Register now for the 2010 Ohio Conference on Freight, to be held September 14-15, 2010 in Toledo, Ohio.

The Ohio Conference on Freight brings together professionals from all modes of transportation to focus on the movement of goods through Ohio and the Great Lakes region. Over 200 attendees from 14 states and provinces come to share information and dialogue and learn about new developments in rail, ground, air, and sea transportation.

Featured speakers include:

• Jolene Molitoris, Director, Ohio Department of Transportation
• Orlando Gatay, Deputy Director, Maritime Administration, US DOT
• Jack Basso, Director of Program Finance and Management, AASHTO
• Stuart Hoffman, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, PNC Financial Services Group

At the recent meeting of the Mississippi Valley Conference of AASHTO, the Executive Committee of the Mississippi Valley Freight Coalition authorized the Coalition for an additional two years, through 2012.

The Executive Committee used the result of the MVFC Business Meeting, held in conjunction with the 2010 MVFC Conference and Annual Meeting, as the basis for their discussion.

The 2011-2012 MVFC Program includes changes to the governance structure of the Coalition, to streamline the committees and involve more MPO representatives.

During these two years, the MVFC will focus its research and outreach efforts in several areas:

• Commercial Vehicle Operations Training
• Economic Analysis Training
• Regional Freight Plan

Two thirds of the $750,000 funding for the 2011-2012 MVFC program is provided by the ten member states; one third is provided by the National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Development (CFIRE). CFIRE will continue to provide coordination and member support for the Coalition.

“The MVFC has been the anchor for the CFIRE research program. We have had good experiences working with the states in our region and we are pleased to continue the collaborative efforts of the coalition,” said CFIRE Director Teresa Adams.

For more information, consult the 2011-2012 Program of the MVFC, approved by the Executive Committee on July 8, 2010.

The Association of American Railroads has published an interactive snapshot of the US railroads, with state-by-state views.

Here is state-specific information for the ten states of the MVFC.

• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Ohio
• Wisconsin

The Spring/Summer 2010 edition of the MVFC Freight Notes is now available for download. In this issue, you’ll find a roundup of the 2010 MVFC Conference and Annual Meeting and Ernie Wittwer’s comments on the current state of national discourse on transportation funding.

At a press conference today, Wisconsin DOT Secretary Frank Busalacchi and Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan announced the completion of the environmental impact statement required for a project to widen I-39/90 to six lanes from Beloit to Madison. Now that the environmental impact statement is complete, the State can apply for federal funds to complete the expansion of this stretch of Interstate.

Busalacchi said that he expects the federal government to sign off on the environmental impact statement in the next 30 days and that he hopes that the project will be complete by 2015. There are several more approvals required before the project can begin construction.

This project is expected to cost $1 billion. Supporters claim that expanding this stretch of highway will increase safety and boost the regional economy.

The US DOT is holding an online seminar to assist TIGER II grant applicants.

The U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT) is sponsoring an educational seminar pertaining to the TIGER II Discretionary Grant program.  Entitled “Lessons on How to Compete For a DOT Discretionary Grant,” the seminar will be held on Tuesday, May 18, and will also be simulcast through the DOT web site at http://www.dot.gov/.  There is no registration fee, however, online registration for in-person attendance is required by May 12.

The purpose of the seminar is to identify the key elements of competitive applications, to provide information on developing benefit/cost analyses, and to present information on the program’s processes.  The seminar will also discuss information outlining the next round of discretionary grant awards (TIGER II) for the $600 million USDOT received in the FY2011 Appropriations process.

Further event details and registration information can be found at:  Lessons on How to Compete For a DOT Discretionary Grant.  If you have any questions, contact the seminar’s coordinator: Lachaundra Graham, Phone:  202-366-6011, E-mail:  TigerGrants@dot.gov.

As part of the Recommendations for Reauthorization project (MVFC 09), we’ve produced a series of one-page, topic-based documents that encapsulate the MVFC’s positions regarding the next federal surface transportation bill.

• Funding Freight Programs
• Institutional Issues for Freight
• Rail Transportation
• Maritime Transportation
• Freight Performance Measures
• Truck Size and Weight

These documents were distributed to attendees at the 2010 MVFC Conference and Annual Meeting.  They are now available for download.

The US Department of Transportation has published a short process summary of the TIGER Grant Selection Process. This document includes brief descriptions of the technical evaluation process and the review and selection process for the first round of TIGER Grants, awarded in February 2010.

The 2010 MVFC Conference and Annual Meeting is now complete.  More than 80 attendees enjoyed a number of discussions about all the aspects of freight in the Mississippi Valley region and the nation as a whole.

We’ll be posting a summary report of the conference activities and posting the presentations from the speakers and panelists in sometime during May 2010.

Day 3 of the 2010 MVFC Annual Meeting was devoted to a discussion about the future. MVFC Facilitator Ernie Wittwer conducted a discussion to help the conference attendees look toward the future of the coalition and to consider the issues important to the member states and to the region as a whole.

The discussion was lively and the attendees generated a lot of great ideas. Look for a summary of these issues and priorities in the coming weeks.

For up-to-the minute progress reports, follow CFIRE on Twitter.