The Idea:
Eliminate
the current modal administration structure and move power toward intermodalism
(state, local, federal)
Challenges to
Implementation:
·
Changing the mindset of the public sector
·
Congressional jurisdiction
Solutions to
Overcome Challenges:
·
Play the strategic defense card, easier now because of
September 11 – convince the current administration that an intermodal structure
facilitates transportation security
Timeframe:
Long term
The Idea:
Develop
multi-jurisdictional coalitions
Challenges to
Implementation:
·
Identifying the levels of planning (statewide)
·
Getting
the appropriate players to the table and identifying them
Solutions to
Challenges:
·
Create a check list for performance measures to ensure
that the coalitions are working properly
·
Institute bi-annual meetings of specific “institutions”
to ensure that the appropriate players are participating in the freight
planning process
Timeframe:
·
Short term for performance measures
Long term for implementing bi-annual meetings
The Idea:
Create
a National Freight Board, dominated by large shippers. If this works, then similar boards can be
created at the state, regional and local levels. Create freight PACs, as well, at all levels.
Challenges to
Implementation:
·
Getting the buy-in necessary from large shippers
Solutions to
Challenges:
·
The government must be involved at a high level
·
Involve individuals, not organizations, to ensure the
participation of those dedicated to improving freight planning and programming
Timeframe:
Short to long term
The Idea:
Create
enabling legislation for regional coalitions along major corridors
Challenges to
Implementation:
·
Membership
·
Funding
·
Achieving binding census
·
Definition of “corridor”
·
Life-span of coalition
·
Powers of coalition
·
Definition of a “national freight system”
Solutions to
Challenges:
·
Membership: Multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional,
commercial/private (short term)
·
Funding: Create a separate account (leveraging local
share non-DOT) (mid term)
·
Consensus: Language of enabling legislation (long term)
·
Definition of “corridor”: existing and new corridors of
national significance (short term)
·
Life-span:
Meeting goals and sunset (mid term)
·
Powers: Funding receiving/disbursing bonding authority
(mid term)
·
Define National Freight System: work of coalition must
address national freight policy (long term)
Timeframe:
Varied – see
solutions to challenges
The Idea:
Establish
a dedicated federal funding source for freight projects – potentially a freight
trust fund
Challenges to
Implementation:
·
Overcoming
equity issues – geographic and modal
·
Political opposition to new taxes
·
Method of obtaining funds: competitive vs. entitlement
·
Administration of funds
Solutions to
Challenges:
·
Allocate a certain % to area where the tax is produced
·
Allocate a certain % to benefit mode that produced the
tax (not necessarily a project within the mode)
·
Educate those affected to benefits; limit tax to
commercial operations; lobby; demonstrate benefits
·
Use both entitlement and competition methods to allocate
funds and dedicate a percentage to nationally strategic projects
·
Identify one or more sources of taxes that are
equitable to the various modes of freight activity
Timeframe:
Within new authorization bill
The Idea:
Develop
a mechanism to use public funds for private projects of public benefit
Challenges to
Implementation:
·
Quantifying public benefits
·
Reconciling
MPO mandates/capabilities with state/regional needs and concerns
Solutions to
Challenges:
·
Investigate examples of the use of cost-benefit
criteria (or other methods such as cost/feasibility, cost/value, etc.) to
evaluate the impacts/benefits of freight projects
Timeframe:
Short term
The Idea:
Improve
freight financing in terms of creating new funds and expanding the eligibility
of existing funds
Challenges to
Implementation:
·
Lots of passenger project needs
·
Modal
issues
·
Investment of public dollars in private projects
·
Finding a source for new funds – new funds will not
necessarily be directed to freight projects
·
Overcoming opposition
Solutions to
Challenges:
·
Educate highway planning personnel on the importance of
freight
·
Demonstrate the public benefit
·
Increase the matching share or allow 100% funding for
freight planning
·
Create dedicated freight planning and construction
funds
·
Incentive grants for major freight centers
·
Consolidation of funding categories
·
Increase funding for multi-jurisdictional projects
·
Innovative freight financing – combination of public
and private dollars
·
Collect user fees for freight projects
Timeframe:
Long term
The Idea:
Develop
an education program that will improve the public outreach component of the
planning process to better address commercial and military freight needs
Challenges to
Implementation:
·
Identifying
different target audiences – requires the use of different education packages
for different groups
·
Ensuring audience participation in education activities
Solutions to
Challenges:
·
Develop educational materials appropriate to each group
·
Widely disseminate materials to gain buy-in from each
group
Timeframe:
Short term for developing the materials, mid to long term for dissemination
The Idea:
Improve
freight data, ensuring it is up to date, reliable and consistent across all
modes
Challenges to
Implementation:
·
Confidentiality of the data – especially in terms of
national security
·
Understanding the data - paralysis by analysis
Solutions to
Challenges:
·
Meet with planners to understand the type of data that
is needed and how the data will be used
Timeframe:
Varies –
expect medium to long term