Browsing by Subject "Freight transportation"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    The effects of transport infrastructure on regional economic development: A simulated spatial overlapping generations model with heterogenous skill
    (Journal of Transport and Land Use, 2012) Tikoudis, Ioannis; Sundberg, Marcus; Karlström, Anders
    As a result of public investment, lower freight transport costs tend to translate into lower local price indices and are associated with equilibria characterized by higher output and consumption. In this paper we investigate an additional effect to these trade gains, namely the gains from better spatial matching in the labor market. We simulate a two-region Spatial OLG model in which agents are heterogeneous in terms of skill. Under repeated simulation experiments, we show that, for high household relocation frictions, the possibility of interregional commuting can be seen as an alternative way to realize the potential matching effects. For high levels of skill heterogeneity and a plausible parametric input, a steady state in which labor matching is realized through commuting can be associated with up to 10% higher per capita output, compared to the one with homogenous labor, in which only gains from trade are feasible.
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    Measure of Truck Delay and Reliability at the Corridor Level
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2018-04) Liao, Chen-Fu
    Freight transportation provides a significant contribution to our nation’s economy. A reliable and accessible freight network enables business in the Twin Cities to be more competitive in the Upper Midwest region. Accurate and reliable freight data on freight activity is essential for freight planning, forecasting and decision making on infrastructure investment. A report entitled “Twin Cities Metropolitan Region Freight Study” published by MnDOT and the Metropolitan Council in 2013, suggested a need to understand where and when trucks are most affected by congestion. A framework for truck data collection and analysis was recommended to better understand the relationships between truck traffic and congestion in rush hours. Building upon our previous study to measure freight mobility and reliability along 38 key freight corridors in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (TCMA), this study leveraged our previous effort to implement the performance measures using the National Performance Measurement Research Dataset (NPMRDS) from the USDOT. The researcher team first worked with stakeholders to prioritize a list of key freight corridors with recurring congestion in peak periods in the TCMA. We used 24 months of NPMRDS data to measure travel time reliability and estimate truck delay at the corridor level and to identify system impediments during the peak hours. The objective is to use performance measures for assessing impact of truck congestions and identifying operational bottlenecks or physical constraints. Trucking activity nearby a congested area is examined to analyze traffic pattern and investigate possible causes of recurring congestions.
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    Minnesota Freight Flows - 1990: A Compilation and Synthesis of Data by Mode and Commodity
    (1995-02) Campbell, Candace; Braslau, David; Petersen, Catherine; Levine, Jeff
    Extensive transportation systems, which include highways, rivers, Great Lakes ports, railroads, airports, and pipelines, link Minnesota to markets throughout the North American Continent. This study provides a comprehensive source of freight flow information in Minnesota and shows the ways in which the transportation systems support business and commerce. It draws upon data and analysis developed over the past five years with contributions from the University of Minnesota's Center for Transportation Studies and the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The report summarizes the freight flows in, out, through, and within Minnesota in 1990 by model and in some cases by major commodity and major origin or destination.
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    A Real-Time Truck Availability System for the State of Wisconsin
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2018-05) Morris, Ted; Henderson, Travis; Morellas, Vassilios; Papanikolopoulos, Nikos
    Independent of truck parking capacity shortages, obtaining reliable and timely information has been receiving considerable attention nationally as of late. The situation has been exacerbated by increasing levels of freightborne truck volumes along many regional and interstate corridors and the need for carriers and drivers to balance efficient transport with required periods to park and rest to minimize driver fatigue. Interstate 94, a nationally designated freight corridor, as it passes through the Upper Midwest, including Wisconsin, shares this problem. A multi-camera computer vision detection system was deployed at a state sponsored rest area truck parking facility 67 miles east of Minneapolis. A key aspect of the system is that it is a completely automated 24/7, non-intrusive, parking detection system; there is no need to intervene with manual resets or re-calibration procedures, and pavements are not disturbed. Secondly, a region-wide truck parking notification architecture, recognized as an emerging national standard, was integrated with the detection system to provide real-time roadside truck parking notifications upstream of the facilities, as well as notification to other third party stakeholders. The overall detection accuracy was between 90 and 95 percent during up-to-the minute, per-space parking status notifications.
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    Using Archived Truck GPS Data for Freight Performance Analysis on I-94/I-90 from the Twin Cities to Chicago
    (University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, 2009-11) Liao, Chen-Fu
    Interstate 94 is a key freight corridor for goods transportation between Minneapolis and Chicago. This project proposes to utilize the FPM data and information from ATRI to study the I-94/I-90 freight corridor. Freight performance will be evaluated and analyzed to compare truck travel time with respect to duration, reliability, and seasonal variation. This data analysis process can be used for freight transportation planning and decision-making and potentially will be scalable for nationwide deployment and implementation on the country’s significant freight corridors.