United States Department of Transportation
i
A Policy and Infrastructure Evaluation Model of Commodity Flows Through Inland Waterway Ports
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2022-08-01
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[PDF-1.11 MB]
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Edition:August 13, 2020 to August 13, 2022
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Abstract:The purpose of this project is to guide strategic investment into port capacity through the development of a policy and infrastructure evaluation model of inland waterway commodity flows. This is accomplished by developing a two-stage stochastic optimization model to identify investment needs at the port level. The study builds on a growing body of research related to inland waterway port infrastructure investment. Quantifying capacity and throughput of inland waterway ports by commodity can identify opportunities for port infrastructure investment and economic development. Unfortunately, state-of-the-practice commodity flow data from shipper/carrier surveys don’t provide port-level estimates. In this study, we develop a two-stage stochastic model that recommends port infrastructure investments and estimates commodity flow in such a way that the total of the investment cost and the expected transportation cost are minimized. These decisions are subject to uncertainty observed in the demand for different commodities shipped via water while considering rail and truck transportation costs and network availability. The use of a stochastic model, rather than a deterministic model, avoids underestimation or overestimation of the supply chain costs when uncertainly exists. This can eventually be used to direct and prioritize investment decisions, as well as develop effective transportation policies.
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