Transportation For America » A new vision for freight

A new vision for freight

March 3, 2009
By Andrew Bielak

Download our fact sheet on freight (.PDF)

The safe and efficient movement of goods across the United States is an absolutely critical aspect of our national economy. While discussions about building a modern transportation network often focus on the need to provide people with better options, an equally important ingredient for broad-based reform is the creation of a truly multi-modal freight system that matches the increasing demand for freight improvement while addressing national objectives for greater efficiency and reduced oil demand. Reforming our approach to freight won’t just improve the movement of goods — it will also make life much easier for commuters by reducing demand on our highways and opening our rail system for the freer movement of passengers.

The existing problems and needs in our system are clear:

Between 1980 and 2006, road infrastructure capacity increased 4.5 percent while railroad route miles actually decreased 23.6 percent.
Recent cargo projections for contained ports anticipate a doubling or tripling of throughput growth in the next 15 or 20 years.
Recurring road congestion during peak periods is forecast to slow traffic on 20,000 miles of highway system and create stop-and-go conditions on an additional 45,000 miles by 2035.
Every ton-mile of freight moved by rail instead of truck reduces GHG emissions by two-thirds of more.

Check out our fact sheet on freight, which is linked above, and be sure to sign Transportation for America’s petition urging Congress to take a new direction by making the creation of a 21st-century freight system a top priority in the next transportation bill. To get a more detailed look at some of our positions on investment in freight capacity, be sure to check out our newly released platform.