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Freight and goods movement

Planning and conservation  ›  Regional planning and policy  ›  Regional Transportation Plan  ›  Freight and goods movement

The Regional Freight Plan presents policies and strategies for moving freight that complement the region's multimodal transportation system and support regional land use goals.

The Portland-Vancouver region boasts a strong regional economy that supports an enviable quality of life. Its economy depends on an efficient, reliable and safe transportation system that recognizes the region’s role as an international gateway and key domestic freight hub.

Sustaining the region’s high-quality livability as it grows depends on good decision-making that recognizes the interdependence of economic, transportation and land use goals. Strong growth in the movement of freight, both nationally and regionally, is driving the need to plan for a multimodal freight transportation system that includes marine, air, road, rail and pipeline networks and facilities.

• The 2002 Commodity Flow Forecast for the Portland metropolitan region estimated a doubling in tonnage moved on the region’s multimodal freight transportation system by 2030.
• The 2006 Regional Business Plan for the Portland metropolitan region identified freight mobility as one of four areas for near-term strategic action.
• The Cost of Congestion Study underscored the importance of an efficient transportation system to the regional economy by highlighting the operational and fiscal impacts on area business and employees of the growing demand on the roadway network.
• The Portland/Vancouver International and Domestic Capacity Analysis assesses the effect of global market dynamics on regional trade volumes, identifying the challenges and opportunities presented by increased trade in the region.

Freight and goods movement task force

A 33-member freight and goods movement task force guided the development of the plan. Public involvement activities, as well as review and comment on the draft Regional Freight and Goods Movement Plan, occured as part of the more comprehensive 2035 RTP update process... More

Plan objectives

• Establish desired outcomes for the freight system through a public involvement process coordinated with the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan update.
• Provide a common base of knowledge about the different elements of the regional freight transportation system and identify the issues, needs and deficiencies within the system.
• Refine existing regional freight policies and the multimodal regional freight network map to support the 2040 Growth Concept.
• Identify and prioritize multimodal freight network and facility infrastructure improvements to address mobility and access needs that respond to desired system outcomes and are consistent with financial resources.
• Develop strategies that address environmental and community impacts of freight movement, system management and operations, economic development opportunities and financing of freight infrastructure.
• Incorporate truck movement needs into existing regional street design guidelines.

Profile of the regional freight transportation system

Download a a profile of the regional freight transportation system below. The report covers four key topic areas:

• national and regional economic and industry trends and their effects on freight movement
• elements of the regional freight transportation system
• public policy that governs management of and public investment in freight mobility
• logistics and practices shippers use to efficiently move product.

Need assistance?

Metro regional transportation planning
503-797-1735
rtp@oregonmetro.gov

Related Documents

• Profile of the regional freight transportation system 4.1M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published February 22, 2007