01139583

Monograph

http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/162174.aspx

This report explores ways to pay for projects that expand freight capacity or reduce the costs of freight transportation. The committee that produced the report found that present finance arrangements are inadequate for maintaining and improving freight transportation system performance. The report calls for finance reforms that promote productivity gains by targeting investment to projects with the greatest economic benefit and by encouraging efficient use of facilities. The report is presented in six chapters. Chapter 1 provides an introduction. Chapter 2 examines the performance of the freight transportation system, the threats to continued productivity growth, and the relationship between performance and finance arrangements. Chapter 3 summarizes freight transportation infrastructure finance arrangements today, with the aid of examples and observations from case studies of freight projects that the committee commissioned. Chapter 4 considers how the national significance of a freight project can be defined and the problem of determining the scope of federal government responsibilities for freight infrastructure. Chapter 5 summarizes proposals from a variety of sources for reforms of public-sector finance arrangements for transportation projects. Chapter 6 presents the committee’s findings and recommendations.

English

295p

2009

Transportation Research Board Special Report

9780309126304

Web

Figures; References; Tables

Federal government; Financing; Freight transportation; Infrastructure; Productivity; Recommendations; Road pricing

Transportation improvement projects

Finance; Freight Transportation; I10: Economics and Administration

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Sep 17 2009 10:00AM