Project number: PSR-17-15

Funding source: Caltrans

Contract number: 65A0533

Funding amount: $63,414

Performance period: 11/15/2017 to 06/14/2018

Project description

This Task Order continues earlier work aimed at establishing performance measures for monitoring the economic competitiveness of the freight sector as part of the implementation of the California Sustainable Freight Action Plan (CSFAP).  The purpose of this task order is to define competitiveness in California?s freight sector, and work with industry, public and state and local government stakeholders to establish performance measures and targets relative to the implementation of the CSFAP.  The task order is in support of the Governor?s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), which is taking the lead role in establishing these new definitions and metrics in relation to the state?s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals and development of a sustainable freight system for California.

The main objective of this research is to build on previous work with public agencies and industry groups to establish a set of measures that would accurately depict the competitive state of California?s freight economy, and arrive at targets that could be used to evaluate competitiveness over time. In collaboration with the Economic Competitiveness Working Group, we defined competitiveness and the freight sector, evaluated data sources for potential metrics, and generated test metrics and comparable groups.  The next step in this process is to generate the entire set of baseline metrics and establish a method for annual monitoring. This will be done in a later stage of the project.