The Freight Model Improvement Program www.fmip.gov

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The Freight Model Improvement Programwww.fmip.go
v

• T. Randall (Randy) Curlee, Ph.D.
• National Transportation Research Center
• Talking Freight Seminar
• November 16, 2005

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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

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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

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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

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Relationship of FMIP to the Freight Analysis
Framework (FAF)

• FMIP bridges gap between FAFs 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 

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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)

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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
•  

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Library of Freight Modeling Papers (continued)

• 9)      Multi-step freight planning models
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• 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

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Keys to Success?
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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?

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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

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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

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On our geographic scale of interest

• Local
• State
• Regional
• National
• International

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And on the role we playe.g.

• Transportation Analyst
• Academic Researcher
• Planner
• Private Sector Decision Maker
• Public Sector Decision Maker

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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

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In Conclusion
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Please contribute to the FMIP.GOV Forum!!
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We Want Your Input!!We Want To Serve Your
Needs!!www.fmip.gov

• Contacts
• Dr. Tianjia Tang, tianjia.tang_at_fhwa.dot.gov
• Office of Freight Management and Operations, FHWA
• Dr. Randy Curlee, curleetr_at_ornl.gov
• Center for Transportation Analysis,
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory