Skip to main content

Currently Skimming:


Pages 3-20

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 3...
... The report card is proposed to be structured as a modified "Balanced Scorecard,"1 which reports freight performance measures in six categories. These categories allow for the full 1
From page 4...
... .6 [emphasis added] There are no programs or goals for important aspects of freight performance such as growth in freight volumes, changes in mode split, or travel time reliability.
From page 5...
... To overcome these constraints, the research report recommends creation of a first- generation Freight System Report Card that relies primarily upon existing freight performance reports. The reliance upon existing reports partially overcomes the lack of an agency and budget to generate a new measurement process.
From page 6...
... Freight-Produced Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHE) Freight-produced Greenhouse Gas Emissions are expected to rise commensurate with the increase in truck, rail, and water freight volumes.
From page 7...
... Rail NOX Emissions The elimination of sulfur from fuel and introduction of cleaner locomotives are expected to reduce RR NOX emissions by 41% by 2020 and by 83% by 2040. Rail VOC Emissions The same fuel and locomotive changes are forecasted by USEPA to reduce per-gallon diesel emissions of VOCs by 60% by 2020 and by 88% by 2040 Truck Particulate Emissions Cleaner low-sulfur fuel and cleaner engine technology are predicted to lead to an 82% reduction in combination truck particulate emissions.
From page 8...
... Interstate Highway Reliability Definitive Interstate Highway System reliability data do not exist for the past decade. However, increases in traffic volumes and freight volumes are well documented and extensive localized data indicate that travel on urban Interstate highways has become less reliabile.
From page 9...
... Both PM and NOx emissions are predicted to decline significantly through 2040 on a per-gallon basis. Truck Injury and Fatal Crashes Between 1988 and 2007, the large truck injury crash rate decreased from 67.9 to 31.8 per million miles traveled.
From page 10...
... Year Transport Inventory Total 1986 6.3 4.9 11.6 1988 6.1 4.9 11.5 1990 6.1 4.9 11.4 1992 5.9 3.7 10 1994 5.9 3.7 10.1 1996 6.0 3.9 10.2 1998 6.0 3.7 10.1 2000 6.0 3.8 10.3 2002 5.6 2.9 8.8 2004 5.6 2.9 8.8 2006 6.1 3.4 9.9 2008 6.1 2.9 9.4 2009 4.9 2.5 7.7 10 Forecasted Trend Line - Uncertain The decline in oil prices and extraordinary softness in the economy caused the cost of logistics in relation to GDP to decline in 2008 and 2009 but long-term trends could send the costs upward. After rising 50 percent in the previous five years total logistics costs fell in 2008 and fell further in 2009.
From page 11...
... Also, flaws in the current data will be found as the report card is published and examined. As a result, continuous efforts to improve the data that feed the report card should be anticipated.
From page 12...
... Freight volumes consolidated on the key network components. Facility Size Percent of Freight Interstate Highway System 1% of highway system 49% of Truck VMT National Highway System 4% of highway system 75% of Truck VMT*
From page 13...
... Therefore, when the measures documenting inadequate system performance today are viewed in light of forecast future freight demands and continued underinvestment, an overall picture of further degradation in the condition and performance of the national freight network emerges. Although general in nature, the rate of growth in freight demand provides insight into the future trends of several other measures, such as levels of congestion.
From page 14...
... The ability of microscopic particles to travel deep into the lungs has become recognized as a serious air quality and public health concern. The regulation of particulates affects trucking, rail, and water transport because of those modes' reliance upon diesel engines and their historical rates of particulate emissions.
From page 15...
... If the railroads are not able to invest sufficiently to sustain or grow market share, that fact could influence other goals, such as improving air quality, reducing GHG emissions, or improving energy efficiency. For the inland waterway system, the U.S.
From page 16...
... If the railroads are not able to invest sufficiently to sustain or grow market share, that fact could influence other goals, such as improving air quality, reducing GHG emissions, or improving energy efficiency. For the inland waterway system, the U.S.
From page 17...
... At the same time, the framework is brief, to minimize the crippling cost and complexity that a national freight performance measurement system could entail. The framework balances the cost and availability of data with the need to provide insight at the global, national, regional, and local levels in the areas of investment, policy, and operations.
From page 18...
... 2 Operations Investment Policy Scope National Truck freight forecast „ „ All Rail freight forecasts „ „ National Water freight forecasts „ „ National Rate of growth in containerized imports/exports „ „ National Transportation Services Index „ „ National NHS travel speed urban „ „ „ National NHS travel speed rural „ „ „ Variable Trend line of top 10 highway freight bottlenecks „ „ „ All Composite Class I RR speeds „ „ „ All Rail freight market share „ „ All Cost of logistic as percent GDP „ „ All „ „ All „ „ All „ „ All „ „ All Intermodal Connectors Condition of NHS intermodal connectors „ „ All Truck injury and fatal crashes „ „ „ All Highway/rail at-grade crashes „ „ „ All Nat.
From page 19...
... Research by ATRI and the FHWA have compiled reliability or "buffer indices" for 25 Interstate Highway corridors. Such measures are still in the research stage, but they demonstrate that reliability measures within a single mode are possible, particularly when captured with technological means.
From page 20...
... . In Harvard Business Review on Measuring Corporate Performance, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, Mass., 1998.


This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More information on Chapter Skim is available.