Brookings report says freight transport at breaking point

Brookings report says freight transport at breaking point    The system that moves freight into and around the United States is reaching a breaking point that is likely to cost consumers money and could sap American competitiveness, according to a report released Tuesday by the Brookings Institution.
   The strains are being exacerbated by the dramatic increase in imports during the past decade or so (more than 150 percent increase between 1990 and 2003). The report found that there is little coordination for the development of transportation systems that are integrated in ways that maximize effectiveness and cost-efficiency.
   It also found serious disconnects among the various agencies that have a role in freight movement regulation, with federal policies and funding that are sometimes counter-productive to producing solutions.
   The report is available at www.brookings.edu/metro/metro.htm.