Survey of Practices on Performance Measurement of U.S. Inland Waterway Freight Transportation

Abstract

The inland waterway freight transportation system plays a vital role in the trade and commerce of the U.S.A. To ensure that the system performs at an acceptable level, routine monitoring and performance evaluation of the system is critical. Individual states are responsible for developing and implementing suitable performance measurement systems for their respective inland waterways. This paper focuses on surveying, reviewing, and synthesizing current performance measurement practices adopted by different states in the U.S.A. It finds that, among the 38 states with inland navigability, only 12 states have established performance measures to monitor the performance of their inland water transportation systems. To aid the states in developing and enhancing inland waterway performance measurement programs, the paper further outlines the current state of research on inland waterways, recommendations from various federal and maritime organizations, and also current practice outside of the U.S.A. Based on a scan of the publicly available data sources, the paper proposes a two-dimensional performance measurement practice from the perspectives of performance areas and infrastructure types. Such an approach will help state Departments of Transportation to identify system needs and deficiencies while offering a comprehensive picture of performance of an inland water freight transportation system.