Freight Analysis Framework for Major Metropolitan Areas in Kansas

Abstract

Freight transportation, through highway, rail, water and air, is critical to the Nation’s economy. In 2002, $11,082,859 million worth of goods and services were transported throughout the nation. The volume of freight in the United States is expected to increase 70 percent by 2020. Therefore, there is a need for a reliable freight transportation system. The primary objective of this research was to create a freight analysis framework for the greater Kansas City Area so that the Kansas Department of Transportation will be able to properly plan for future increases in freight traffic, identify current issues and future trends regarding freight transportation in Kansas, and ensure that the transportation infrastructure throughout the state can meet future freight transportation methods. The objective was accomplished through a four-step approach. The first, a literature review, found common practices used to transport freight in and out of the state. Second, the research team collected data on the major commodities, industries, corridors, origins and destinations of the freight transportation industry in Kansas. The team also collected data on the weight and value of the shipments and the quantity by each mode (highway, rail, water, air). Third, the research team analyzed the data and developed the Kansas Freight Analysis Framework (KFAF), a commodity-destination database that estimates tonnage and value of goods shipped by type of commodity and mode of transportation. It also found the number of trucks passing through the Kansas City Metropolitan Area’s highways. Finally, the team developed recommendations to KDOT for implementation of this framework. The research results demonstrate that there is a need to research the accuracy of the data and if there is a more accurate data source for the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. There is a need to apply more specific assumptions to the types of trucks used. For this study, 18 wheelers were assumed to ship all commodities. However, in reality a combination of trucks were used to ship commodities in and out of Kansas City. The through truck calculations could be improved with a more accurate way of choosing in and out locations. There is a need to consider the future intermodal facilities and the new manufacturing warehouses in the projections and forecasts of truck numbers and commodity shipments. MODOT and KDOT need to work together to create a transportation plan for the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. There is a need to study the effects of the new light rail plan on future transportation issues. There is also a need to study the effects of the through truck traffic on the Kansas City highways, such as highway capacity and road conditions.