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Title: Wyoming Freight Movement and Wind Vulnerability
Principal Investigator's Name(s): Dr. Rhonda Young, P.E.
Project Sponsor: Mountain to Plains Consortium and the
Wyoming Department of Transportation
Project Timeline: July 2004 – May 2005
Background: The movement of freight within the State
of Wyoming is very critical to the Wyoming’s economy as well as
the national economy. Wyoming’s transportation system provides a
vital link for the movement of commodities across the United States in
addition to providing access to the mineral, industrial, and agricultural
resources of Wyoming . Because of the important economic role played by
freight goods movement, research into freight transportation is extremely
valuable. Concerns with freight transportation is often focused on several
broad areas including economics, safety, affects of freight vehicles on
transportation infrastructure, and in the forefront today, transportation
security and homeland defense.
The intent of this research is twofold. First is to get an overall understanding
of freight movement within the state including freight vehicle counts,
commodity volumes, and freight vehicle accidents. The focus of the research
will be on truck and rail freight movement since air and water freight
movement represent a very small proportion of goods movement within and
through the state. The second intent of the research is to focus on freight
vehicle safety in strong wind conditions. High wind conditions are frequently
causing freight vehicles to be blown over, forcing the shut down of interstate
roadways and halting the movement of freight through these heavily used
corridors.
Objective of the Project:
The main objective of this research work is to investigate the movement
of freight in the state of Wyoming . Currently very little is known about
the freight vehicle numbers and commodity volumes moving within and through
the state. To meet this objective the following major research tasks are
proposed:
• Develop an understanding of the commodity flow within the State
of Wyoming
• Perform an analysis of freight vehicle accidents within the state
with a particular emphasis on freight truck accidents during high wind
conditions.
• Identify critical freight infrastructure in Wyoming
Project Status: This project was completed in the Spring
of 2005. The final report is available on the Mountain to Plains Consortium
website at www.mountain-plains.org.