Using Aggregated Federal Data to Model Freight in a Medium-Sized Community

Abstract

In most urban areas, freight volumes are not explicitly considered in the transportation planning process. This is primarily due to the proprietary nature of freight data, causing any freight data that are released to be highly aggregated. This paper examines a multitiered methodology to utilize freight data from a federally available, highly aggregated source within an urban planning model to accurately model truck transportation. A case study is included that demonstrates the modeling methodology for a medium-sized urban area, complete with international port, and contains validation results of the freight transportation in the area.