Statewide Freight Flow Model to Assess Spring Load Restrictions

This book presents a unique application of statewide freight planning; it is used to analyze the effects of spring load restrictions on freight flows. The model estimates freight transportation cost savings by removing spring load restrictions, which can be realized by improving the state highway system. The data for agricultural freight are estimated from the satellite imagery of the crop layers of North Dakota using spatial analysis and an algorithm developed for this purpose. The freight flow record for manufactured goods is obtained from the second-generation FAF database. To capture the effects of spring load restriction, which is dynamic and moves from the southern to northern part of the state of North Dakota, the concept of the onion model is applied. Benefit/cost analysis is done with the dollar value of reduced Vehicle Miles Traveled, Vehicle Hours Traveled and cost of highway improvements to evaluate the financial viability of infrastructure investments in the state of North Dakota.