Public financing of private freight rail infrastructure to reduce highway congestion: A case study of public policy and decision making in the United States |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, 311 John Tickle Building, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States;2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, 322 John Tickle Building, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States;3. Center for Transportation Research, The University of Tennessee, 309 Conference Center Building, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States;4. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, 320 John Tickle Building, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States;1. School of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia;2. College of Business, North Dakota State University, United States;3. Department of Economics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, United States;1. Urban Informatics Research Lab, School of Design, Creative Industries Faculty, Brisbane, Australia;2. Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety Queensland (CARRS-Q), Faculty of Health, Brisbane, Australia;3. Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia;1. State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China;2. College of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu Technology University, Chengdu 611730, China;3. Anhui Province Key Laboratory of High-performance Rail Transportation New Materials and Safety Control, Ma’anshan 243000, China;4. Technology Center Ma''anshan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., Ma''anshan 243000, China |
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| Abstract: | As goods movement continues to increase it is expected to outpace infrastructure capacity in the United States. Moving a larger share of goods by rail rather than truck is a potentially cost effective part of a solution. Freight rail not only offers a substitute for truck trips but is a cleaner, more energy efficient, and safer alternative. Recently a number of private freight rail projects have received public funding. The public funds are aimed at increasing freight rail capacity with the goal of diverting some goods currently moved by truck to rail. While the benefits of moving goods by rail are relatively clear, it is unclear if public decision makers can effectively identify strategic rail investments that will achieve their policy goals. This study critically examines the analytical methods, models, and data that are commonly used to support decisions to provide public funds for private freight rail projects. This is accomplished through a case study of California’s Trade Corridors Improvement Fund program which provided $680 million for 11 freight rail projects. The study’s contributions include identifying critical analytical flaws and challenges affecting the benefit estimates that public funding decisions rely on. Improvements to current evaluation methods are also identified as are regulatory reforms and policy interventions that may offer more effective and reliable outcomes. |
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| Keywords: | Freight rail Highway congestion Fright mode choice Public policy Air quality |
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