Assessment of Emissions and Fuel-Use Changes Resulting from Modal Shifts in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

摘要

Since the passage of the Intermodal Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, there has been an increasing emphasis on the importance of providing an efficient system for freight movement. This legislation also recognized the importance of improving transportation by providing for the movement of commodities in a safe, cost-effective, environmentally sound, and fuel-efficient manner, by taking advantage of the "best" characteristics of modes or combination of modes. This requires an approach that acknowledges the complementary roles played by the private and public sectors and evaluates the impacts of transportation alternatives, which includes consideration of shifting commodities from one mode to another.