Emissions Analysis of Freight Transport Comparing Land-Side and Water-Side Short-Sea Routes: Development and Demonstration of a Decision Modeling Tool

This study will create a decision tool that can assist in evaluating the economic, environmental, and congestion issues associated with alternative land-side and water-side freight transport routes. The project is aimed at developing the methodology and tools for: (1) quantifying emissions from land-side and water-side freight transport alternatives; (2) evaluating tradeoffs among pollutants, costs, and travel time for moving freight between two points; and, (3) identifying optimal modal combinations within a network of travel paths that would lead to either minimum emissions, minimum costs, or minimum travel time. The decision tool will be able to compare optimal routes for various decision objectives (e.g., minimize emissions, minimize costs, or minimize time) and constraints. For emissions, total fuel cycle emissions of green house gases and other pollutants will be included. We will demonstrate the model through a case study comparing short-sea shipping with other freight modes along the I-95 corridor. This work supports national and international efforts to understand the value and implications of multimodal freight transportation within an integrated analytic framework. Results will enhance efforts to improve freight service and environmental stewardship of multimodal freight transportation.