[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31751-31753]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-13219]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2025-0369]
National Freight Strategic Plan 2025 Update: Request for
Information
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of Transportation
(DOT).
ACTION: Request for information (RFI).
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SUMMARY: The safe and efficient movement of freight is vital to the
Nation's economic growth and to the creation of well-paying jobs for
millions of Americans. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT) published a National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP). 49 U.S.C.
70102 requires the DOT to update the NFSP based on 17 components to
address multimodal freight transportation. DOT seeks information from
the public, including stakeholders (e.g., State, metropolitan planning
organization, and local agencies, port authorities, private owners and
operators, industry trade groups, shippers, and beneficial cargo
owners) to aid development of the updated NFSP.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 14, 2025. DOT will
consider comments filed after this date to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket Number DOT-
OST-2025-0369 by any of the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Go to http://www.regulations.gov.
Search by using the docket number (provided above). Follow the
instructions for submitting comments on the electronic docket site.
Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room PL-401, Washington, DC
20590-0001.
Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 of the U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and
docket number.
Note: All comments received, including any personal information,
will be posted without change to the docket and are accessible via
http://www.regulations.gov. Input submitted online via
www.regulations.gov is not posted to the site immediately. It may take
several business days before your submission is posted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Baumer, Deputy Director for
Infrastructure Development, Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure
and Policy, at 202-366-1092 and [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Nation's freight transportation system is a complex network of
almost seven million miles of highways, railways, navigable waterways,
and pipelines. The components of this network are linked through
hundreds of seaports, airports, and intermodal facilities. This system
accommodates the movement of raw materials and finished products from
the entire spectrum of the agricultural, manufacturing, energy, retail,
and other sectors of the United States economy. The Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21st Century Act- (Pub. L. 112-141(2012)) established
the requirement for DOT to develop an NFSP. Section 8001 of the Fixing
America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (Pub. L. 114-94 (2015))
amended the requirement that DOT develop an NFSP, expanding the focus
to include a multimodal approach.
Subsequently, section 21102 of IIJA (Pub. L. 117-58) (2021))
further amended the NFSP requirements to include components addressing
environmental impacts, resiliency, economic growth, disadvantaged
communities, decarbonizing freight movement, and impacts of e-commerce.
See 49 U.S.C. 70102. After completing the NFSP, DOT is required to
update it every five years. Id. Sec. 70102(c).
In September 2020, DOT issued the NFSP.\1\ The 2020 NFSP defined
DOT's vision and goals for the national multimodal freight system;
assessed the conditions and performance of the freight system and
barriers to freight system performance; and defined strategies to
achieve its vision and goals. The Plan was developed through a multi-
agency effort involving extensive consultation with freight
stakeholders in both the public and private sectors. DOT has used this
Plan to guide national freight policy, programs, initiatives, and
investments; to inform State freight plans; to identify freight data
and research needs; and provide a framework for increased cross-sector,
multijurisdictional, and multimodal coordination and partnerships.
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\1\ Available at https://www.transportation.gov/freight/NFSP
(last updated Sept. 4, 2020).
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As amended by the IIJA, 49 U.S.C. 70102(b) requires DOT to develop
an updated NFSP that includes:
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(1) an assessment of the condition and performance of the National
Multimodal Freight Network;
(2) forecasts of freight volumes for the succeeding 5-, 10-, and
20-year periods;
(3) an identification of major trade gateways and national freight
corridors that connect major population centers, trade gateways, and
other major freight generators;
(4) an identification of bottlenecks on the National Multimodal
Freight Network that create significant freight congestion, based on a
quantitative methodology developed by the Under Secretary, which shall
include at a minimum--(a) information from the Freight Analysis
Framework; and (b) to the maximum extent practicable, an estimate of
the cost of addressing each bottleneck and any operational improvements
that could be implemented;
(5) an assessment of statutory, regulatory, technological,
institutional, financial, and other barriers to improved freight
transportation performance, and a description of opportunities for
overcoming those barriers;
(6) a process for addressing multistate projects and encouraging
jurisdictions to collaborate;
(7) strategies to improve freight intermodal connectivity;
(8) an identification of corridors providing access to energy
exploration, development, installation, or production areas;
(9) an identification of corridors providing access to major areas
for manufacturing, agriculture, or natural resources;
(10) an identification of best practices for improving the
performance of the National Multimodal Freight Network, including
critical commerce corridors and rural and urban access to critical
freight corridors;
(11) an identification of best practices to mitigate the impacts of
freight movement on communities;
(12) best practices for reducing environmental impacts of freight
movement;
(13) possible strategies to increase the resilience of the freight
system;
(14) strategies to promote United States economic growth and
international competitiveness;
(15) consideration of any potential unique impacts of the national
freight system on rural and other underserved and historically
disadvantaged communities;
(16) strategies for decarbonizing freight movement as appropriate;
and
(17) consideration of the impacts of e-commerce on the national
multimodal freight system.
In developing and updating the NFSP, DOT is required to provide
notice and an opportunity for public comment, and well as to consult
with State departments of transportation, metropolitan planning
organizations, and other appropriate public and private transportation
stakeholders. 49 U.S.C. 70102(d).
II. NFSP Considerations
Moving freight safely and efficiently is essential for America's
economic growth and supports millions of well-paying jobs. The numbers
tell the story: in 2023, our transportation system moved about 49
million tons of freight worth $4.1 billion every single day. About 16
million Americans--roughly 10 percent of all workers--had jobs in
transportation or related industries. DOT estimates that freight
tonnage will grow by 50 percent between 2020 and 2050, which will put
significant pressure on our existing infrastructure.
Both rural and urban communities depend on freight moving safely
and efficiently. Rural areas produce many of the raw materials that
fuel our economy--agriculture, energy, natural resources, and other
inputs to manufacturing. About two-thirds of all freight shipped by
rail in the U.S. starts in rural areas. Urban areas create most of the
demand for freight and rely on trucks, trains, ships, planes, and
pipelines working together through intermodal connections to supply
industry and deliver goods reliably. To get products to consumers
safely and efficiently, freight supply chains have become increasingly
complex. Shippers and cargo owners now depend on multiple
transportation methods working together seamlessly.
More than ever, we need to plan transportation and infrastructure
investments--especially for freight--by looking at the big picture.
This means considering all transportation modes and both public and
private sector needs to maintain America's competitive edge globally.
DOT recognizes the importance of engaging with the public and private
industry to develop a clear and inclusive national vision for freight
transportation. Through State Freight Plans, all 50 States and the
District of Columbia have considered the importance and impacts of
freight movement to their local and regional economy and have developed
infrastructure investment plans to improve freight flows across their
States. See 49 U.S.C. 70202. As daily users of the system, private
sector perspectives are vital inputs for understanding operational
challenges along the freight system. DOT seeks information directly
from the public and stakeholders to inform development of this national
freight strategy.
III. Public Comment
DOT seeks comments and relevant information on any of the 17
statutorily defined plan components (as noted above). In addition, DOT
requests comments and data in response to the following questions:
1. The 2020 NFSP outlined three overarching goals and accompanying
strategies to guide national freight policy:
Improve the Safety, Security, and Resilience of the
national freight system;
Modernize Infrastructure and operations to grow the
economy, to increase competitiveness, and to improve quality of life;
and
Support the Development of Data, Technology, and Workforce
Capabilities that improve freight system performance.
Do the three overarching goals of the 2020 NFSP still reflect the
most urgent national priorities for freight policy in 2025? If not,
what changes or additions would better reflect today's needs? How
should any existing goals or strategies be reframed given changes in
the freight system since 2020?
2. How has the 2020 NFSP influenced freight planning, policies, or
investments at the Federal, State, local, or private sector levels?
What changes would make the 2025 NFSP more impactful or useful in
guiding future freight-related actions?
3. What metrics--across safety, efficiency, resilience, or
infrastructure condition--should DOT use to evaluate multimodal freight
system performance? How can performance measurement inform decision-
making and project prioritization across all levels of government?
4. How can investment in freight transportation infrastructure best
support industry and economic development? How could the NFSP help
support public and private-sector investment in the freight system?
5. What emerging operational or technological advances are likely
to reshape freight movement over the next five years? What actions
should public agencies take to enable or accelerate their adoption? How
can DOT support greater private-sector investment, and what investment
roles are best suited for public vs. private actors?
6. What are the most significant regulatory, technological,
procedural, institutional, or statutory barriers to freight system
performance--especially at intermodal connectors and freight origin and
destination points? How
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could the NFSP help identify or address these root causes?
7. What strategies should DOT consider to strengthen the freight
system's resilience to natural disasters, economic shocks, or other
disruptions? How should resilience be defined or measured, and what
roles should Federal, State, local, and private actors play?
8. What unique impacts do freight movement and operations impose on
rural and underserved communities? What strategies should DOT consider
to mitigate any disproportionate negative impacts felt by these
communities?
9. How can DOT encourage multi-State or multi-jurisdictional
coordination on freight planning, operations, and investments? In what
role(s) would DOT be most effective in creating, sustaining, and
optimizing the value of such cross-jurisdictional groups?
10. How will an officially designated National Multimodal Freight
Network help or influence the way public agencies plan and invest in
the freight system? See 49 U.S.C. 70103. What are the most logical use
cases for this network? How can the NFSP best support public and
private supply chain stakeholders to understand trends and challenges
better on this network?
DOT invites comments by all those interested in the NFSP. Comments
may be submitted and viewed at Docket Number DOT-OST-2025-0369.
Comments must be received on or before August 14, 2025 to receive full
consideration by DOT with respect to the final NFSP. After the comment
period closes, comments will continue to be available for viewing by
the public.
DOT's Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy will
be supplementing this RFI with other stakeholder engagement efforts,
including a nationwide webinar and stakeholder meetings.
Issue Date: July 10, 2025.
Cathy Gautreaux,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and
Policy.
[FR Doc. 2025-13219 Filed 7-14-25; 8:45 am]
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