Regional Goods Movement

Regional Goods Movement Study for the San Francisco Bay Area

STUDY PURPOSE
A consortium of interests including the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), Port of Oakland, the Economic Development Alliance for Business (EDAB), the Bay Area Council (BAC) and others are contributing resources for a study of the goods movement industry in the nine-county Bay Area and central San Joaquin County.

The purpose of the study is to generate key information that will: 1) help MTC allocate transportation funds for transportation infrastructure; 2) provide local decision-makers with economic impact information for planning economic development strategies or making infrastructure, zoning and other land-use decisions affecting this industry; and 3) prepare a common freight platform for MTC and its partners for federal advocacy and regional planning efforts.

STUDY BACKGROUND
The MTC 2001 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) acknowledged the importance of goods movement in the Bay Area, but was not able to address the issue in detail, due to limited data on regional goods movement. The 2003 Regional Goods Movement Study aims to close this gap, allowing goods movement needs to be addressed in a comprehensive and systematic manner. The study will conduct a thorough analysis of goods movement in the Bay Area, including its relationship with the economy, land use patterns, and transportation infrastructure. In addition, it will identify a range of solutions that can be considered for inclusion in the next long-range transportation plan, Transportation 2030, scheduled for adoption in 2005.

Goods movement policy is an increasingly important topic in Washington D.C. and Sacramento as well, and this study will position the Bay Area to participate effectively in that debate. The federal transportation act (TEA 21) will be reauthorized in 2003, and goods movement coalitions across the U.S. are preparing to seek enhanced federal funding. At the state level, the recently completed Global Gateways Study signals the start of an increased state focus on goods movement funding and planning. The MTC Regional Goods Movement Study will provide the necessary analytical foundation from which the Bay Area can advocate effectively for its interests.

SCOPE OF WORK
The study will be divided into two phases. The first phase of the study will focus on understanding the movement of goods and the economic impact of this industry on the Bay Area economy. It will answer the questions:

• Who is moving goods?
  
• Where are the goods being sent?
  
• How are they being moved?

In its second phase, the study will assess both the economic and employment impact of the industry on the Bay Area and its sub-regions. To provide a “big picture” analysis of the industry for policy-makers, the analysis will focus on the interaction among the trends in the goods movement industry, local policy decisions that affect the goods movement industry, and the industry’s impacts on the regional economy. Because major manufacturers and retailers, such as New United Motor Manufacturing (NUMMI) and Safeway, are highly dependent on the shipment of goods and make significant contributions to the region’s employment and economic base, it is expected that these industries will also be examined in the analysis of regional impacts.

The study will be conducted by a consultant that will be managed by MTC. An Executive Oversight Committee, made up of the study sponsors, will monitor the work of the consultant and provide any needed policy direction. A Goods Movement Working Group, composed of economic development representatives and goods movement experts, will be also be formed as part of the Phase 2 effort to identify and resolve key problem issues that face goods movement providers.

For more information on the Regional Goods Movement study, contact project manager Doug Kimsey at 510/817-5790, or via email at dkimsey@mtc.ca.gov .