The National Research Council of the National Academies convened the Committee for the Study of Freight Capacity for the Next Century under the auspices of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to consider how government policy can allow more efficient provision of freight transportation system capacity. The committee's study was sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the state departments of transportation through the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, and TRB. The committee's conclusions, published in TRB Special Report No. 271, "Freight Capacity for the 21st Century," address the implications of historical developments for freight system capacity and performance in the coming decades. The committee's recommendations identify opportunities to improve government decisions on operating and expanding transportation facilities. This article provides an overview of the report, covering the following topics: prospects for freight capacity; choosing a course; lessons from case studies; general principles; and specific recommendations. The specific recommendations deal with the federal-aid highway program, new systems, public-private funding, decision making and planning, and regulatory issues. (Author/publisher)
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