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Efforts to Address Freight Mobility in the Mississippi Valley Region. National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education ( C FIRE) Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory University of Wisconsin-Madison Todd Szymkowski, P.E., PTOE – TOPS Deputy Director
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Efforts to Address Freight Mobility in the Mississippi Valley Region National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory University of Wisconsin-Madison Todd Szymkowski, P.E., PTOE – TOPS Deputy Director www.mississippivalleyfreight.org www.cfire.wistrans.org www.topslab.wisc.edu
Overview • Motivations • Upper Midwest Freight Corridor Study • Mississippi Valley Freight Coalition
Motivations • Economic health of region • Trade between the states • Dependence on manufacturing and agriculture sectors • Growing congestion on all modes • Freight bottlenecks • International competitors
Upper Midwest Freight Corridor Study • Efforts to address freight originated with UMFCS (active since 2003) • Involvement included… • Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin as well as provinces of Ontario and Manitoba • Also, FHWA, UW-Madison, UIC and Univ. of Toledo
Upper Midwest Freight Corridor Study (cont’d) • Potential activities (short term) • Collect improved data • Document regional freight funding needs and consequences • Create an ongoing regional organization • Improve political and public understanding of freight • Support multi-modal solutions for bottlenecks • Address regulatory bottlenecks at border crossings • Define a freight focal point in each state transportation agency
Upper Midwest Freight Corridor Study (cont’d) • Potential activities (long term) • Support river and lake lock improvements • Define a regional freight network • Define the role and structures appropriate for PPPs • Develop freight related planning approaches • Implement regional freeway management technologies; multi-state traffic operations program (MSTOP) • Consider modifications to Jones Act of 1920 – particularly provisions related to vessel production
Mississippi Valley Freight Coalition (MVFC) • Memorandum of Understanding • Charter • Committees • Executive • Technical • Policy Advisors • Traffic Operations Coalition • Customer • Pooled Fund • Priority Initiatives
Charter • Describes how the Coalition will carry out its mission of… • Sharing information between state agencies • Reaching out to shippers/carriers • Defining a system of multimodal freight corridors • Evaluating, implementing and operating technologies • Evaluating, implementing and enforcing traffic and vehicle regulations • Identifying bottlenecks • Defining and supporting national transportation policies
Pooled Fund • Signed in February 2007 • $450,000 • 9 states at $50K for two years • Wisconsin is lead state • Priority Initiatives • Regional Freight Workshop • Logistics for the Public Sector Training Course • Model Freight Planning Approaches • Mississippi Valley Traveler Information Clearinghouse • Define Regional Freight Bottlenecks • Expanded Truck Parking Facilities
Questions? Todd Szymkowski szymkowski@engr.wisc.edu (608) 263-2684