Maryland Department of Transportation

Maryland State Freight Plan 

Purpose of the Freight Plan

To examine existing and projected conditions, and identify policy positions, strategies, and freight projects to improve freight movement efficiency and safety.

Maryland State Freight Plan

The freight plan update will:

  • Meet the latest federal freight planning requirements of MAP-21, FAST Act, or beyond
  • Update a comprehensive overview of freight movement in Maryland
  • Expand insights into the latest freight supply chain or technology influences
  • Identify policy needs and strategies to ensure the efficient movement of freight in Maryland
  • Identify freight project priorities and related investment plans for a five-year forecast period
  • Be a collaborative effort amongst freight stakeholders as well as state, regional and local partners
  • Collaborate with existing/ongoing plans and resources

Freight Plan Key Elements

  • Statewide Freight Vision, Goals, and Objectives
  • Statewide Policy Needs, Priority Projects, and Freight Program/Planning Strategies
  • Freight Operations Needs (e.g. TSMO/CAV priorities)
  • Freight Financial and Investment Planning, including NHFP resources
  • Unfunded Needs Listing

Freight Inventory and Trend Assessments

  • Jason’s Law Truck Parking
  • Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS)
  • Critical Urban Freight Corridors (CUFC)
  • Critical Rural Freight Corridors (CRFC)
  • Multimodal Networks and Facilities
  • Freight Industry and Supply Chain Insights / Maryland Supply Chain Analytics
  • Freight Technology Coordination (ITS, CAV, TSMO)
  • Freight Transportation Performance Measures (TPM) and current/future assessments
  • Freight Economic Trends

We Want to Hear from You!

A safe and reliable freight system leads to lower costs of goods that consumers and companies need for good quality of life and successful enterprise. Ensuring that the network of highways, railways, waterways, and airports are ready to handle the current level and anticipated growth of goods movement is a priority of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT).

 

Draft Freight Plan Vision

Freight travels freely and safely through a modern, resilient, and interconnected multimodal network contributing to sustainable economic viability and growth for Maryland businesses and communities.

Draft Freight Plan Goals and Objectives



Milestone Schedule

Milestone 1:
Visioning
  • Compile data
  • Peer assessments
  • Inventory of Maryland’s existing multimodal freight networks
  • Update freight-related vision, goals, objectives, and performance measures
  • Regional stakeholder review
Milestone 2:
Projects and Programs
  • Assess overall freight conditions, trends, and performance
  • Assess existing and future (2040) freight movement
  • Evaluate location-based network details, such as asset conditions, freight bottlenecks, or truck parking
  • Assess supply chains, economic factors, technology, the environment, etc.
  • Develop specific freight needs, issues, and project/program priorities
  • Regional stakeholder review
Milestone 3:
Draft Plan Development
  • Develop a Draft Plan, including freight financial/investment plans for priority funding needs, including planned expenditures of National Highway Freight Program (NHFP) funds per 23 U.S.C. §167.
  • Lists of unfunded needs, policy positions, and freight-related program / planning strategies will also be summarized.
  • Regional stakeholder review
Milestones 4 & 5:
Final Plan Reviews and Federal Approval
  • Refine and finalize the State Freight Plan based on feedback from stakeholders.
  • The Final Plan will be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Maryland Division Office for formal review for compliance with 49 U.S.C. §70202.
  • FHWA approval by no later than November 20, 2022
image of freight being tranported by train, ship, plane and tractor trailer

 

Documents

Documents to become available as during the course of the plan completion.

Resources

    • Freight system trends, needs, and issues
    • Freight policy, strategy, and performance measure evaluations
    • Freight network
    • Alignment with National Freight Policy goals
    • Innovative technologies
    • Asset preservation and improvement strategies
    • Freight bottlenecks, mobility issues, and mitigation strategies
    • Freight congestion and mitigation strategies
    • Freight investment plan
    • Truck parking facilities assessment
    • Supply chain cargo flows
    • Inventory of commercial ports
    • Consideration of multi-state freight compacts
    • Impacts of e-commerce on freight infrastructure
    • Considerations for military freight
    • Focus on enhancing freight resilience and reducing freight environmental impacts
    • State Freight Advisory Committee (SFAC) consultation

    * The recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) (also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) expands upon previous FAST Act guidance and identifies 17 federally required elements for a state freight plan.