Regional Solutions for a Regional Issue
Mid-America Freight Coalition member, Iowa DOT, has completed their draft freight plan. It has been posted on their website and is available for download and comment. The plan is designed to connect and optimize numerous freight planning initiatives being conducted by the Iowa DOT. Additionally, it will guide Iowa DOT’s investment decisions for maintaining and […]
Introduction By: Aaron Jermier, Ernie Perry, Ben Zietlow, Teresa Adams The MAFC region contains 5,610 miles (22.2% of U.S. total) of navigable inland waterways and is the largest user of the Great Lakes to move freight. Every MAFC state has direct water access to world markets via the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway and […]
MAFC researchers recently completed a short whitepaper entitled Benefits and Limitations of J-Turn Intersections. This report provides a review of the safety and operational dimensions, including benefits and limitations, of J-turn intersection designs. Special accommodations and limitations of J-turn intersections for trucks, buses, and oversize/overweight (OSOW) vehicles. Read the whitepaper.
Eight of the ten MAFC states–Kansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin–have been awarded a 2015 TIGER grant for a Regional Truck Parking Information and Management System. MAFC researchers supported this TIGER application with a synthesis of the literature and previous efforts to study, test, and implement a range of truck parking information systems […]
As part of the Mid-America Freight Coalition’s Freight Planning Innovation webinar series, the planning group of the Iowa Department of Transportation presented their work in developing Iowa’s freight improvement prioritization process. The planning team discussed the use of their VCAP (Value, Condition, and Performance) matrix to rank freight projects. The presentation was attended by about […]
MAFC program manager Ernie Perry has been invited to serve on the Advisory Group for the M-35 (Waterway of the Saints) Marine Highway. The Advisory Group consists of representatives from various stakeholder groups, including industry sectors, federal agencies, local governments, regional planning agencies, labor groups, academia, and environmental and flood control interests. The representatives will serve in […]
A recent issue of the Great Laker published an article by MAFC Program Manager Ernie Perry that was based on the results of Phase 1 of the Wisconsin Commercial Port Development Initiative (WCPDI) conducted by Perry and a CFIRE research team. This article outlined the five key elements for strategic port planning: Get everyone on board. Consider […]
At the recent meeting of the Mid-America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO), the Executive Directors of the ten MAASTO states renewed the Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) for an additional three years, through 2018. “It is an honor to work with the ten MAASTO states as they lead the country in freight innovation, policy, and programs,” says MAFC […]
MAFC researchers recently completed a synthesis report of trucking parking management systems (TPMS) in the Midwest. This report provides a review of the research on truck parking as well as pilot projects developed and implemented to assess truck parking systems. Read the report.
The June 2015 edition of the American Planning Association (APA) Planning magazine highlighted the Missouri statewide freight plan, focusing in particular on the freight scenario planning methods used by the Missouri DOT. Read the full article to learn more about MoDOT’s scenario planning efforts. This type of freight scenario planning was also highlighted in a pair of […]