finally, a plan

THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE REGULAR READERS of this column will recall that on several occasions I have mentioned that our National Transportation Policy hasn’t been revised or restated since 1940. And many industry watchers have bemoaned the fact that our efforts to improve the nation’s transportation capability and infrastructure have been haphazard at best, with no overall plan or objective in sight.

This has finally been corrected with the
Department of Transportation’s (DOT) April 15
release of a draft of its strategic plan for FY 2010–FY
2015, “Transportation for a New Generation.” It is
billed as an outcome-driven plan that addresses what
DOT feels, at least, are the main transportation sys-
tem and policy concerns. The mission statement is
fairly straightforward: “The national objectives of
general welfare, economic growth and stability, and
the security of the United States require the develop-
ment of transportation policies and programs that
contribute to providing fast, safe, efficient, and con-
venient transportation at the lowest cost consistent
with those and other national objectives, including
the efficient use and conservation of the resources of
the United States.”
To accomplish this mission, the plan sets out five
strategic goals and one organizational objective,
along with the expected outcomes, challenges, risks,
and strategies for each. The entire plan is 72 pages
long, but briefly stated, the priorities are as follows:

; Safety. Reduce transportation-related fatalities and injuries, and improve the safety experience for all road users, with a special emphasis on children, seniors, and those with disabilities.

; State of good repair. Keep the nation’s critical transportation infrastructure—its highways, bridges, airports, railroads, and transit systems—in good condition.

; Economic competitiveness. Advance transportation policies that “bring lasting and equitable economic benefits to the nation.”

; Livable communities. Foster livable communities by giving people convenient, affordable, and environmentally sustainable travel options. This addresses the need for public transit, bicycle and walking paths, and transportation for special needs populations.

; Environmental sustainability. Promote policies

and investments that reduce carbon and other harmful emissions from transportation sources. Objectives include reducing the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels, cutting air and noise pollution, and advancing environmentally sustainable practices.

; Organizational excellence. The DOT has set an
internal goal of developing a diverse and collabora-
tive workforce that will serve the nation’s long-term
social, security, environmental, and economic needs.
The subordinate goal is to make “DOT the best place
to work in the federal government.”
At first blush, these goals
seem only slightly less pure
than peace and mother-
hood, but as usual, the devil
is in the details. Already the
plan has spurred controver-
sy, particularly with the
American Trucking
Associations (ATA). In a
strongly worded letter to
Transportation Secretary
Ray LaHood, ATA president
Bill Graves took issue with
the DOT’s strategic objec-
tive of reducing congestion and pollution by divert-
ing freight from trucks to rail where possible. He
argued that such a move is impractical and in some
cases, impossible and would likely have little mean-
ingful impact on the environment—an assertion
that doesn’t quite square with J.B. Hunt’s long-term
partnership with the BNSF, which has proved to be
both economically and environmentally sound for
both carriers.

There is sure to be other controversy as well, as industry watchers begin to read the fine print. No doubt the plan will change significantly before it is finally approved. But at least, at long last, it is a start. Let’s give credit where credit is due.

Clifford F. Lynch is principal of C.F. Lynch & Associates, a provider of logistics management advisory services, and author of Logistics Outsourcing – A Management Guide and co-author of The Role of Transportation in the Supply Chain. He can be reached at cliff@cflynch.com.