DOT Has Not Developed Statutorily Required Data Base on Intermodal Investments

Title V of ISTEA established within DOT an Office of Intermodalism and required that the Director of this office, through the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), develop, maintain, and make publicly available a data base that includes “information on public and private investment in intermodal transportation facilities and services.” To date, the data base on investment in intermodal facilities and services has not been developed, and comprehensive data on investment in public and private investment in intermodal transportation facilities and services do not exist. We found that only 10 states used ISTEA funds for intermodal freight projects. A total of 23 projects obligated $35.6 million from two ISTEA funding categories. As of December 31, 1995, $68.4 million, or 36 percent, had been obligated by the states for these projects. Intermodal Freight Transportation Planning

In our review of how several local and regional areas are attempting to address intermodal freight transportation needs, we found that MPOs have been given considerable responsibility for a wide range of transportation concerns. Impediments to Improving Intermodal Transportation

In visits to several local and regional areas that handle a large volume of freight, officials emphasized two impediments that hinder intermodal freight transportation planning. Scope and Methodology

To obtain information for this report, we (1) reviewed ISTEA and its legislative history; (2) interviewed DOT headquarters and regional officials; (3) interviewed state, local, and private sector officials; (4) interviewed representatives of major transportation organizations; (5) reviewed DOT data from fiscal years 1992 to 1995 showing the funding status of ISTEA-authorized priority intermodal projects; and (6) reviewed volumes of DOT data highlighting projects funded with the two categories of ISTEA money that DOT officials believed states would most likely use to fund intermodal freight projects. More detailed information on how states used ISTEA funds for intermodal freight transportation is presented in appendix I. Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act Funds Used for Intermodal Freight Transportation

Based on our review of Department of Transportation (DOT) data and interviews with public and private sector officials, we attempted to identify intermodal freight projects financed with the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) funds not specifically targeted for priority projects (see table I.1). Status of Priority Intermodal Projects Authorized in ISTEA Legislation

Section 1108 of ISTEA authorized funds to various states for “priority intermodal projects,” commonly referred to as “demonstration” projects.For projects specifically related to improving intermodal freight transportation, ISTEA authorized $191.8 million for 20 projects in 9 states. Table I.2 contains a breakout of the total number of priority intermodal freight projects in each state, the total contract authority for the projects, and the amount of funds obligated, as of December 31, 1995.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed intermodal freight transportation issues, focusing on: (1) the Department of Transportation's (DOT) efforts to track how states use Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) funds to facilitate intermodal transportation; (2) the nature and extent of ISTEA funds used by states for intermodal freight projects; (3) how some local and regional areas that handle large volumes of freight have considered intermodal freight transportation issues as part of their planning processes; (4) impediments some areas face in improving intermodal freight transportation; and (5) trends in intermodal freight transportation.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) DOT has not developed the statutorily required database on public and private intermodal transportation investments, or tracked how states use ISTEA funds for such projects; (2) DOT says that its limited role in allocating funds, states' inconsistent identification of projects, and intermodal projects' multiple financing sources make establishing the database difficult; (3) as of September 1995, 10 states had obligated about $35.6 million in ISTEA funds for 23 intermodal-freight-related projects; (4) as of December 1995, 9 states had obligated $68.4 million, or 36 percent of the $191.8 million in ISTEA funds authorized, for 20 priority intermodal freight projects; (5) the total amount of funds obligated for intermodal freight projects through the first four ISTEA fiscal years equals less than 1 percent of ISTEA funds apportioned to the states for highways and other nontransit infrastructure projects during the same period; (6) metropolitan planning organizations have to balance intermodal freight issues with a wide range of other transportation needs; (7) public transportation planners lack experience and planning tools for intermodal transportation, but states are slowly developing such expertise and tools; (8) local and regional planners are addressing problems specific to their areas; and (9) impediments to improving intermodal freight transportation include obtaining necessary proprietary information on freight movements and coordinating public and private-sector planning, but public-private partnerships may help overcome such impediments.