This document proposes a performance measurement system for evaluating the sustainability of freight movement. It recommends measuring progress toward economic, environmental, social, and equity goals across populations and time. Typical public sector performance interests for freight include mobility, safety, environment, and economic development. The proposed system measures freight sustainability across policy, technology, infrastructure, operations, and non-transport factors. It provides an example format for objectives, measures, and an aggregated sustainability index. The document recommends applying this framework and methodology to evaluate freight transportation performance locally, starting with its suggested goals and modifying as needed.

1. Performance Measures
for
Sustainable Freight Movement
Overview of UTCM Project #09-37-15

2. Sustainability Principles
• Combination of progress
toward desired outcomes
– Economic
– Environmental
– Social
– Considers equity across
populations and time

3. Typical DOT Performance Interests
• Mobility and • System
congestion preservation
• Accessibility • Project
delivery
• Safety
• Traffic
• Quality of life operations
• Environment • Maintenance
• Economic • Human
development resources

4. Freight-Related Decision Considerations
Private sector Public sector
• Market & shipper demand • Investment & financing,
• Financial performance taxes, fees
metrics • Economic regulation
• Efficient management of • Providing & maintaining
volumes, schedules, costs
infrastructure
• Regulatory issues
• Land use, facility location,
access
• Environmental issues
• Safety
• Operations
• Jobs & employment

5. Freight Sustainability Evaluation Areas
• Policy and regulation
• Technology
• Infrastructure
• Operation and
maintenance
• Non-transportation
factors

6. Performance Measures
• Evaluate
– Status
– Progress
– Comparisons
• Basis: established goals

7. Measurement System Components
• Framework
• Methodology
• Goals and objectives
• Data requirements
• Performance measures
• (Aggregate)

8. Performance Evaluation Framework

9. Freight Transportation
Objectives and Measures
• Report contains list of goals, objectives and
performance measures
• Example format as follows:
Sustainability Measure Performance
Goal Objectives
Dimension No. Measure
Improve Reduce freight-
Annual fatal accidents
safety of related crash rates 1a
per truck-mile
freight and crash risk
Social movement
Reduce freight-
and of the Annual Hazmat
related HazMat 1b
general accidents per mile
Accidents
public

10. Highway Corridor Example

11. Output with Aggregate Measure
Measure Number
Aggregated Value
Measure Weight
Measured Value
Sustainability
Scaled Value
Goal Weight
Index
Performance Measure
1a 0.7 Annual fatal accidents per truck-mile 0.16 0.84
0.89 0.40
1b 0.3 Annual Hazmat accidents per mile 0.00 1.00
2a 0.3 Truck throughput efficiency (TTE) 44779 0.24
2b 0.3 Average cargo weight per truck, annual 15 1.00
0.62
0.72 0.25
2c 0.15 Travel time index 1.12 0.88
2d 0.1 Buffer index 0.24 0.63
Number of intermodal facilities along
2e 0.1 1 1.00
the section
2f 0.05 Average truck age 7 1.00
3a 0.05 Daily grams per mile (PM) 50950 0.00 0.24 0.35

12. Recommended Freight Transportation
Performance Evaluation
• Apply this framework and methodology
• Start with suggested goals, objectives
• Modify per local circumstances