New Guidebook - Rail Freight as A Solution to Roadway Congestion | EBP

The guidebook and accompanying report provide transportation planners with a plethora of ideas, case studies and tools for pursuing rail freight as a means of reducing the growth of roadway congestion.

For local, regional and state planners thinking seriously about roadway congestion, the Guidebook is an important new planning tool to evaluate opportunities, benefits and costs of available options involving both highways and rail systems. It assesses the merits of public investment in rail-freight solutions to relieve roadway congestion and lays out tools that can help to incorporate rail-freight into urban and intercity transportation decision-making.

Truck traffic is a significant contributor to road congestion in many areas. Therefore, planners need to consider opportunities to move more freight by rail as one way to help hold down the growth of traffic and congestion levels on existing highways, while also helping to improve pavement, safety, and air quality conditions.

The Guidebook was developed for the National Cooperative Highway Research Program by Global Insight, Inc. and Economic Development Research Group. It was co-authored by Joseph Bryan, Global Insight, Inc., Glen Weisbrod, Economic Development Research Group, and Carl D. Martland, Senior Research Associate, M.I.T. Wilbur Smith Associates, Inc.

Also note that on Wednesday, March 21, the Federal Highways Administration hosted an online webcast: “Talking Freight” Seminar. It featured Glen Weisbrod and Joseph Bryan talking about this guide.

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