and geographic pattern
• Integration with other data sources (Example:
shipment/flow data)

19. Freight Data Type: Economic
Public sources
– Federal Agencies (Bureau of Economic
Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US
Census Bureau)
– State Economic Development Offices, State
Treasuries, Universities, and Research
Institutions
Commercial Sources
– Global Insight
– Moody’s
– Dun and Bradstreet

20. Freight Data Type:
Vehicle and Equipment
Used To
• Provide Inputs into Traffic Studies
• Understand Freight Volumes and Counts
• Link to Land Use and Environmental Studies
• Assess Usage of Networks and Facilities
• Provide input to calculate trip generation and
distribution rates

21. Freight Data Type:
Vehicle and Equipment
Inventory Describes state of fleets for age,
composition, geography, status
Registration Provides information on number of
vehicles, equipment and type
Utilization Typically includes estimates of
mileage, routes, O/D, ports of call

22. Freight Data Type:
Vehicle and Equipment
Example Data Sources:
• Vehicle Registration Databases
• Permitting Databases (Overweight/Size)
• Highway Performance Monitoring System
(HPMS) (FHWA)
• Rail car equipment
– Association of American Railroads (AAR)
• Waterborne (Vessel fleet)
– US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

23. Freight Data Type:
Network and System Performance
Used To
• Describe Network Condition and Operational
Characteristics
• Perform Network Capacity Analyses
• Assess Freight Mobility and Access
• Analyze Network Usage

24. Freight Data Type:
Network and System Performance
Used To
• Perform System Performance Analyses
– Reliability (on-time delivery against schedule)
– Speed
– Price (cost, base rate + extra fees)
– Safety
– Loss and damage incidence
– Compliance with regulations / laws / standards
– Environmental impact (emissions)

25. Freight Data Type:
Network and System Performance
Network Describes amount, location and
condition of networks
Usage of
Network by
Vehicle and
Equipment
Vehicle or equipment network
usage, volumes, counts
Performance
Characteristics
Travel time, safety

26. Freight Data Type:
Network and System Performance
Data Source Types:
• Network (Multimodal, Truck, Rail, Water)
• Roadway-based
– Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS)
– National Performance Management Research Data Set
(NPMRDS)
• Rail-based
• Maritime-based
• Aviation-based

27. Freight Data Type: Shipment/Flow
Used to:
• Understand Multiple Dimensions of Goods
Movement/Freight Activity
• Enables Market Analysis by commodity types,
industry and trade partners
• Understand relationship between private supply
chains, the economy and freight

28. Freight Data Type: Shipment/Flow
Shipper-based Sources:
– Commodity Flow Survey (CFS)
– International Trade Statistics
Carrier-based Sources:
– Rail Waybill
– Waterborne Commerce Statistics
– PIERS (commercial)

29. Freight Data Type:
Integrated Datasets/Databases
Used to:
• Understand Multiple Dimensions of Goods
Movement/Freight Activity
• Enables Trends Analysis by Various Modes
and other Freight Indicators
• Understand National and Some
Sub-National Freight Activity

30. Freight Data Type:
Integrated Datasets/Databases
Used To Answer Specific Questions
• How much freight passes through my metro area, state,
and particular major corridors?
• Where is the freight passing through my region coming
from and going to?
• What is the commodity mix of the freight passing through
my state?
• What’s the general level of truck activity in my state?
• What’s the current and projected levels of highway
congestion?

31. Freight Data Type:
Integrated Datasets/Databases
Are not primary sources, but a collection of
multiple sources – survey, census, shipper, carrier,
public and commercial, estimates of assigned
flows, etc.
Examples:
• Freight Analysis Framework
• TRANSEARCH (Commercial)
• Regional and/or State Based Efforts

32. Freight Data Challenges - Overview
– Understand definitional differences between
specific data sources
– Understand collection methods differences and
how this can influence data quality
– Recognize that there is no “one” dataset that
will meet your need
– Become familiar with data documentation
– Supplementing with local data sources may be
necessary based on need/use

33. Freight Data Challenges &
Opportunities: Specific Data Issues
• Geography
• Know what you are getting.
• What do the transfer points and origins/destinations
represent?
• Coverage
• Does source cover the full industry, full commodity
detail? All modal activity? Entire system?
• Modal
• How are intermodal shipments accounted for?
• Supply Chain
• Likely won’t get the full supply chain, but segments of
it

34. Freight Data Challenges:
Organizational and Staffing
• Staff Knowledge/Skill Sets
• New and rapidly evolving freight/transportation data has been
difficult to keep up with;
• Understanding and using new data creatively to “tell the story”
challenging
• Staff Time
• Agency staff (whether MPO or DOT) are “beyond busy”, so taking
on new work and developing necessary skill sets extremely
difficult;
• Attrition in planning staff and transportation agency staff generally
is having substantial impact (less people = more work)

35. Noteworthy Uses and Applications
WHY:
What was the Freight Need?
What was the Specific Question Asked?
WHAT:
What were the Freight Data Uses?
What analytical methods were used with the data?
HOW:
How were freight data used?
Which types of freight data were used?

36. Strategy, Policy and Development:
Southern California Association of
Governments (SCAG)
WHY:
Overall Need: Develop Truck Bottlenecks Strategy to
support Comprehensive Regional Goods Movement Plan
Specific Questions
• What are the highest priority truck bottlenecks in the
SCAG region and counties
• How can we raise the profile of freight related
projects?
• Where are there opportunities to leverage funding for
freight projects?

37. Strategy, Policy and Development:
SCAG
WHAT:
Undertook following steps to address bottlenecks
strategy
• Define truck highways
• Identify high/medium/low priority truck bottlenecks
through data assessment and stakeholder input
• Map bottleneck locations and roadway improvement
projects listed in long range and short range
transportation plans
• Overlay analysis: Bottlenecks and Existing Projects
• Develop project concepts

38. Map of High-Priority SCAG Region Truck
Bottlenecks & Locations of Planned Projects

39. Strategy, Policy and Development:
SCAG
HOW:
Types of Freight Data used
• Highway Network
• Truck Classification count
• Heavy (5 axles and more) truck
• Caltrans PeMS (Performance Measurement System)
• Truck Probe data
• Transportation Plans

40. Strategy, Policy and Development:
SCAG
OUTCOME:
• Defined key truck highways
• Defined priority truck bottlenecks
• Identified planned improvement projects and
determined which bottleneck projects are “top priority”
• Developed new project concepts for several
bottlenecks where no projects already are in the
pipeline
• Also examined potential lower cost strategies for
certain high-priority bottlenecks that could provide
interim improvements while larger projects await

41. Needs Identification, Project/Program
Selection, Prioritization & Evaluation:
Bangor, Maine
WHY:
• Identify critical truck corridors
and changes over time
• Identify Investment Priorities in
those corridors
• Is there potential to
re-route truck traffic?
• Where are deficiencies in critical
truck routes?

42. Needs Identification, Project/Program
Selection, Prioritization & Evaluation:
Bangor, Maine
HOW
• Determine external/internal truck traffic split by facility
type
• Forecast truck traffic growth
• Calculate and apply composite growth rates
• Available Data
• Classification counts
• Vehicle registration data
• Regional economic forecasts (output and employment)
• Passenger model socioeconomic data and forecasts

43. Needs Identification, Project/Program
Selection, Prioritization & Evaluation:
Bangor, Maine
OUTCOME
• Identified routes with high truck growth and investment
needs
• Gained an improved understanding of freight activities
and changes to local access routes
• Tailored transportation investments to most critical areas

44. Applying Freight Data: Summary
• Freight data can be used to answer many real-
world questions
• Will usually need to combine different categories
and types of data
• Be aware of the differences in definitions,
coverage and quality when combining and
applying freight data

45. Presentation Part 2:
Examining Freight and Land Use

46. Understanding the Importance of
Freight and Land Use Coordination
• How Freight Works
• Freight Land Use
• Why this Matters Now: Key Trends Impacting
Freight and Land Use
• Coordinating Freight and Land Use

47. What is Freight? What is Land Use?
• Freight – Conveyance of goods on the
transportation system
• Land Use – the purposes for which we use land
• Freight land uses – facilities that generate,
handle, or receive freight
• Conflicts result from:
• Failure to account for freight impacts
• Failure to account for freight needs

48. Shippers and Receivers
Private Sector Freight Stakeholders
Private-Sector
Freight
Stakeholders
Carriers
Truck, Rail, Marine
Terminals, Air Cargo
Manufacturer, Cargo Owner,
or Consignee
Logistics or Supply Chain
Managers
Key Freight-Dependent
Industries, 3rd Party Logistics
Land Developers
Industrial, Commercial, and
Residential
Warehouse and Distribution
Center
Owners or Operators
Industry and Advocacy
Groups
Chamber of Commerce, Industry
Associations, Economic
Development

49. Land Use Considerations
• Freight transportation networks require
infrastructure, terminals
• Businesses desire easy, reliable access to
terminals
• Freight transportation can impact communities
the systems pass through

50. Freight Land Uses –
Freight Generating Facilities
• A place where
shipments originate,
including agricultural
and raw materials
extraction facilities,
production facilities,
and manufacturing
facilities

51. Freight Land Uses –
Freight Handling Centers
• A place where
shipments are
assembled,
distributed, or
transferred from
one mode to
another

52. Freight Land Uses –
Freight Receiving Centers
• A place where
shipments are
being delivered

53. National Freight Volumes
Are Growing
NetFreightTons(inBillions)
Year
Source: USDOT Freight Analysis Framework, version 3.2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2007 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
Multiple/Other (6.7%)
Pipeline (9.7%)
Air (0.1%)
Water (3.6%)
Rail (10.7%)
Truck (69.3%)
Legend
Mode (Share of 2007 Tons)

54. Changing Supply Chains
• Supply chains are changing, driven by factors
such as:
• Globalization versus on-shoring or near-shoring
• Fuel price volatility
• Major infrastructure changes (i.e., Panama Canal
expansion)
• E-commerce

55. Changing Land Use Patterns –
Development of Megaregions
• Development of
Megaregions
• Concentrated
population centers
• Urban areas
growing
• Declining population
in rural regions
• Increased competition
for urban land
• Different population
patterns for freight to
serve
• Increased congestion
on urban
transportation system

56. Land Use Trends
• Encroachment of
incompatible land uses
• Greenfield, brownfield and
grayfield development
• Smart Growth
• Conversion of abandoned rail
corridors

57. How Does Freight Relate to Land Use?
Freight Land Use Issues
•Where to locate
•How to operate safely & efficiently
•Site design
Producers of Freight
•Industries
•Business
Carriers of Freight
•Trucks, rail, air,
marine
Consumers of Freight
•Business
•Homes
•Industries
•Safety Concerns
•Congestion, wear and tear
•On-time delivery needs (fresh food,
etc.)
•Maximize benefits of jobs, GDP,
goods & service
•Minimize environmental&
community impacts
•Receive goods on time!

58. Accessibility Is the Link Between
Transportation and Land Use
Supply
Demand
TRANSPORTATION LAND USE
• Density
• Diversity
• Design
• Location
Accessibility
Accessibility

59. Why Coordinate Freight and Land
Use?
Capture the economic benefits of freight
Minimize the negative impacts
Necessary to respond to trends:
Growing freight volumes
Growing populations
Increasing land use / freight conflicts

60. Land Use Decisions
Impact Freight Movements
Negative:
• Congestion
• Emissions and safety
concerns
• Land consumption
• Lack of coordination
has unintended
consequences
Positive:
• Intermodal
accessibility
• Access to jobs
• Access to goods
and services

61. Planning Processes and Participants
• Transportation and Land Use Planning
Processes
• Linking Land Use and Transportation Planning

62. Direct Involvement
Funding State and MPOs
National Freight Policy
Regulations and Standards
Law enforcement
Indirect Involvement
Motoring public
Consumers
Community groups
Federal
Public Sector Planning Participants
Land Use:
State Planning
Department,
environmental
agency
Transportation:
State
Department of
Transportation
(DOT)
State
Land Use:
Regional
Planning
Commission
(RPC)
Transportation:
Metropolitan
Planning
Organization
(MPO), Port
Authority, transit
agency
Regional
Land Use:
Municipal and
county planning
departments,
zoning officials
Transportation:
Municipal or county
transportation,
highway, and/or
public works
departments
Local

63. Land Use and Transportation
Planning Processes
Regional
Visioning
Local Comprehensive
Planning
Development Review
and Permitting
Area/
Neighborhood
Plans
Zoning/Development Regulations
and Guidelines
Project Implementation
Public
Facility Plans
Land Use
Long-Range Transportation
Plan
Corridor and
Area Plans
Functional
Plans (Modal,
Freight..)
Project Programming
Project Development
Project Implementation
Transportation
Economic
Development
Planning

64. Comprehensive Plan
• “Development
Guidebook”
• Inventory of existing
conditions
• Goals and objectives
• Plan policies
• Implementation
measures
• Future land use map

65. Zoning Code
• Zoning controls the
physical development
of land by mandating
land uses and
intensities

66. Subdivision Regulations
• Establish process for
reviewing proposed
subdivisions
• May require design features:
• Size and configuration of plats
and buildings
• Infrastructure standards (water, sewer, etc.)
• Sufficiency of streets and highways
• Public safety considerations
• Protect environmental or community resources

67. Land Use Permitting
• Process of review and approval of
developments
• Conflicts may arise that take a
long time to negotiate and resolve
• Relies on clear understanding of
the process and what is allowed /
prohibited

68. Transportation Planning Factors
• Support economic vitality
• Increase safety
• Increase security
• Increase accessibility and mobility
• Protect and enhance the environment
• Enhance connectivity across and between
modes
• Promote efficient system management and
operation
• Preserve the existing transportation system

69. Local Products
• Comprehensive Plan
• Circulation Plan/Study
• Neighborhood/Area plans
State Products
• Long Range Statewide
Transportation Plan
• Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program (STIP)
• Functional and modal plans
• Special plans and studies
Transportation Planning Products
MPO Products
• Regional Transportation Plan
(RTP or LRTP)
• Transportation Improvement
Program (TIP)
• Unified Planning Work
Program (UPWP)
• Congestion Management
Process (CMP)
• Special plans and studies

70. Key Freight Considerations in
Transportation Planning
• Understand freight characteristics
• Increase private freight sector participation
• Account for freight needs
• Link freight mobility to other community goals

71. Economic Development Plan
• Identify economic
performance trends
• Recognize assets and
opportunities
• Establish goals to nurture
existing and emerging
industries
• Identify strategies and
programs to achieve goals

72. Link Between Freight and
Economic Vitality
Supply Chain
Benefits
Logistics
Inventory
Distribution
Access to Suppliers
Transportation
Investments
Capacity
Operations and
Maintenance
Preservation
Direct
Transportation
Impacts
Travel Time,
Cost, Safety
Reliability
Accessibility to
Markets
Direct
Economic
Benefits
Reduced Cost of
Doing Business
Business/ Tourism
Attraction
Income
Jobs
GDP
Cheaper Goods to
Consumers

73. Linking Land Use and
Transportation Planning
• Regional actions:
• Establish regional vision
• Provide technical assistance
• Local actions:
• Adopt transportation strategies into the comprehensive
plan and zoning ordinance
• Ensure consistent project selection criteria

74. Planning for Freight Needs
and Impacts
• Factors that Influence Location Decisions
• Freight’s Land Use Needs
• Incorporating Freight Needs into Planning

75. Site Selection Process
Planning
and
Strategy
Network
Modeling
Location
Screening
Field
Validation
Cost
Modeling
Final
Negotiations
and Location
Selection
Defined Strategy
and Evaluation
Criteria
Universe of
Location
Candidates
Shortlist of
Locations
Preferred
and
Alternate
Locations
Source: NCFRP Report 13

76. Key Location Criteria
Source: NCFRP Report 13
Location Criteria
Access to key markets/customers
Interaction with transportation network
Labor and workforce
Total cost environment
Availability and cost of suitable facilities
Utilities
Permitting and regulation
Tax environment
Public sector assistance and incentives
Climate and natural habitat

77. Other Influencing Factors
• Personalities / politics involved
• Sophistication of / reliance on computer models
• Dynamic nature of the supply chain
• Fuel costs and resulting mode choice decisions
• Congestion and capacity issues within key
transportation nodes

78. Freight and Land Use Strategies
Adequate Loading
Appropriate and
Coordinated Land Use
Policies
Effective Operations
and Management
Policies
Effective Transportation
Systems and Services
Education and
Outreach
Traffic Impacts
Geometric Design
Space for Operations
Access Management
Safety and Security
Freight Villages
Brownfield
Redevelopment
Industrial
Preservation
Collaboration and
Target Setting
Freight Needs Freight as a Good
Neighbor
Sustainable
Freight Land Use

79. Adequate Loading Areas:
Urban Districts
• Designated loading zones in
commercial and industrial
areas
• Loading areas that are
available during peak
periods of truck demand
• Strictly enforced parking and
loading zone rules to ensure
compliance

80. Adequate Loading Areas:
Suburban Retail Centers
• Adequate loading dock
space
• Adequate space for truck
maneuvering
• Limited interaction with
passenger vehicles
• Truck parking facilities

81. Geometric Design
of the Freight System
• Sufficient turning radii for
trucks
• Avoiding “blind corners”
• Vertical clearances for
trucks and rail
• Sufficient rail track and
siding lengths

82. Sufficient Space for Operations
• Freight land uses can
require significant
space
• Room to expand if
business grows
• Ability to operate
without impacting
neighbors

83. Access Management
• Intersection and driveway
spacing along access routes
• Safe turning lanes
• Right-of-way management

84. Other Freight Land Use Planning
Challenges?
• Freight needs change with economic cycles,
demographic and market shifts, and
technological advancements
• Comprehensive plans and regional visions do
not always set aside the most appropriate land
• Zoning does not always require provisions for
freight geometric and safety needs

85. Critical Success Factors
• Provide guidance for freight land uses in
regional and local plans
• Invite the private sector to the table for regional /
local planning discussions
• Help public officials to understand freight’s
needs
• Write specific policies and regulations that
support the development and siting of freight
facilities

86. Freight Impacts
Positive Impacts/Benefits
• Jobs
• Tax revenue
• Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) output
• Access to goods and
services
Negative Impacts
• Noise and vibration
• Odors
• Light pollution
• Air/water pollution
• GHG and PM emissions

87. Appropriate and Coordinated Land
Use Policies
• Regional visioning and scenario planning
• Using zoning to limit impacts
• Create buffers and separation around freight land
uses
• Industrial space development incentives
• Promote context-sensitive solutions

88. Effective Transportation Systems
and Services
• Effective truck route networks
• Safe and available truck parking
• Remove or mitigate at-grade rail crossings
• Freight-exclusive transportation facilities

89. Effective Operations and
Management Policies
• Encourage off-peak delivery
• Use Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
• Reduce or mitigate freight carrier noise

90. Sustainability Benefits of Freight
and Land Use Integration
• Contain “Freight sprawl”
• Reduce air pollution
• Climate change mitigation
• Economic development benefits
• Decreased congestion and transportation system
wear and tear
• Environmental justice

91. Freight and Air Quality
Transportation Freight
PM Emissions GHG Emissions
Marine
Vessels
28%
Off-Road
Diesel
Equip.
24%
Diesel
Trucks and
Buses
16%
Passenger
Trans-
portation
15%
Other
10%
Railroads
5%
Heavy-
Duty
Vehicles
1%
Air Cargo
1%
Trucking
68%
Pipeline
5%Air Cargo
5%
Freight Rail
8%
Marine
14%

92. Sustainable Freight Land Use –
Strategies
GOALS
• Accommodate freight
in urbanized areas
• Cluster freight
developments (target
impacts)
STRATEGIES
• Freight villages
• Brownfields
redevelopment
• Industrial
Preservation
• Collaboration and
Target Setting

93. Strategy: Freight Villages
Defined area of freight and logistics facilities providing
supply chain and supporting services

94. Strategy: Brownfield Redevelopment
• Redevelopment of
abandoned, vacant, or
underutilized land into
industrial facilities
• Offset remediation costs
with review and permitting
streamlining / incentives

95. Strategy: Industrial Preservation
• Designated
manufacturing or
industrial districts
• Use of form-based or
performance zoning to
reduce external impacts
• Preserve freight
transportation access
Manufacturing-
Industrial Centers in
the Central Puget
Sound Region

96. Freight Sustainability Conclusions
Freight sustainability maximizes contributions to economy,
environment, and communities while reducing negative
impacts
Impacts
• Freight sprawl
• Increased GHG emissions
• Climate Change
• Economic Development
• Environmental Justice
Strategies
• Freight villages
• Brownfield redevelopment
• Industrial preservation
• Better communication /
coordination
• Reduce particulate matter
• Reduce GHG emission
• Anti-idling strategies
• Environmental Justice efforts
• Use of INVEST

97. Freight and Land Use Handbook
• Describes concepts presented
in this presentation
• Detailed examples
• References

98. Part 3:
Freight Corridors

99. FAST Act –
National Highway Freight Program
• The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act
(FAST Act) created the National Highway
Freight Program (NHFP)
• NHFP will provide $6.3 billion over five years
• As part of the NHFP, a National Highway Freight
Network (NHFN) was established
• The NHFN has four components:
• Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS)
• Interstate Highways not on the PHFS
• Critical Urban Freight Corridors (CUFC)
• Critical Rural Freight Corridors

100. Primary Highway Freight System
• Is network of highways identified as the most
critical highway portions of the U.S. freight
transportation system
• The initial network consists of 41,518 centerline
miles of highways
• Network will be redesignated every five years
• Each redesignation is limited to a 3% increase in
mileage

101. Critical Urban Freight Corridors
• Will be located in U.S. Census Bureau-
designated urbanized areas (population greater
than 50,000 people)
• Designated by either the state DOT or MPO
• Urbanized areas > 500,000 population – designated
by the MPO in consultation with the state DOT
• Urbanized areas < 500,000 population – designated
by the state DOT in consultation with the MPO

102. Critical Urban Freight Corridors
• Must be publicly-owned roadways
• Must meet one or more of the following
elements:
• Connects an intermodal facility to the PHFS, an Interstate
Highway, or an intermodal freight facility
• Functions as an alternative freight route to a parallel PHFS
corridor
• Serves a major freight generator, logistics center, or industrial
manufacturing or warehouse development
• Is important to freight movements within its region, as
determined by the State or MPO

103. Critical Rural Freight Corridors
• Will be located outside of U.S. Census Bureau-
designated urbanized areas (population less
than 50,000 people)
• Designated by the state (no official requirement
for states to work with existing, rural
transportation planning organizations to
designate corridors)

104. Critical Rural Freight Corridors
• Must be publicly-owned roadways
• Must meet one or more of the following
elements:
• Is a rural principal arterial and has a minimum of 25% truck
annual average daily traffic (AADT)
• Provides access to energy exploration, development,
installation, or production areas
• Connects the PHFS or Interstate System to facilities that handle
more than 50,000 20-foot equivalent units per year or 500,000
tons per year of bulk commodities
• Provides access to a grain elevator, agricultural facility, mining
facility, forestry facility, or intermodal facility

105. Critical Rural Freight Corridors
• Must meet one or more of the following
elements (continued):
• Connects to an international port of entry
• Provides access to significant air, rail, water, or other freight
facilities in the State
• Is determined by the State to be vital to improving the efficient
movement of freight that is of high importance to the State’s
economy
• FHWA encourages states to consider first or last
mile connector routes from high-volume freight
corridors to key rural freight facilities (military,
farming, manufacturing, agricultural, intermodal)

106. Critical Urban and Critical Rural
Freight Corridors – Mileage
• CUFC: States may designate a maximum of 75
miles or 10% of the PHFS mileage in the State,
whichever is greater
• CRFC: States may designate a maximum of 150
miles or 20% of the PHFS mileage in the State,
whichever is greater
• States exceeding the mileage limit include AL,
AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, MO, MT, NM,
NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, and
WA.

107. Thank You
Crystal Jones
FHWA Office of Freight Management
and Operations
Phone: 202-366-2976
E-mail: crystal.jones@dot.gov