A Framework for Determining Highway Truck-Freight Benefits and Economic Impacts

Authors

  • Zun Wang University of Washington
  • Jeremy Sage Washington State University
  • Anne Goodchild University of Washington
  • Eric Jessup Albert-Ludwigs-Universitat
  • Kenneth Casavant Washington State University
  • Rachel L. Knutson Washington State Dept. of Transportation

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5399/osu/jtrf.52.2.4156

Abstract

This paper proposes a method for calculating both the direct freight benefits and the larger economic impacts of transportation projects. The identified direct freight benefits included in the methodology are travel time savings, operating cost savings, and environmental impacts. These are estimated using regional travel demand models (TDM) and additional factors. Economic impacts are estimated using a regional Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. The total project impacts are estimated combining the outputs of the transportation model and an economic model. A Washington State highway widening project is used as a case study to demonstrate the method. The proposed method is transparent and can be used to identify freight specific benefits and generated impacts.

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Published

2013-06-01

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Section

Articles