The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has begun a comprehensive evaluation of the Commonwealth’s freight and rail transportation system their operations, and effect on economic development and quality of life. The evaluation will conclude with the publication of two separate documents. The first is a State Freight Plan that will be multi-modal (includes air, rail, truck and maritime transport) and intermodal (transportation by more than one mode, e.g. truck and rail) in its scope, analysis, and recommendations. The second is a comprehensive State Rail Plan that will include a detailed analysis of all rail infrastructure and operations, both freight and passenger.
Preliminary goals have been developed to frame the key issues to be addressed in the State Freight and Rail Plan. These goals will be refined with input from a Working Group and stakeholders and be used to identify a set of study objectives for each transportation mode and help shape evaluation criteria. Preliminary goals are:
The final outcome of the Plan will be a set of findings and recommendations based on a high-level overview of the current and projected key issues facing the freight and rail industry in Massachusetts. The final report documents will have an implementation plan, with highlighted action steps that identify responsible actors, available funding sources, legislative changes, available resources, and a proposed schedule for implementation of each highlighted action step.