Implementing Freight Fluidity in the State of Maryland

Abstract

Efficient freight movement is inextricably linked to the economic vitality of a local area, the state, and beyond. In light of performance-based programs at the national level, there is increased interest in freight performance monitoring and methods for gaining a better understanding of the freight system for investment decisions. Public agencies in the State of Maryland are leaders in investigating freight traffic and trends for improved public investment. Implementing freight fluidity is a natural next step to understanding better the state’s freight investment needs. This paper describes the freight fluidity concept and how this concept will be implemented in Maryland. The paper documents work sponsored by the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration and performed by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute through the University of Maryland Center for Advanced Transportation Technology. This paper presents a definition of freight fluidity for the State of Maryland, provides a framework for implementing freight fluidity, describes multimodal data sources, and presents calculation procedures for the highway (truck mode). The application described here was successful in demonstrating freight fluidity use in Maryland. Researchers demonstrated the value of the freight fluidity methods for freight investments and decision making in Maryland. Given increased interest in implementing freight fluidity in the United States, the framework and methods described here would be valuable to transportation professionals investigating ways to implement freight fluidity in their local area, state, or region, or even globally.