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Freight Route Analysis Project (FRAP) Staff Report September 1, 2004 I. Introduction The staff report below is in response to a request the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) made at its January 2004 Commission meeting. At that meeting, the OTC approved the changes to Policy lB of the 1999 Oregon Highway Plan (OHP). The key components of this revision were to simplify the highway segment designation process by recognizing existing characteristics and requiring written local government support prior to the designations. It was during this process working with a variety of stakeholders that concern was expressed about the impact of these and future highway segment designations on freight routes. Both the stakeholders and the OTC felt that with the revisions to the lB policy it was also appropriate to evaluate both the actual designations of the freight routes and the methodology that was used to determine their designation. As part of that effort, an advisory committee was formed to participate in the discussion and designation of new freight routes on state highways. Freight Route Analysis Project (FRAP) committee members include representation from the Oregon Trucking Associations, local government, a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Freight Advisory Committee, an Area Commission on Transportation member, a port representative, Department of Land Conservation and Development, Association of Oregon Counties, Federal Highway Administration, League of Oregon Cities, and the Retail Task Force. This led to a series of meetings with the committee. As part of their recommendations they provided input on what might need to be considered in designating freight routes. Through these discussions, members also advanced routes to be considered for designation beyond those recommended by staff. The report below summarizes the work to date with recommended changes to both freight route designations and associated OHP policies. The staff report highlights information from the current OHP as it relates to freight policy and definition. It also summarizes the methodology used in that process. The information following that discussion highlights the significance of the freight designation to other aspects of transportation, such as planning and highway design issues. The report then discusses the criteria and factors that were used in the evaluation of the additional freight routes being proposed. The revisions, both to the analytical work and the designations, require amending the language of the freight policies. The proposed policy changes are highlighted in Section VI of the report. Finally, there is a discussion of the proposed designations and their potential impacts to the transportation system. The State Highway Freight System, along with the freight systems established at the regional (MPO), county and city levels, link together and identify the roadways within the state that are important for the movement of freight. Because the policy implications of the State Highway Freight System and its relationship to other highway plan policies applies to state highways, the specific designation recommendations in this report apply only to state highways. In order to recognize the interrelated characteristics of the freight system, there are proposed changes to the policy actions to recognize the coordination necessary with local government (see Action 4.A.B). The next steps are to provide this information to interested stakeholders for their review and comment. Those comments will be forwarded to the FRAP committee for their consideration. The final product will be a recommendation to the OTC which will require a public hearing before the Commission. This public hearing is tentatively scheduled for the December OTC meeting, ultimately resulting in an amendment to the OHP. DRAFT September 1, 2004 1