Congestion Impacts of Freight Flows

About 93 trains a day on average crossed into the continental United States from Canada and Mexico in 2014, according to U.S. Department of Transportations (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Trains enter and leave the United States through 30 port of entries (POEs) -- 23 on the northern border and 7 on the southern border. Although international freight rail plays an important role in U.S. economic and trade interests, the movement of rail through U.S. communities at the border can result in blocked highway-rail grade crossings and vehicle traffic congestion. This book describes the factors that affect the movement of freight rail and the actions taken by federal agencies and others to expedite freight rail in selected POEs; and examines what is known about the impacts of freight rail operations on highway-rail grade crossings in POE communities. Moreover, the book addresses recent changes in U.S. rail and truck freight flows and the extent to which related traffic congestion is reported to impact communities; and the extent to which DOTs efforts to implement Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) address freight-related traffic congestion in communities.