Freight Performance Measurement in FAST Act-Mandated State Freight Plans

Abstract

This paper reviews treatment of performance measures in state freight plans (SFPs) mandated under the FAST Act. This responds to the growing interest in freight performance measurement in government and industry, including concern for assuring supply chain performance to support the economy. To accomplish this, we collected 42 SFPs from state departments of transportation (DOT) websites and reviewed their treatment of freight performance measures in terms of describing and quantifying performance, granularity, multimodality, use of data and analytic methods, treatment of supply chains, and engagement of stakeholders through outreach. This assessment identified positive trends in freight planning practices such as addressing performance and supply chains in broad terms, identifying specific supply chains important to the state, forming freight advisory committees, and engaging them in the development of the freight plans. The novelty of the FAST Act mandate leaves room for further development of performance measurement in freight planning. Few states reached beyond the most readily available, free data, measuring what is most easily measured, and focusing on the highway system. There was limited consideration of supply chain performance. A list of good practices is offered, including selecting measures that are easily understood by key stakeholders, supported by readily available data, responsive to state needs and conditions, covering the most important modes in the state, timely, and appropriately granular to support specific choices.