Maritime Freight Data Collection Systems and Database to Support Performance Measures and Market Analyses

Abstract

The Illinois Marine Transportation System (IMTS) is a key component of the nation’s inland waterway system. IMTS is comprised of 27 locks and dams, 19 port districts, more than 350 active terminals, and 1,118 miles of navigable inland waterways traversing along the borderline or within the state of Illinois. However, the infrastructure of IMTS is aging and its conditions are deteriorating. To monitor the performance of IMTS and guide infrastructure investment to enhance safety, efficiency, and reliability of the system, a comprehensive performance measurement program is needed. To this end, the objective of this project is to create an integrated, comprehensive, and maintainable database that facilitates performance measurement of maritime freight to, from, and through Illinois. To achieve this objective, a review of the literature on maritime freight transportation both in the United States and abroad was performed. To gauge practitioners’ points of view, a series of phone interviews and online surveys of Illinois’ neighboring state DOT officials, officials from the US Army Corps of Engineers, Illinois port district authorities, and carriers operating in Illinois was also conducted. With the findings from the literature review and an understanding of state DOT practices, the needed and available data sources for a maritime freight performance measurement program were identified. Building on all the above efforts, a first-of-its-kind PM database for IMTS was designed and developed, along with a detailed user manual, ready for IDOT’s immediate use and future updates. In addition, opportunities for IDOT to use the database to conduct analysis are discussed. Key programmatic recommendations that outline the role of IDOT as a champion and as a facilitator are further included. The outcome of this project will help IDOT gain much-needed knowledge of and develop programs to improve IMTS performance, increase multimodal transportation network capacity, and expand the transportation and logistics sector of the state, which ultimately benefit the people and economy of Illinois.