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FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION POLICY STUDIES AT THE NATIONAL
ACADEMIES
Freight Capacity for the 21st Century Federal Role in the Marine Transportation
System Review of USACE Restructured Upper Miss.
Study
Joseph Morris, Transportation Research [email protected]
National Waterways ConferenceSeptember 25, 2003
FREIGHT CAPACITY FOR
THE 21ST CENTURY
Transportation Research Board
The National Academies
November 2002
FREIGHT CAPACITY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Charge: Identify factors influencing capacity; define govt. options to enhance operating efficiency & better target investment
Funding: FHWA, states, Corps of Engineers, TRB
Committee: state & local agencies, port, carrier, shipper, academics
Information Sources: trends, case studies, interviews
National Academies Study Procedures
Committee: responsible for report &recommendations
National Academies: approve committeereview reportpublish report
Sponsors: fundinginformation resources
Interested Parties, Public: comments solicitedopen meetings www.nationalacademies.org
FREIGHT CAPACITY FOR THE 21ST CENTURYSUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
A Comprehensive Federal Freight Program:
The Comprehensive Policy Agenda
Principles to Guide Freight Programs
Recommendations on Specific Programs
Federal freight infrastructure programs
Decisionmaking processes and planning
Regulatory issues
RECOMMENDATIONS
A Comprehensive Federal Freight Program
Federal government should recognize the full range of its programs affecting freight and make decisions in all these consistent with the principles below.
Adequacy of capacity will depend on government decisions in numerous existing programs :
infrastructure investmentoperationsfinanceregulation
RECOMMENDATIONS
A Comprehensive Federal Freight Program (cont.)
Principles to Guide Government Freight Programs
Respecting four principles will maximize contribution of freight infrastructure to economic well-being:
Make economic efficiency the primary goal of policy. Limit government involvement to essential roles.
A government responsibility does not justify subsidy.
Take advantage of the link between finance and performance.
Specific policy recommendations illustrate applications of principles.
PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS
Surface Transportation Act Reauthorization
Freight Priorities in the Surface Transportation Program
Any programs enacted to direct resources to freight-related projects should satisfy these criteria:
Sustain the user-pays principle.
Fund projects that fee payers recognize as having value.
Let demand decide market shares of modes.
Credit assistance should entail performance evaluation.
PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS
Federal Freight Infrastructure Programs (cont.)
Port Development
Admin. & Congress should reexamine planning & funding rules to concentrate dollars on projects with greatest benefits. Should consider:
deauthorization review
regional planning, regionalization of investment
greater reliance on local cost sharing & user fees
strengthened independent review of evaluations
Congress should sustain WRDA 86 cost-sharing reforms.
PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS
Federal Freight Infrastructure Programs (cont.)
Harbor Maintenance
Pros/cons of funding options to replace HMT described:
general revenue
Harbor Services User Fee, with trust fund
closely matching fees to costs, with local project funding
other dedicated revenue stream (e.g. customs revenue)
No recommendation, but Congress urged to recognize that site-specific fees for maintenance would have certain benefits.
PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS
Federal Freight Infrastructure Programs (cont.)
Operation and Management of the Inland Waterways
Congress & Administration should direct Corps to improve lock efficiency through demand management.
Congress should begin to rely on user fees to fund o&m.
Efficiency does not require full cost recovery.
Congress, Administration should consider: segment-specific user fee finance; regional authorities for waterway management
PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS
Decision-Making Processes and Planning
DOT Data and Analysis Programs
Develop DOT capabilities for economic analysis and applications.
Adapt DOT's policy guidance tools for state and local use.
Evaluation Methods
Create evaluation methods clearinghouse in DOT.
CURRENT TRB STUDY
The Federal Role in the Marine Transportation System
Sponsors: Coast Guard, NOAA, C. of E., Customs, Agriculture, Marad
Issues: Appropriate federal functions, finance, coordination, evaluation
Schedule: Report in fall 2003
Contact: Tom Menzies (Transportation Research Board) [email protected]
CURRENT WSTB STUDY
Review of Upper Miss.-Ill. Waterway System Restructured Navigation Study
Sponsor: Army Corps of Engineers
Task: Review Corps' restructured Upper Miss. feasibility study of capacity expansion, considering 2001
NRC report.
Schedule: Reports in fall 2003, early 2005Next meeting St. Louis Dec. 15-16
Contact: Jeff Jacobs, Water Science & Technology Board