WHAT IS FREIGHT PLANNING?

Freight planning is an important component of statewide and metropolitan transportation planning processes. Input from a variety of public and private stakeholders—State DOTs, MPOs, freight modes, general public—must be considered to successfully integrate freight planning into these existing transportation planning processes. Freight planning seeks to connect different modes of transportation and/or transferring freight from one mode to another at facilities such as airports, terminals, and stations and coordinate public-private, state-local, and state-federal freight transportation investment decisions and activities.

FEDERAL FREIGHT PLANNING AND POLICY

On December 4, 2015, Public Law 114-94, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) was signed into law. This was the first long-term surface transportation authorization enacted in a decade to provide long-term funding certainty for surface transportation. The following freight-specific components were included in the legislation:

  • Established a national freight strategic plan in consultation with State DOTs, MPOs, and other appropriate public and private transportation stakeholders. [49 U.S.C. 70102].

  • Established a National Multimodal Freight Network.

  • Established a national policy of maintaining and improving the condition and performance of the National Multimodal Freight Network.

  • Required each State to develop a State freight plan, which must comprehensively address the State’s freight planning activities and investments (both immediate and long-range). State freight plans must be updated every five years.

  • Created a new discretionary freight-focused grant program (INFRA) that will invest $4.5 billion over 5 years. This new program allows States, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), local governments, tribal governments, special purpose districts and public authorities (including port authorities), and other parties to apply for funding to complete projects that improve safety and hold the greatest promise to eliminate freight bottlenecks and improve critical freight movements.

  • Established the National Highway Freight Program. The Act provides $6.3 billion in formula funds over five years for States to invest in freight projects on the National Highway Freight Network. Up to 10 percent of these funds may be used for intermodal projects.

The National Freight Strategic Plan defines the U.S. DOT’s vision and goals for the Nation’s multimodal freight system and defines strategies to achieve those goals. The Department developed this Plan through a multi-agency effort involving extensive consultation with freight stakeholders in both the public and private sectors. The Department will use it to guide national freight policy, programs, initiatives, and investments. The Plan will also be used to inform State freight plans and identify freight data and research needs. Additionally, it provides a framework for increased cross-sector, multi-jurisdictional, and multimodal coordination and partnerships. This Plan meets the requirement of the FAST Act to develop a strategic plan to implement the goals of the new National Multimodal Freight Policy. For more information and to download the plan, please go to https://www.transportation.gov/freight/NFSP.

NEW YORK STATE FREIGHT PLAN

New York’s first comprehensive Freight Plan was released in August 2019. The plan provided a framework for strategically enhancing the safety and optimization of freight goods movement across New York, including potential strategies and initiatives to reduce congestion, improve reliability and increase productivity. The Freight Plan will help guide longer-term investments intended to facilitate forecasted growth in freight tonnage so that New York will remain economically competitive.

For more information and to download the plan, please go to: https://www.dot.ny.gov/freight-plan.

2021 GBNRTC REGIONAL FREIGHT STUDY UPDATE

In the almost 10 years since The GBNRTC’s Urban Area Freight Transportation Study was completed, much has changed in the region’s freight industry. Because of these developments and the dynamic nature of the freight/logistics industry in general, an update to the original study is warranted. The primary objective of this Update was to develop quality freight projects and policy recommendations in a report format that will encourage growth in the industry and economic development opportunities for the WNY region.

BUFFALO-NIAGARA REGIONAL FREIGHT PLAN (Full Report Google Drive 113MB)

  • Appendix C (Tech Memo 2): Regional Freight Flow Analysis (13MB)

    • COVID Epidemic Freight Impacts

    • Growth in Regional Freigt Activity

    • Identify Domestic and International Markets

    • Regional Highway Volume Growth

    • Capacity of Road Networks

    • Demand for International Facilities in Buffalo-Niagara Region

2010 GBNRTC URBAN AREA FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION STUDY

The 2010 Urban Area Freight Transportation Study examined the past, present and future movement of good into, out of and through the region. The study consisted of five technical memorandums and a final report.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION