The AASHTO-FHWA Freight Transportation Partnership Synthesis of Findings from the AASHTO/FHWA Survey, Web Casts, and Conference Table of Contents Executive Summary.........................................................................................................iii Background...............................................................................................................iii Key Survey Findings...................................................................................................iii Conference Outcomes................................................................................................iv Introduction.......................................................................................................................1 Background...............................................................................................................1 Key Survey Findings........................................................................................................3 Key Conference Findings and Outcomes............................................................................4 Roles and Responsibilities...........................................................................................5 Coordinator Skills.......................................................................................................8 Resources Required..................................................................................................11 Organizational and Institutional Issues..........................................................................11 State DOT Issues......................................................................................................12 FHWA Issues...........................................................................................................13 Conclusion and Next Steps..............................................................................................15 Appendix A: Conference Agenda......................................................................................17 Appendix B: Survey Questions and Summary Results........................................................19 Survey Questions......................................................................................................19 Summary of Survey Results.......................................................................................20 Roles and Responsibilities - AASHTO (State DOT) Survey Results..................................21 Roles and Responsibilities - FHWA Survey Results.......................................................21 Organizational/Institutional Changes Needed – AASHTO (State DOT) Survey Results.......22 Organizational/Institutional Changes Needed – FHWA Survey Results.............................22 Appendix C: Mission/Job Description Breakout Session Results...........................................23 Appendix D: State-Level Freight Coordinator Roles/Responsibilities, Skill Sets, and Resources – Breakout Session Results................................................................................................26 Appendix E: State DOT Solutions to Identified Barriers – Breakout Session Results................31 THE AASHTO FHWA FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PARTNERSHIP SYNTHESIS REPORT I Appendix F: FHWA Issues and Solutions – Breakout Session Results...................................33 Appendix G: Next Steps – Breakout Session Results..........................................................35 Appendix H: Private Sector Perspectives...........................................................................36 Mr. John A. Gentle, Global Leader, Carrier Relations, Owens Corning (Chairman of NITL Highway Transportation Committee).........................................................................................36 Mr. Val Noel, President, Pacer Cartage........................................................................36 Mr. Arthur E. Cole, President, Edwards & Drew, Inc.......................................................37 Mr. David Holsclaw, Jacobson Distribution....................................................................37 Mr. John Joseph, Senior Transportation Manager, Limited Brands...................................37 Mr. John Ness, ODW Logistics....................................................................................38 Mr. Paul Nowicki, Assistant Vice President, Government & Public Policy, BNSF................38 Questions................................................................................................................38 Appendix I: Summary of Participant Feedback Forms..........................................................41 Appendix J: Attendance List.............................................................................................45 THE AASHTO FHWA FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PARTNERSHIP SYNTHESIS REPORT II Executive Summary The American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) co-hosted a meeting of State Department of Transportation (DOT) freight officials, FHWA Division Office staff, and U.S. DOT headquarters staff, as well as private sector representatives, on April 26-27, 2005 in Columbus, Ohio. The goal of the conference was to define a position description framework for a State-Level Freight Coordinator(s) through the identification of: • The roles and responsibilities of a State-Level Freight Transportation Coordinator, • The skill sets required for the Freight Transportation Coordinator position, and • The organizational and institutional issues that need to be addressed to better advance freight transportation projects more effectively. Background Between 2000 and 2002, the FHWA Office of Freight Management and Operations (HOFM) conducted extensive outreach with freight stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to learn what was needed to enable freight transportation projects to better compete in the project selection process. The responses heard emphasized the need for better coordination and cooperation between the public and private sectors, new mechanisms for financing freight projects (innovative financing), better data and use of that data, and better professional capacity building. Additionally, the freight community expressed that having someone or several people within each state dedicated to making freight transportation improvements will be a necessity in order to spearhead these improvements. In response to the freight transportation improvement challenges being faced and the feedback from the outreach events, the U.S. DOT included a provision for a State-Level Freight Coordinator in its proposed bill for surface transportation reauthorization, the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003" (SAFETEA). Whether or not the position is actually included once SAFETEA is passed, FHWA and AASHTO both recognize the need for someone of a similar position in each state to help plan and operate a transportation system that accommodates freight movement needs. To set the stage for the Ohio conference, in February 2005, AASHTO conducted a survey of freight professionals in State DOTs to learn about their perspectives on freight transportation priorities and needs. Similarly, FHWA conducted a survey of FHWA Division Office professionals focused on freight transportation. Two online WebEx conferences were held to discuss the results of the survey and shape the agenda for the Columbus conference. Key Survey Findings Within the survey, both State DOTs and FHWA agreed that there are a core set of skills, roles and responsibilities that freight transportation professionals and offices need to advance freight-related transportation projects. They also agreed that educating stakeholders, including the general public, about freight transportation needs is important to improving freight transportation. Both FHWA and the State DOT respondents also felt that there are significant institutional barriers to implementing freight initiatives. THE AASHTO FHWA FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PARTNERSHIP SYNTHESIS REPORT III Overall, the survey results indicated that achieving state freight transportation priorities will require: • Setting priorities, promoting, and educating – generating better and more knowledgeable freight professionals; • Connecting the private sector through councils or other institutional means; • Connecting jurisdictions; • Integrating institutionally; • Integrating the modes; • Data analysis and planning; • Understanding of funding and financing issues; • Understanding the planning process; and • Thinking both globally and locally. These needs were discussed within the web conferences and were addressed during the Columbus conference. Participants in the Columbus conference refined and expanded on the survey results to create a complete set of roles, responsibilities, required skills, and institutional barriers to be overcome. A list of the survey questions and a more in depth summary of the survey results can be found in Appendix B. Conference Outcomes Throughout the conference, participants contributed to defining a position description framework for a State-Level Freight Coordinator. The breadth of the identified responsibilities and required skills indicate that two position levels may be required – one having a thorough working knowledge of the freight industry and one working at a higher level, serving as an advocate for transportation improvements that benefit freight movements. The conference established common ground on roles, responsibilities, skills, resources and institutional issues. The format of the conference did not, however, lend itself to drilling down to specifics of how to accomplish the actions identified. Much work remains in defining the State-Level Freight Coordinator and implementing the position. At the conclusion of the conference, participants identified and prioritized a set of next steps for moving forward, shown in Table 1. Table 1 - Next Steps, as Identified by Conference Participants Next Steps 1. Development of a national U.S. DOT freight policy 2. Establish a formal way for states to work together on regional and inter-regional projects 3. FHWA/U.S. DOT should identify legal flexibility within existing funding mechanisms (Note: this tied in priority with #2) 4. AASHTO should establish a freight committee 5. Promote importance of freight within State DOTs and Federal leadership 6. Encourage Congress to pass SAFETEA 7. Educate shippers via the National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) Confirming what was seen in the survey results and heard throughout the conference, the development of a national U.S. DOT freight policy was voted as the priority next step. Such a policy will be helpful in encouraging and assisting states with working together, across borders. As indicated in the survey, finding solutions to freight problems will involve THE AASHTO FHWA FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PARTNERSHIP SYNTHESIS REPORT IV looking beyond state borders. Freight does not move in a vacuum and therefore, addressing freight needs requires addressing issues on a national basis as well as at the regional, state and local level. Addressing the next steps will require the continued participation of those individuals involved to date. The proposed reauthorization bill is importation to the Coordinator position, but it isn’t critical. Whether or not the position is included in the final bill, it is critical freight programs are established in each State. FHWA and AASHTO will continue to collaborate to support activities that advance the State-Level Freight Coordinator effort, as well as freight transportation as a whole. The FHWA Freight Council will be forming workgroups responsible for taking action on the items identified through the survey and the conference. Similarly, AASHTO may also form committees to work to implement freight improvements for State DOTs. In addition, both FHWA and AASHTO intend to share this report with State DOT Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and FHWA Division Administrators in order to get their input and buy-in for moving this effort forward. Now that the survey and conference are complete, the goal is to maintain momentum and continue to work toward better integration of freight projects into the planning process. THE AASHTO FHWA FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PARTNERSHIP SYNTHESIS REPORT V Introduction The American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) co-hosted a meeting of State Department of Transportation (DOT) freight officials, FHWA Division Office staff, and U.S. DOT headquarters staff on April 26-27, 2005 in Columbus, Ohio. The goal of the conference was to define a position description framework for a State-Level Freight Coordinator(s) through the identification of: • The roles and responsibilities of a State-Level Freight Transportation Coordinator, • The skill sets required for the Freight Transportation Coordinator position, and • The organizational and institutional issues that need to be addressed to better advance freight transportation projects more effectively. Participants were also given the opportunity to listen to a panel of private sector representatives share their thoughts on the duties of a State-Level Freight Coordinator. Background Between 2000 and 2002, the FHWA Office of Freight Management and Operations (HOFM) conducted extensive outreach with freight stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to learn what was needed to enable freight transportation projects to better compete in the project selection process. The responses heard emphasized the need for better coordination and cooperation between the public and private sectors, new mechanisms for financing freight projects (innovative financing), better data and use of that data, and better professional capacity building. Additionally, the freight community expressed that having someone or several people within each state dedicated to making freight transportation improvements will be a necessity in order to spearhead these improvements. In response to the freight transportation improvement challenges being faced and the feedback from the outreach events, the U.S. DOT included a provision for a State-Level Freight Coordinator in its proposed bill for surface transportation reauthorization, the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003" (SAFETEA). The proposed bill states: Each State shall designate a freight transportation coordinator. The coordinator shall be responsible for fostering public and private sector collaboration needed to implement complex solutions to freight transportation and freight transportation gateway problems, including coordination of metropolitan and statewide transportation activities with trade and economic interests and coordination with other States, local Department of Defense officials, local Department of Homeland Security officials, agencies, and organizations to find regional solutions to freight transportation problems. The coordinator shall also be responsible for advancing freight professional capacity building programs for the State.1 As can be seen in this language, a multi-jurisdictional/regional approach is necessary, scalable by State to accommodate the level of freight activity in the State. A good deal of this activity is already taking place. To tap into existing capabilities, inform others and build 1 Excerpt from Section 1205 (b) (2) of the Federal Highway Administration’s proposal for the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003 (SAFETEA). THE AASHTO FHWA FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PARTNERSHIP SYNTHESIS REPORT 1 consensus, the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) are now partnering to move ahead with this State-Level Freight Coordinator concept. With the understanding that the needs in each State are different, FHWA and AASHTO have set out to create a scaleable position description for a State-Level Freight Coordinator. Two key steps have been taken in order to build a framework for the position: (1) conducting a survey of State DOTs and FHWA Division Offices to learn about their perspectives on freight transportation priorities and needs; and (2) holding the Ohio conference. THE AASHTO FHWA FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PARTNERSHIP SYNTHESIS REPORT 2 Key Survey Findings In February 2005, AASHTO conducted a survey of freight professionals in State DOTs to learn about their perspectives on freight transportation priorities and needs. Similarly, FHWA conducted a survey of FHWA Division Office professionals focused on freight transportation. The survey asked questions such as, “How high a priority is freight transportation in your state?”; “What hot freight issues do you foresee in the next five to ten years?”; “What are the roles and responsibilities of a State Freight Coordinator”; and “What organizational and institutional changes are needed to improve planning for freight transportation?” Two online WebEx conferences were held to discuss the results of the survey and shape the agenda for the Columbus conference. The results of the survey indicated that both State DOTs and FHWA agreed that there are a core set of skills, roles and responsibilities that freight transportation professionals and offices need to advance freight-related transportation projects. They also agreed that that one of the most important roles and responsibilities is developing partnerships and coordinating with other stakeholders. This includes coordination among modes, between the public and private sectors, within institutions, and among jurisdictions. They also agreed that educating stakeholders, including the general public, about freight transportation needs is important to improving freight transportation. Furthermore, it was agreed that a national freight program or plan is needed. Both FHWA and the State DOT respondents felt that there are significant institutional barriers to implementing freight initiatives. One of the primary barriers is the lack of management support for freight projects. With the number of competing priorities, freight often takes a back burner to passenger transportation projects. Another major barrier is lack of coordination with the private sector. Different planning horizons lead to incompatible styles of working and advancing freight projects. Overall, the survey results indicated that achieving state freight transportation priorities will require: • Setting priorities, promoting, and educating – generating better and more knowledgeable freight professionals; • Connecting the private sector through councils or other institutional means; • Connecting jurisdictions; • Integrating institutionally; • Integrating the modes; • Data analysis and planning; • Understanding of funding and financing issues; • Understanding the planning process; and • Thinking both globally and locally. These needs were discussed within the web conferences and were addressed during the Columbus conference. Participants in the Columbus conference refined and expanded on the survey results to create a complete set of roles, responsibilities, required skills, and institutional barriers to be overcome. A list of the survey questions and a more in depth summary of the survey results can be found in Appendix B. THE AASHTO FHWA FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PARTNERSHIP SYNTHESIS REPORT 3 Key Conference Findings and Outcomes The Columbus conference served to further refine and expand upon the survey results, as well as add additional input from the private sector. For the most part, the private sector representatives fully supported what was said by the State DOT and FHWA participants, and emphasized the importance of working closely together. A synopsis of the private sector panel discussion is included in Appendix H. Between the survey and the conference, several key themes emerged that need to be kept in mind as FHWA and AASHTO move forward with this effort: • The Freight Coordinator position is a State-level position, but not necessarily a position that has to exist within the State DOT. Furthermore it may be more than one position. It may exist within the State DOT or another relevant agency. • There may be two levels of activity within each State – a freight Champion and a freight Coordinator. • Partnerships among all freight stakeholders are important. • Understanding and involving the private sector is necessary to advancing freight transportation improvements • Freight crosses state borders and therefore communication, coordination and cooperation across borders is necessary. • Improving freight transportation requires changes at both the State and national level. A national level freight transportation policy is needed. • New or enhanced funding mechanisms are needed to improve and enhance freight transportation. • Data collection and analysis is important and emerges as a priority role and responsibility of the Coordinator, but inconsistencies in survey and conference results indicate that it may not be as high of a priority as some of the other identified roles and responsibilities. As the conference progressed it became clear that two levels of activity were being identified. One role involved having a thorough working knowledge of the freight industry, related policies, and emerging trends. It involved a grassroots connection to freight stakeholders and being able to understand/analyze data to turn it into useful information. The other role involved working at a ‘higher’ level - being a spokesperson for freight in the State and being in a position to help influence decisions and advocate for transportation improvements that benefit freight movement. These two roles were termed ‘coordinator’ and ‘champion’ respectively. There is a continuum of activity between these two roles, but for the most part they are two separate roles. Within this report, note that there are certain roles and responsibilities, and skill sets that fall in one role or the other, or are applicable to both. It is likely that the coordinator will need to have someone at a higher level who can help influence decisions and champion changes within the state. There may be more than one champion in a state, with each champion representing different interests, such as interstate commerce, economic development, and the various modes. During the conference, ideas were prioritized based on participant votes. This synthesis report is based on these identified priorities, as well as the key findings from the survey. However, as not all participants voted, it is important to note that the voting results do not indicate definitive priorities. While they are not conclusive, they are suggestive, as the mix of respondents generally matched the mix of participants at the conference THE AASHTO FHWA FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PARTNERSHIP SYNTHESIS REPORT 4