Upper Midwest Freight Corridor Study

1
Upper Midwest Freight Corridor Study

• Research Team Meeting
• September 19, 2003
• Chicago, IL

2
Introduction

• Subcontracts
• Travel
• Progress Reports
• Template
• Due dates
• Process

3
Performance Metrics

• Public agencies
• Survey
• Sent out in June, 50 response rate (more on this
  later)
• Interviews with selected states, provinces, and
  MPOs in the region
• Follow up from survey

4
Performance Metrics

• Public agencies (cont.)
• Purpose To survey the current usage of and
  attitude towards freight related performance
  metrics in the public sector.
• Timeline June 2003-November 2003
• Current Status 50 completed

5
Performance Metrics

• Private sector, carriers and shippers
• Survey
• Follow up interviews with selected respondents
• Participants from other regions

6
Performance Metrics

• Private sector (cont.)
• Purpose To assess attitudes of private sector
  towards freight performance metrics and public
  policy in freight transportation.
• Timeline August 2003-December 2003
• Current status 10 completed

7
Performance Metrics

• Synthesize current practices
• Description To find patterns, experiences, and
  practices that will be useful for us
• Purpose To draw conclusions that might inform
  further actions in our region
• Timeline November
• Current Status NB

8
Performance Metrics

• Investigate data sources
• Description Discover what data is generally
  available for performance measures
• Purpose To ensure that measures can be
  calculated
• Timeline November
• Current Status NB

9
Performance Metrics

• Develop measurement framework
• Description To construct a method of thinking
  about and implementing performance measurement
• Purpose To assist potential users in moving
  ahead
• Timeline November-December
• Current Status NB

10
Performance Metrics

• Identify usable measures
• Description Within the framework and menu,
  define the most promising measures
• Purpose Assist in the discussion of how to move
  ahead in this arena
• Timeline November
• Current Status NB

11
Performance Metrics

• Final report
• Description Document the findings of this effort
• Purpose To journalize and share the knowledge
  gained
• TimelineDecember-January
• Current Status NB

12
Performance Metrics

• Public Sector Survey
• Respondents 27 State DOTs, 25 MPOs, 4 others
• Factor most critical in determining success in
  the movement of freight 57 Travel time
  reliability
• Do you use performance measures relative to the
  operation of your facilities in the movement of
  freight? 87 NO, 13 YES

13
Demand/Usage

• Kazuya Kawamura
• Lisa Kramer
• George (Ge) Zhu
• Sue McNeil

14
Overview

• Workplan
• Details
• Goals
• Dates
• Accomplishments
• Missing Items
• Items to Discuss
• Items to Co-ordinate
• Questions

15
Workplan

• Task 1. Develop Data Collection Plan
• Task 2. Acquire Data
• Task 3. Data Analysis and Compilation
• Task 4. Integrate Data in GIS
• Task 5. Identify Next Steps
• Task 6. Documentation

16
Details

• Task 1. Develop Data Collection Plan
• Develop wish list
• Distribute to research team and steering
  committee
• Identify contacts and sources
• Develop catalogue of data obtained
• Task 2. Acquire Data
• Data stored at UIC and University of Toledo
• Documentation of sources and nature of the data

17
Details continued

• Task 3. Data Analysis and Compilation
• Develop standards for data quality and specific
  time frame
• Identification of variables
• Exploratory data analysis
• Data quality analysis
• Data cleaning
• Procedures for data imputation
• Develop picture of usage in the region

18
Details continued

• Task 4. Integrate data in GIS
• Geocode data
• Integrate into University of Toledos GIS
• Task 5. Identify next steps
• Present snapshot of current demand/ usage
• Develop crude procedures for forecasting
• Develop data collection strategy for missing
  data.
• Task 6. Documentation
• Process
• Findings
• Lessons Learned

19
Goals

• To develop a comprehensive picture of the usage
  of freight facilities in the corridor.
• To infer as much as possible about the nature of
  freight being moved through the corridor
• Type of commodity
• Mode of shipment
• Origin and destination

20
Dates
21
Accomplishments

• Task 1 Develop Data Collection Plan
• 80 complete
• Not all states have responded
• Some states have not provided good data
• Much of the data is in hard copy
• Task 2. Acquire Data
• 25 complete (see summary sheets)
• Data obtained from Ont, Man, OH, IN, WI, IA
  (maps), USDOT
• Waybill data will take time
• Task 3. Data Analysis and Compilation
• Just beginning

22
Missing Items

• Socioeconomic data
• Air freight
• Network approach

23
Items to Discuss

• How much manual GIS coding of the data to do
• Recording sources for hard copy data
• Data entry of hard copy data
• Data in specialized (proprietary) software
  formats
• Non-response states (e.g. Michigan)
• Links to other Chicagoland efforts (Metropolis
  2020, CREATE, CNT etc)
• Useful data that does not fit the categories
• Irrelevant but interesting?

24
Items to Co-ordinate

• Contacts
• Visits

25
Synthesis of Regional Freight Resources

• Organization Technology
• Find it, Test it, Deploy it
• Description Web based database, similar to
  http//ntl.bts.gov/digital_collection.cfm
• Purpose Collection of info, stories, articles
  are worthless sitting in my file cabinets
• Timeline August 2003-October 2003
• Status 33 completed

26
Synthesis of Regional Freight Resources

• Collection of resources
• Items on hand (November 2003)
• Interviews
• Literature search

27
Synthesis of Regional Freight Resources

• Interviews
• Description Purpose Interviewing of regional
  stakeholders (mostly public agencies) in order to
  collect additional items of interest
• Timeline December 2003-March 2004
• Status 0

28
Synthesis of Regional Freight Resources

• Literature Search
• Description Purpose Mainly web search for
  relevant information to collect
• Timeline December 2003-March 2004
• Status 0

29
Synthesis of Regional Freight Resources

• Review and Future Options
• Description Have participants at next meeting
  review the collection and gather comments. Also
  research options to keep this asset viable after
  the study.
• Report
• Timeline March-August 2004

30
Best Practices

• Identify Alternatives
• Description Develop a list of multi-jurisdictiona
  l freight efforts to choose from for
  comprehensive research.
• Size and scope of study
• Current status of study
• Domestic and international
• Purpose To give a list of models for the
  stakeholders to select from

31
Best Practices

• Identify Alternatives (cont.)
• Timeline
• List of alternatives with basic research done on
  each End of November 2003
• Selection of 4 or 5 to move ahead with
  comprehensive research End of December 2003
• Status 0

32
Best Practices

• Elements to focus research on
• Description Brainstorm the areas of the freight
  planning efforts to focus the comprehensive
  research on
• Purpose To focus the end product of this
  research
• Timeline
• Selection of elements Before final selection of
  freight efforts, mid-December
• Status 0

33
Best Practices

• Comprehensive research
• Description Literature review, interviews, and
  site visits of the selected efforts
• Timeline January-April 2004
• Status 0
• Report
• Timeline April-October 2004
• Status 0