The U.S. transportation system is facing a serious crisis in years ahead, with another 1.8 million trucks expected to be on the roads in 10 years, according to a recent study by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

According to AASHTO, in 20 years, there will be an additional truck for every two on the road today, adding to our nation's already congested bottlenecks.

In Unlocking Freight, AASHTO finds that our highways, railroads, ports, waterways, and airports require investments well beyond current levels to maintain - much less improve - their performance. The report identifies key projects in 30 states that would improve freight delivery and dependability, and offers a three-point plan to address what is needed to relieve freight congestion, generate jobs and improve productivity.

"The simple fact is: no transportation, no economy," said Larry L. "Butch" Brown, AASHTO president and Mississippi DOT executive director. "They are inseparable. We must invest to maintain and strengthen the American 'transconomy.'"

Despite more long-distance freight being moved by intermodal rail, the report finds that trucks will still carry 74 percent of the load. On average, 10,500 trucks a day travel some segments of the Interstate Highway System today. By 2035, this will increase to 22,700 commercial trucks for these portions of the Interstate, with the most heavily used segments seeing upwards of 50,000 trucks a day.

"It's unfortunate that many of the 35 million travelers who hit the road for the Fourth of July holiday this past weekend spent hours of their vacation time stuck in traffic," said John Horsley, AASHTO's executive director. "Ten thousand commercial trucks face that kind of gridlock everyday."

"To accommodate this predicted growth in freight movement, we need to think nationally, regionally, and on a multi-modal level," said Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely, which hosted a news conference on the issue. "Central to this effort should be the creation of a National Multimodal Freight Plan to ensure that transportation investments are coordinated and made where most needed. By linking trucks, rail, waterway transport, and aviation, freight can be moved more efficiently throughout the nation."

What Can Be Done

AASHTO's report outlines three key areas our nation should focus on to address the anticipated transportation system crisis. First, we need to build the capacity improvements that are needed.

The group recommends the highway system be expanded by:

* adding 32,000 lane-miles
* upgrading 14,000 lane-miles of the national highway system
* adding 14,000 lane-miles to NAFTA corridors
* adding 8,000 lane-miles of truck-only toll facilities
* adding 400 lane-miles accessing key port and intermodal facilities

The second recommendation is to create and fund a freight program, such as the one included in the authorization bill proposed by Chairman James Oberstar in the House of Representatives. AASHTO believes the highway program should be funded at $375 billion over six years, with $3 billion annually apportioned to the states for freight investment from the Highway Trust Fund, and $7 billion provided annually through freight fees outside the Highway Trust Fund.

The group also recommends the DOT develop a National Multimodal Strategic Freight Plan.

Lastly, the report points to investment in intermodal connector improvements, including dredging deeper harbors and addressing bridge clearances that are too low for the vessels that will come through the Panama Canal. AASHTO believes surplus in the federal Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund should be used for dredging and harbor maintenance.

"The intermodal freight connectors of the National Highway System (NHS) are the first and last miles of roadway used by truckers to travel between major highways of the NHS and the nation's ports, rail terminals, and air cargo hubs," the report said. "They are usually local roads and often weave their way through older industrial and residential neighborhoods. They are critical connectors but are often the weakest links in the freight transportation network. Without attention to the "last mile" of freight transportation, the value of the investment in national highway and rail connectivity is much reduced."

Unlocking Freight is the second in a series of reports generated by AASHTO to identify the need to increase capacity in our transportation system.

For more information, go to expandingcapacity.transportation.org.