Freight Transportation: Strategies Needed to Address Planning and Financing Limitations

Details

• Corporate Creators:
  United States General Accounting Office
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Freight transportation
  • Strategic planning
  • Ports
  • Financing
  • Highway traffic
  • Railroad traffic
  • Port traffic
  • Intermodal transfer
  • Government funding
  • User charges
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  GAO-04-165
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. General Accounting Office
• Description:
  The General Accounting Office (GAO) was asked to address (1) the challenges to freight mobility, (2) the limitations key stakeholders have encountered in addressing these challenges, and (3) strategies that may aid decision makers in enhancing freight mobility. GAO's work was based on a synthesis of previous studies and a review of conditions at 10 ports and surrounding areas that handle almost two-thirds of all containers moving in and out of the country. The major challenges to freight mobility share a common theme-congestion. National studies point to such problems as overcrowded highways and freight-specific "chokepoints" that stifle effective intermodal transfer of cargoes. All 10 ports GAO studied faced similar congestion-related problems. For example, many of the ports are in dense urban areas, limiting the ability to expand rail yards, roadways, and other infrastructure. Increased port security measures may exacerbate congestion if new controls drastically slow the movement of goods. (80 p.)
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/16101/dot_16101_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.47 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:f53d1363a0ff549cacdbcc9fb597f23c1b05efb4c808f6eeb240b66ba72c48f3