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Integrating Freight into MPO Activities 3-55
Staff expertise. Many freight-specific datasets Investigate training and education opportunities.
and analytical tools are still in their early stages There are a number of training and education oppor-
and many MPOs are still in the early stages of tunities available to MPOs to enhance understanding
applying them to their programs. of freight, its common issues, and how it can be more
effectively integrated within a transportation planning
process. Peer exchange programs can be effective ways
to build staff expertise in particular subject areas.
See Module 5 for a listing of training and education
resources.
Private industry participation. Private sector Develop outreach strategies. There are a number of
freight data are often considered proprietary strategies that can be employed to more fully engage
and therefore confidential. This complicates the the private sector freight community in this process.
data collection activities and the completeness Before sharing data with an MPO, most private sector
of the regional freight profile. freight stakeholders want to see the potential benefits
of providing data and participating in the process.
Developing outreach strategies that describe the
potential benefits of participation can help, such as
providing missing data necessary to promote an
improvement project. Ensuring confidentiality of data
is another key factor. The Outreach and Partnerships
section in this module describes some of the more
successful strategies.
Ongoing commitment. Data collection activities Dedicate yourself to data collection. MPOs must
should be undertaken as an ongoing program realize that data collection is an ongoing, dynamic
to develop current and trend descriptions of the process. MPOs should consider building time and
region's freight system. It is important that initial budget for collecting and reviewing freight data into
data collection activities not be so elaborate and their UPWPs. In an environment that has limited
costly that they are seen as one time events. data collection dollars, it is critical that staff work to
include freight considerations or enhancements to
existing programs. For example, annual count pro-
grams can be revised or modified to include key inter-
modal connectors and truck corridors.
Training and Education
Overview
In recent years, freight training and education have become significant focus areas for
MPOs and state DOTs as staff continues to expand and develop freight transportation pro-
grams. Training opportunities, while still limited, have expanded to meet these demands.
FHWA has taken the lead for much of the training and education activities through its FPD
program. Key components of this program include a peer exchange program and the Talk-
ing Freight seminar series. In addition, the NHI has partnered with FHWA to facilitate the
development of specific courses in the areas of transportation planning and freight model-
ing. At a more localized level, specific vendors provide training for their tools and products.
For example, travel demand model vendors provide training seminars and model conversion
services to assist MPOs and state DOTs use their models. In addition to these formalized
training and education programs, outreach activities often are used by MPOs and state DOTs
to educate system users and impacted communities of the positive benefits of efficient freight
transportation.
Freight training and education efforts typically focus on the following areas:
· Promote need for efficient freight transportation. Freight is an integral part of an inte-
grated, multimodal transportation system; it must be incorporated to achieve a truly balanced
system.
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3-56 Guidebook for Freight Policy, Planning, and Programming in Small- and Medium-Sized Metropolitan Areas
· Identify freight as relevant component of the transportation system program. While MPOs
typically have limited control over non-highway modes of freight transportation, it is critical
that local transportation programs address all established aspects of freight transportation,
because each mode/operation impacts the community.
· Define opportunities for integrating freight into existing programs. Effective integration of
freight operations into an established program will enhance a region's ability to predict and
manage congestion, safety, and key bottlenecks.
· Provide specific instruction on individual analysis tools. There are many tools available to
staff, including economic impact, travel demand, and air quality; these tools typically are pro-
vided with instruction and training.
· Define and provide wide variety of freight data and research. Many MPOs and state
DOTs have undertaken freight initiatives that can be used as best practices; in addition,
organizations like NCHRP, TRB, and AASHTO have and continue to develop resources to
assist MPOs.
· Build political and technical support for freight program development. Outreach is a criti-
cal component in the education process; impacted citizens and leaders must understand the
importance of freight transportation.
Basic versus Advanced Approach
The distinction between basic and advanced approaches to freight training and education is
driven by the type of activities that an MPO is undertaking, as well as the resources available. For
an MPO with limited freight background, the training and education needed to undertake the
development of freight policies and a regional freight profile may consist of FHWA's Talking
Freight seminar series and peer-to-peer exchange program, combined with outreach to a lim-
ited number of private partners. For MPOs that have developed a basic description of their
freight system and are engaging in more advanced analytical and modeling techniques, the train-
ing and education activities may consist of attendance at formal training courses or bringing
technical experts in-house to train staff.
Key Activities
Training and education activities should focus on the defined needs of an MPO. The exercises
defined in Module 2 provide staff members with a comprehensive analysis of what they do and
do not know about freight transportation. This section defines the types of training and educa-
tion activities that can be undertaken to meet basic and advanced needs. It is important to
acknowledge that specific topics should be based on intended program direction. The types of
activities will fall into the following categories:
· Staff Initiative. Many staff members have developed expertise in freight through their own
actions, such as regular review of industry periodicals and other literature available on specific
modes, supply chain management, and trade.
· Peer Exchange. Learning from the experiences of counterparts around the country is a sim-
ple yet invaluable mechanism. In fact, FHWA's freight peer-to-peer program was developed
to facilitate this kind of activity.
· Private Industry Outreach. One of the best ways to learn about freight is to meet with repre-
sentatives from industry. They will provide real-life descriptions of business operations, key
decision factors, and transportation needs.
· Training Courses. Training courses provide specific instruction on a particular subject. This
type of educational activity is most useful for a staff that is undertaking a specific advanced
freight transportation initiative.
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Integrating Freight into MPO Activities 3-57
Basic Approach
Activity · Training and Education--Basic
Activity Type · Policy, Planning, and Programming
Level of Effort · Low
Technical Complexity · Low
Data/Analytical Tool Needs · Moderate. Requires outreach to private partners to collect data on the
freight system; collect and review available research and data from avail-
able sources (other MPOs, state DOTs, FHWA, etc.)
Outreach/Partnership Needs · Moderate. Requires limited but ongoing outreach to a limited number of
private partners to build knowledge base of freight operations and local
issues.
Training/Education Needs · http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/FPD/index.asp
Related Activities · Supports all activities.
Step 1. Evaluate training needs. It is critical that the staff review the freight policies, the
results of the Module 2 exercises, and the key characteristics and needs of the region to ascertain
areas of required expertise.
Step 2. Identify available training opportunities. Based on the results of Step 1, staff should
identify key training opportunities. At the basic level, this will include personal initiative to
become familiar with industry operations, outreach to private partners, and participation in peer
groups such as FHWA's peer-to-peer exchange program and Talking Freight seminar series.
Step 3. Participate in training activities. Once the key opportunities have been identified,
staff should develop and implement training activities on a regular basis. The activities defined
in Step 2 can be used repeatedly over time to enhance expertise in freight transportation.
Advanced Approach
Activity · Training and Education--Advanced
Activity Type · Policy, Planning, and Programming
Level of Effort · Moderate to High
Technical Complexity · Moderate to High
Data/Analytical Tool Needs · Moderate. Requires outreach to private partners to collect data on the
freight system; collect and review available research and data from avail-
able sources (other MPOs, state DOTs, FHWA, etc.)
Outreach/Partnership Needs · Moderate to High. Requires ongoing outreach to private partners to build
knowledge base of freight operations and local issues.
Training/Education Needs · http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/FPD/index.asp
Related Activities · Supports all activities.
Step 1. Evaluate training needs. It is critical that staff review the freight policies, the results
of the Module 2 exercises, and the key characteristics and needs of the region to ascertain areas
of required expertise.
Step 2. Identify available training opportunities. Based on the results of Step 1, staff should
identify key training opportunities. At the advanced level, this will build on the basic activities
to include more focused outreach to private partners (such as focus groups) and identification
and scheduling of more intensive freight training courses (such as NHI's Integrating Freight into
Transportation Planning Process and Uses of Multimodal Freight Forecasting in Transportation
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3-58 Guidebook for Freight Policy, Planning, and Programming in Small- and Medium-Sized Metropolitan Areas
FHWA's FPD Program
In response to customer needs, the FHWA's Office of Operations launched the FPD
program. This initiative assists state DOTs and MPOs in developing the skills and
knowledge needed to meet the challenge of growing freight flows on the nation's
transportation system. The FPD program consists of four key elements: training,
education, technical assistance, and a resource library.
· Training. The FPD program provides training, including short courses and seminars,
on a broad range of freight topics. Two FPD courses were offered through NHI
in fiscal year (FY) 2005: Integrating Freight in the Transportation Planning Process
and Uses of Multimodal Freight Forecasting in Transportation Planning.
· Education. The FPD program works with the academic community to promote
needed changes in transportation planning and logistics degree programs critical
to ensuring the future availability of appropriately trained freight professionals.
Many university-based freight and related degree programs are identified on
the new FPD web site at http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/FPD/index.asp.
· Technical Assistance. The FPD program provides assistance to states and MPOs
engaged in transportation and freight planning. The ongoing Talking Freight sem-
inar series offers a no-cost way for freight transportation professionals to broaden
their knowledge and develop new skills. Seminars are held monthly and are open
to all interested parties through http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/fpd/talking_
freight.htm. The Freight Planning LISTSERV, located at www.fhwa.
dot.gov/freightplanning, also provides a forum for peer information exchange.
· Resource Library. The FPD program offers a web-based one-stop shop for current
information and state-of-the art practices pertaining to freight. The resource
library is located on the FPD web site.
Source: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/aboutus/one_ pagers/fpd.pdf.
Planning courses). In addition, training should be identified for specific tools and models that
staff considers critical for the support of the freight program development.
Step 3. Develop formal training program. Staff should define an annual training program
that incorporates the needs of the MPO, the availability of training courses, and the availability
of funding to support staff attendance. This program should appear in the MPO's UPWP.
Step 4. Implement training program. The implementation of the training program should
correspond to the current level of expertise and the planned freight activities. For example, a
peer-to-peer exchange could be scheduled to provide access to expertise in a specific area or, if
the MPO is scheduled to update its travel demand model, staff should work with FHWA and
NHI to schedule the current freight modeling course.3
The program should be reviewed and updated annually to provide an ongoing opportunity
for staff members to develop and enhance their freight expertise.
3FHWA-NHI-139002, Uses of Multimodal Freight Forecasting in Transportation Planning. http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/
training/course_detail.aspx?num=FHWA-NHI-139002&cat=&key=&num=139002&loc=sta=%25&tit=typ=&lev=&ava=
&str=&end=&drl=.
