National Association of Regional Councils

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Washington, DC (October 22, 2009) – The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) today released its Building Planning Capacity Between Public and Private Sector Partners in the Freight Industry: A Resource Manual. Working in collaboration with the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and the Association of American Railroads (AAR), this report provides information on the challenges that face regional transportation planners and their private sector counterparts in addressing goods movement, as well as examples of positive solutions to meeting those challenges. The document includes case studies, scholarly resources and information metropolitan planning organizations addressing goods movement in a formalized manner.

“The Freight Resource Manual provides positive opportunities for the public and private sector alike to address goods movement concerns on the regional level,” said NARC President Stephen Cassano, Selectman, Town of Manchester, CT. “NARC and its Association partners have taken a much needed step forward to develop the tools for goods movement stakeholders to succeed in developing collaborative partnerships.”

In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), NARC, AAPA and AAR assembled experts from their respective fields and identified three of the main barriers inhibiting the abilities of public and private sector freight stakeholders to comprehensively plan for the future of goods movement in their regions. The areas on which the partners focused include:
1. The need for improved integration of freight stakeholders.
2. The need for quality, localized data.
3. The need for greater financing opportunities.

The Freight Resource Manual has been well received by the U.S. Department of Transportation, AAPA, AAR and various stakeholders in the goods movement field. NARC intends to use this document to provide another tool for transportation planners to use in their efforts to better accommodate transportations role in their regions.

Click here to access the Freight Resource Manual.