THE INTEREST OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN URBAN GOODS MOVEMENT

THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION HAS SOUGHT TO DETERMINE THE MULTIMODAL NATURE OF THE DEMAND FOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES ON THE BASIS OF TWO CATEGORIES: (1) ORIGIN AND DESTINATION AND (2) PEOPLE VERSUS FREIGHT. THIS SUGGESTS THAT, FOR DOMESTIC TRANSPORTATION, WE USUALLY CONSIDER THE DEMANDS FOR INTERCITY PASSENGER TRAVEL, INTERCITY FREIGHT MOVEMENTS, AND URBAN OR INTRACITY PASSENGER DEMAND. ONE AREA VERY OFTEN NEGLECTED IS THAT OF THE URBAN OR INTRACITY FREIGHT MOVEMENT OF GOODS. WHEN WE DO CONSIDER THIS FOURTH DEMAND CATEGORY, WE TEND TO LOOK AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF JUST TRUCK MOVEMENTS IN THE CITY. IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN ESTIMATING THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HIGHWAY CAPACITY, WE HAVE TREATED URBAN GOODS MOVEMENTS IN MUCH THE SAME WAY WE TRADITIONALLY HAVE DEALT WITH INTERCITY TRUCK MOVEMENTS. WHAT DO WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS CONFERENCE? FIRST, WE HOPE TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRESENT GOODS SYSTEM WITHIN URBAN AREAS. ALL OF US ENGAGED IN THE PLANNING, REGULATION, AND OPERATION OF TRANSPORTATION NEED TO KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF GOODS ARE MOVED, HOW THEY ARE CLASSIFIED, WHAT TYPES OF VEHICLES MOVE THEM, WHEN THE GOODS ARE MOVED, AND WHAT COST FACTORS ARE INVOLVED. SECOND, WE HOPE TO ENHANCE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE CRITICAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN URBAN GOODS MOVEMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY OCCUR. ON THE ONE HAND, WE NEED TO KNOW HOW REGULATIONS, LABOR PRACTICES, DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES, AND URBAN FORM AND STRUCTURE AFFECT THE VOLUMES AND PATTERNS OF URBAN GOODS MOVEMENTS. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF FREIGHT MOVEMENTS ON THE URBAN COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN THE AMOUNT AND TYPE OF URBAN FREIGHT FACILITIES ON THE LOCATION OF INDUSTRIES, RESIDENCES, AND SUBURBAN SHOPPING CENTERS. THIRD, WE HOPE TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE IN DEFINING THE PROPER ROLE OF THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WITH RESPECT TO URBAN GOODS MOVEMENT. FOURTH, WE HOPE TO FIND OUT WHERE WE ARE HURTING THE MOST IN THIS AREA. WHAT ARE THE GAPS IN OUR PLANNING PROCESSES AND THE LIMITATIONS OF OUR FORECASTING TOOLS? WHERE ARE THE DATA DEFICIENCIES? SHOULD THE POLICIES OF THE VARIOUS LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT BE CHANGED TO ADEQUATELY TREAT URBAN GOODS MOVEMENTS, AND IF SO HOW? /AUTHOR/