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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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 

6. 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

8. 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

10. 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

12. 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

13. 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)

14. 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

15. 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)

16. 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

17. 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

18. Keys to Success?

19. 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?

20. 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

21. 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

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

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

24. 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

25. In Conclusion…

26. Please contribute to the FMIP.GOV Forum!!

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