3: PRODUCTIVITY
Continuously improve the economic efficiency of the Nation's transportation system to enhance America's position in the global
economy.
Other Information:
Note: See Objective 2 under the Mobility Goal - Improve the operation of the highway system and intermodal linkages to increase
transportation access for all people and commodities. KEY PRODUCTIVITY STRATEGIES: Minimizing the cost to build, maintain,
operate, and use the National Highway System directly supports local, regional, and national economic growth and competitiveness.
The Highway System provides the majority of passenger travel; 91 percent of the person-distance (miles) traveled are in privately
owned vehicles. Trucks move nearly three quarters of the value, one half of the weight, and nearly one quarter of the metric
ton- kilometer (ton-miles) of all freight shipments in the United States and its territories. FHWA programs to increase mobility
through enhanced infrastructure, technology, and operations also support economic performance goals. In addition, we will
help reduce the economic costs of providing and using the highways by focusing on the following strategies: Highway System
Operating Efficiency: FHWA initiatives in incident and congestion management systems will assist the States in stabilizing
highway congestion and reducing delays caused by crashes, breakdowns, and construction. Within 10 years, the broad deployment
of CVISN, an automated and integrated commercial vehicle service system, will increase operating efficiency and streamline
government requirements for commercial vehicles, while ensuring their data privacy. We will promote innovative congestion
pricing strategies for highway users that also support congestion management, air quality, and energy conservation initiatives.
Further, FHWA will facilitate advancements in technology to develop new cost recovery opportunities such as automatic toll
collection. Border Crossing Efficiency: FHWA will work with international, Federal, State agencies and others to remove institutional,
technological, and physical transportation barriers to foreign trade at our border crossings. With our partners, FHWA will
provide resources and technical assistance for States and local governments to speed the movement of vehicles through border
gateways. Highway System Production Efficiency: FHWA will promote increasing the return on investment of highway dollars through
research and technology transfer to significantly reduce the life cycle costs of new and reconstructed highways. We will promote
sound investment decisionmaking through States' and Federal lands agencies' utilization of asset management strategies. Further,
to be truly efficient in the production of our Nation's highway system, we must do more than build high quality, long lasting
structures. Maximum efficiency will only be realized when all elements of the Nation's resources are able to contribute to
that end. FHWA will continue to promote open and full access to employment in the design and construction of the system and
to companies and educational institutions wishing to participate in highway-related research. FHWA will identify where underutilization
is occurring and what barriers to full participation exist. FHWA training and professional capacity building initiatives,
such as the Garrett A. Morgan Program and ITS core competencies, will help assure that highway agencies are staffed with skilled
personnel capable of identifying and implementing best practices in all program areas. Where warranted, FHWA will foster international
trade in U.S. highway products and will promote and implement technical assistance and partnerships to achieve full utilization
of all of the Nation's production resources. Federal-aid Efficiency: To maximize the rate of return resulting from Federal
transportation investment, it is essential that the costs associated with delivering and accepting Federal-Aid be minimized.
FHWA will continue its efforts at regulatory reform and will develop streamlined methods and mechanisms for delivering Federal
assistance while maintaining all necessary safeguards of Federal law.
Objective(s):
|
