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Future Strategic Highway Research
Plan (F-SHRP) for the National Cooperative Highway
Research Program (NCHRP)
ICF International worked with a panel of state and
national transportation experts to devise a research
plan to integrate "environmental, economic,
and community requirements into the analysis,
planning, and design of new highway capacity." The
plan identified research needs in environmental,
modeling, institutional, economic, and other
issues as they relate to providing increased
highway capacity in a more holistic framework.
The six-year research plan will help NCHRP to
shape highway policy and procedures to better
incorporate social, environmental, and economic
goals.
Policy Support for the National
Transportation Systems Center
ICF International provides consulting services to
the National Transportation Systems (Volpe) Center
of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the
areas of transportation analysis and operations
research. Projects developed by ICF International
for the Volpe Center include:
- Studies on the safety and transportation efficiency
of alternative routings for the surface transport
of hazardous materials
- Assisting the Federal Transit Administration
in programs for the operations of transit systems
- Impact assessment of alternative regulations
on the safe shipment of petroleum for the U.S.
Coast Guard
- Assessing the feasibility of establishing
a new "Center of Excellence" for facilitating
public-private partnerships in transportation
project development
Policy Consulting Services
for the Federal Aviation Administration
ICF International provides a wide range of consulting
services supporting the development of regulations
by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. These
services support activities related to the feasibility,
design, development, and review of rules and regulations
affecting the safety of commercial and private
U.S. air traffic operations.
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Regulatory Impacts Analysis
of Proposed Trucking Hours of Service Rules
ICF International conducted the regulatory impact
analysis of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's
proposed changes to the trucking Hours of Service
rules. These are the rules that specify the number
of hours a driver can be on duty before taking
time off for rest, the minimum length of the rest
period, and the maximum number of hours a driver
can work in a week or similar period.
The largest part of the work was a benefit-cost
analysis of the proposed rules change, especially
as it applies to long-haul and regional trucking
operations. In addition to calculating the social
costs, benefits, and net benefits of the options,
the analysis also considered the impacts on the
economy as a whole. The changes in labor productivity,
costs for labor and other inputs, and changes
in the mode split between truck and rail were
disaggregated to six regions and fed into the
REMI regional economic model (developed by Regional
Economic Models Inc.). The model's outputs give
an approximate picture of the relative effects
of the options on economic growth and employment
across the country.
Port Privatization Strategy
for the Ministry of Planning and Economics, Panama
ICF International prepared a comprehensive assessment
of potential strategies related to the privatization
of Panama's two major ports and connecting national
railroad. We prepared economic, financial, engineering,
and labor, assessments consistent with our comprehensive
global maritime cargo market forecast. This study
was instrumental to the pricing and implementation
of Panama's successful concession strategies.
Maritime Economics Policy
Foundation Study for the European Commission,
Directorate-General for Energy and Transport
ICF International directed a team in a major study
to update the background document describing the
importance, context, market structure, and current
and future economic factors shaping the maritime
sector. The study quantified the importance of
European Union (EU) shipping in terms of the economic
(direct and indirect) value added; provided an
industry profile of the global and EU shipping
industry; and analysed causal factors in flag
registration, effective control, and corporate
domicile in terms of detailed cost structure elements,
and the status and future trends in EU shipping.
Over 40 personal interviews were conducted with
high level private and public sector functionaries
to supplement the team's experience and research,
thus focusing the study on the salient practical
factors of concern in the industry today.
Acquisition Policy Development and Training,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
The FAA was directed by public law,
to develop and implement a new acquisition management
system (AMS). ICF International supported the Acquisition
Policy Branch in developing and implementing
the new AMS. We assisted in defining process
flows and activity definitions for processes
associated with the mission analysis, investment
analysis, and solution implementation acquisition
phases and developed acquisition document templates
related to the acquisition categories of systems/software,
facilities, and services. ICF International also
developed and conducted training on the online
acquisition policy and guidance tool called the
FAA Acquisition System Toolset (FAST). |
