The Upper Midwest serves as a critical corridor for domestic and international freight moving in all directions. It is projected that these freight movements will increase significantly in the future. While both the private and the public sectors agree that this important issue must be addressed quickly, neither sector is totally prepared to deal with the anticipated impacts of this projected increase. Current practices will no longer be sufficient to meet the increased demands on the infrastructure and/or increased costs associated with freight transport. Shifts in federal and public agency policy relative to infrastructure management and expansion, budgeting decisons and staff resource allocations have and will impact the safe and efficient movement of goods within the region. At the same time private sector interests insist on an approach that is equitable for all modes and allows industry to remain competitive in the region. Without proper collaboration and communication between the two sectors, and between the states and planning agencies of the region, the impacts of projected freight growth will pose an even greater challenge.

To establish a regional approach for improving freight transporation in the Upper Midwest based on a multi-state, multi-jurisdictional partnership of public and private sector stakeholder interests. This partnership will consider and address short-and long-term issues surrounding anticipated increases in freight movement within the region and the likely impacts on the region's infrastructure and economic health.

Proposed Study Approach: * Research is divided among participating Universities. * Subcommittees from the Steering and Advisory Committees are formed around these inventory areas as appropriate. * Preliminary results to be presented at a meeting scheduled 2-3 months into this phase. This meeting will include Steering and Advisory Committee members, and other invited participatnts to discuss the results and any desired modificiations to the focus and direction of the study, as well as identification of next steps. * Further results to be presented at a meeting 9-10 months into this phase. This meeting will include the same participants as the earlier meeting. * A workshop scheduled at the end of this phase will present findings from the inventory and ask participants to identify next steps. The Steering Committee will also vote on continuing efforts to work as a region on freight transportation issues.

The funding for this initial study would come from a pooled fund, which would consist of a contribution of $60,000 from each participating state. The balance of the budget ($52,000) would be covered by the Midwest Regional University Transporation Center.