United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-07-09 monographic deposited born digital 26 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-96-159 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-159 P0b002ee18039ce2d f:ns96159 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-159 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-159 NSIAD-96-159 Freight transportation operations Data bases Federal aid for transportation Intergovernmental relations Transportation industry Trucking operations Railroad transportation operations Regional planning DOT Surface Transportation Program National Highway System California Illinois New York Texas Chicago (IL) Los Angeles (CA) Alameda Corridor Project (CA) Western Transportation Trade Network New England Transportation Initiative DOT National Freight Partnership Other Written Product NSIAD Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed intermodal freight transportation issues, focusing on: (1) the Department of Transportion's (DOT) efforts to track how states use Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) funds to facilitate intermodal transportation; (2) the nature and extent of ISTEA funds used by states for intermodal freight projects; (3) how some local and regional areas that handle large volumes of freight have considered intermodal freight transportation issues as part of their planning processes; (4) impediments some areas face in improving intermodal freight transportation; and (5) trends in intermodal freight transportation.<p/>GAO found that: (1) DOT has not developed the statutorily required database on public and private intermodal transportation investments, or tracked how states use ISTEA funds for such projects; (2) DOT says that its limited role in allocating funds, states' inconsistent identification of projects, and intermodal projects' multiple financing sources make establishing the database difficult; (3) as of September 1995, 10 states had obligated about $35.6 million in ISTEA funds for 23 intermodal-freight-related projects; (4) as of December 1995, 9 states had obligated $68.4 million, or 36 percent of the $191.8 million in ISTEA funds authorized, for 20 priority intermodal freight projects; (5) the total amount of funds obligated for intermodal freight projects through the first 4 ISTEA fiscal years equals less than 1 percent of ISTEA funds apportioned to the states for highways and other nontransit infrastructure projects during the same period; (6) metropolitan planning organizations have to balance intermodal freight issues with a wide range of other transportation needs; (7) public transportation planners lack experience and planning tools for intermodal transportation, but states are slowly developing such expertise and tools; (8) local and regional planners are addressing problems specific to their areas; and (9) impediments to improving intermodal freight transportation include obtaining necessary proprietary information on freight movements and coordinating public and private-sector planning, but public-private partnerships may help overcome such impediments. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-159/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-159.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-159/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-159.pdf GAO/NSIAD-96-159 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-159 Other Written Product GAO/NSIAD-96-159; Intermodal Freight Transportation: Projects and Planning Issues; Freight transportation operations Data bases Federal aid for transportation Intergovernmental relations Transportation industry Trucking operations Railroad transportation operations Regional planning DOT Surface Transportation Program National Highway System California Illinois New York Texas Chicago (IL) Los Angeles (CA) Alameda Corridor Project (CA) Western Transportation Trade Network New England Transportation Initiative DOT National Freight Partnership Public Law 102-240 Public Law 104-59