Time-dependent patterns in freight trip generation

This paper summarizes the research conducted by the authors to investigate time-dependent patterns in Freight Trip Generation (FTG). As part of the research, the authors estimated econometric FTG models as a function of establishment attributes and temporal variables, using multi-year establishment-level data collected during the period 2005–2014. These unique data—encompassing the period of economic turmoil around the 2008 collapse of Wall Street, and the period of recovery that followed—were collected in New York City from commercial establishments in various industry sectors. The comprehensive modeling effort undertaken considered four different functional forms, two combinations of establishment characteristics, two different metrics of time, and eleven different industry sectors defined by two-digits North-America Industry Classification System (NAICS). The resulting models were analyzed to assess the extent and magnitude of the time-dependent effects on FTG for the industry sectors in the sample. In its final sections, the paper discusses the implications for transportation planning and policy and summarizes the chief findings of the effort.