The project FAF2 Pilot Project – Utilization of FAF2 Data By State And Local Governmental Agencies, in support of the Federal Highway Administration FAF2 Pilot Project, was to develop methods and procedures to enable State and local governmental agencies to utilize the Freight Analysis Framework 2 (FAF2) commodity origin-destination data and the FAF2 freight network during the transportation planning process. During the course of this research a methodology for disaggregating national level data to the state and local levels was developed, tested and applied under several scenarios. The results of the development of this disaggregation method led to expanded use of the FAF2 database for research into freight related activities at ports, in metropolitan planning organizations, and “what if” scenarios from the addition of facilities to the interstate system to the forecasting of industry growth patterns and the affect on the congestion of a facility. The research was successful in accomplishing the goals originally established and has progressed farther into the areas of application, and now, refinement of the methods developed.
Utilizing a cluster analysis approach, researchers at UAHuntsville developed the concept of Freight Analysis Zones (FAZs) at the regional, state, sub-state and sub-MPO levels. Determination of an intermediate level of resolution for freight flows and the right subset of socio-economic variables are essential steps in freight prediction analysis. In this state-funded study (match funding from ALDOT), the research team was able to use cluster-based data mining technique to extract freight analysis zones from granular representations at different levels, either counties at the state wide levels or traffic analysis zones at the MPO level. Using the process of iterative data clustering, the team was able to disaggregate into FAZs at a level of resolution that provides meaningful detail for transportation planners to incorporate freight into the 5-Year Transportation Plan.
FAF2 – Utilization of FAF2 Data by State and Local Governmental Agencies