The Freight Model Improvement Program www.fmip.gov T. Randall (Randy) Curlee, Ph.D. National Transportation Research Center Talking Freight Seminar November 16, 2005

FMIP was launched in 2004 by the US Department of Transportation Managed by the Office of Freight Management and Operations of the Federal Highway Administration In collaboration with US Department of Agriculture US Department of Energy US Army Corps of Engineers Supported by Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Premises upon which FMIP is based Current methods for forecasting freight are inadequate Freight demand models typically based on passenger travel demand forecasting; freight is different Practitioners are calling for improvements in both the state of the art and the state of practice in modeling freight

FMIP was initiated to… Enhance state of the art and state of practice in freight modeling at national, regional, and local scales Primary focus on forecasting movements of commodities (trucks, trains, and vessels) Secondary focus on models of public revenues, environmental consequences, economic consequences, and other societal costs and benefits

Relationship of FMIP to the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) FMIP bridges gap between FAF’s national focus with needs of local planning FMIP is a forum to help practitioners and researchers develop local understanding of freight through local data collection and modeling built on the national picture provided by the FAF 

A key component of FMIP is FMIP.GOV A clearinghouse designed to provide up-to-date information on current developments in freight modeling Disseminate inventories and assessments of freight modeling strategies and related data collection methods Develop a library of current research, data, and methods Encourage discussion and comments on posted items Encourage customers to submit copies of their own work Support direct peer-to-peer exchanges

The major features of FMIP.GOV About -an introduction to FMIP News, Events, and Courses - keep up with freight modeling news and events Freight Models and Modeling Studies - an inventory of freight models and studies Data to Support Freight Models - an inventory of freight model data organized by category  Related Groups and Links - the World Wide Web of freight modeling Tools - brief descriptions of and links to tools of potential interest to planners and analysts Discussion - FMIP forums Contacts - how to contact FMIP staff

The major features of FMIP.GOV About -an introduction to FMIP News, Events, and Courses - keep up with freight modeling news and events Freight Models and Modeling Studies - an inventory of freight models and studies Data to Support Freight Models - an inventory of freight model data organized by category  Related Groups and Links - the World Wide Web of freight modeling Tools - brief descriptions of and links to tools of potential interest to planners and analysts Discussion - FMIP forums Contacts - how to contact FMIP staff

FMIP Model Inventory Inventory of Freight Models National and International Modeling Studies State and Regional Freight Modeling Studies Metropolitan and Local Freight Modeling Studies Library of Freight Modeling Papers

National and International Freight Modeling Studies Bureau of Transport and Regional Development, Australia   United Kingdom Department of Transportation Review of Freight Modeling   Great Britain Freight Model - description of methodology   South-East Queensland Intermodal Freight Terminals Study (Australia)   Swedish National Model System for Freight Transport (SAMGODS)

State and Regional Freight Modeling Studies California Goods Movement Colorado Railroad Study   I-5 Rail Capacity Corridor Study   Kentucky I-75 North-South Transportation Initiative Truck Model   Oklahoma Intermodal Transportation Plan   Oregon Freight Study   The Mountain-Plains Consortium (Intermodal and Freight Logistics)   State-of-the-Practice In Freight Data: A Review of Available Freight Data in the U.S. (Texas)   Florida Intermodal Statewide Highway Freight Model Iowa Statewide Freight Transportation Planning Model and Methodology Development Program   Minnesota Office of Freight & Commercial Vehicle Operations   Minnesota Statewide Freight Flows Study   Freight Impacts on Ohio Roadways   Upper Midwest Freight Corridor Study   Washington Statewide Freight Transportation Analysis   Virginia: Application of a Statewide Intermodal Freight Planning Methodology

Metropolitan and Local Freight Modeling Studies Baltimore Metropolitan Council, MD - Truck Model   Chicago Area Transportation Study, IL. Cooperative Highway/Vehicle Automation Study (CVHAS)   Eastern Colorado Mobility Study   New York Metropolitan Transportation Council Freight Plan Project   North New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority Inc   Sarasota-Manatee Freight Movement Study (Florida MPO)   Kentucky I-75 North-South Transportation Initiative Truck Model   Portland Oregon Economic Impacts Study   Edmonton (Canada) Commodity Flow Survey and External Truck Trip Projects   Broward County Freight and Goods Movement Study (Florida MPO)   Cross-Cascades Corridor Analysis Study (Washington State)   Developing a Truck/Freight Model for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area   Los Angeles County MTA truck/freight forecasting model (southern California)

Library of Freight Modeling Papers 1)      Freight modeling review articles   2)      Modeling hazardous freight movements 3)      Truck trip generation/attraction modeling 4)      Modeling the value of time in freight studies 5)      Freight and commodity flow modeling 6)      Freight traffic assignment/network flow modeling 7)      Modeling freight supply chains 8)       Intermodal freight and terminal transfers  modeling

Library of Freight Modeling Papers (continued) 9)      Multi-step freight planning models   10)   Freight corridor and system capacity modeling 11)   Dedicated truck lane modeling 12)   Truck size and weight modeling 13)   Modeling urban freight movements 14)  Freight mode choice modeling 15)  Freight data collection methods 16)   Modeling the energy and environmental impacts of freight 17)  Statewide and regional freight planning studies

Keys to Success?

First, understand the basic questions being asked… What and how much freight will be shipped? Origins and destinations? By what mode? Or more appropriately modes… By what route? At what cost? At what transit time? How will the answer to each question change over time?

And understand why we ask these basic questions… Safety, Health, and Environmental Impacts National Security Congestion Damage to infrastructure caused by freight Urban Planning and Smart Growth A better understanding of the relationship between freight transport and the economy – local, state, regional, national, international Assess the need for and viability of new and improved transportation infrastructure – at local, state, regional, national, and even international levels

Recognize that our perception of freight modeling and the path forward depend in part on our discipline, e.g. Civil Engineering Transportation Planning Geography Operations Research Management Science Economics

On our geographic scale of interest… Local State Regional National International

And on the role we play…e.g. Transportation Analyst Academic Researcher Planner Private Sector Decision Maker Public Sector Decision Maker

Improvements in freight modeling will depend on Clearly articulating the objectives of freight models and studies Adopting Multi-modal and Inter-modal approaches Multi-disciplinary and Inter-disciplinary collaboration with common terminology International collaboration Wisely meshing the theoretical with the empirical; and the ideal with the practical Making the most of current data, while laying a course for data improvements

In Conclusion…

Please contribute to the FMIP.GOV Forum!!

We Want Your Input!! We Want To Serve Your Needs!! www.fmip.gov Contacts Dr. Tianjia Tang, tianjia.tang@fhwa.dot.gov Office of Freight Management and Operations, FHWA Dr. Randy Curlee, curleetr@ornl.gov Center for Transportation Analysis, Oak Ridge National Laboratory