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America's Marine Highway is a United States Department of Transportation (DOT) initiative, aimed to use the United States' 29,000 miles of navigable waterways to alleviate traffic and wear to the nation's highways caused by tractor trailer traffic.〔(FY13 Status of the Highway Trust Fund ). ''Federal Highway Administration''. United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 3, 2014.〕〔Center for Transportation Research. The University of Texas at Austin March 2001〕 In 2007 Congress included provisions to Public Law 110-140, to 'Offer a waterborne alternative to available land-side transportation services using documented Vessels' and 'Provide transportation services for passengers or freight (or both) that may reduce congestion on land-side infrastructure using documented vessels.'〔(Marine Highway Initiative Descriptions ). United States Department of Transportation]. ''Maritime Administration''. Retrieved September 3, 2014.〕 As the United States' population grows, its need to transport freight within its borders also grows. This increases the need for fossil fuels and damages the nation's highways. It is estimated that in 2008, 3.7 billion hours were lost and 2.3 billion gallons of fuel were spent in traffic jams by Americans.〔United States Department of Transportation. Maritime Administration. Marine Highway Initiative Video #:wz0Zd4kT5X8〕 Alongside grassroots efforts to reduce this congestion and greenhouse gas, such as the idea of 'buying local,' the federal government is looking to its navigable waterways to help alleviate the problem.〔 Research has shown〔(Comparison of Shipping Modes ). ''Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway''. Retrieved September 3, 2014.〕 that transporting by barge or ship is the most fuel-efficient method of transporting goods (per (Ton-Mile )), being over 8 times more efficient than tractor-trailers and double what is achievable by rail.〔 It also does not face the transportation limits truckers face in 'hours driving.' A teamster is only allowed to be on the road 11 hours out of 21; this drops their average speed effectively in half when transiting more than 600 miles. A teamster's daily range is also dependent on highway traffic congestion and bottlenecks (such as weigh-stations and toll booths) whereby their daily range could be even less.〔(Summary of Hours-of-Service Regulations ). ''Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration''. United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 3, 2014.〕 ==Approach to funding== The United States studied Europe's model of Short Sea Shipping, and has taken a different approach to how it will encourage business and shipping lines to return to the nation's intracoastal waterways.〔 The Secretary of Transportation has identified several heavily congested motorways throughout the US that have an acceptable waterway alternative. These routes are identified with an 'M' designator, for example: M-5 identifies the coastal alternative to I-5 between San Diego, CA and Seattle, WA.〔 Once these routes have been identified, state and local government agencies can apply for 'Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery' (TIGER) Grants to improve port infrastructure and encourage the use of water-side shipping.〔(T.I.G.E.R. grants ). United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 3, 2014.〕 These grants are not intended to 'subsidize' shipping industries, but to improve the size and efficiency of port authorities. This will encourage shipping lines to make use of the increase in port area, and let the natural economic value of shipping by water encourage local businesses. With intermodal transit standardized in the U.S., transferring goods with different modes of transport does not require longshoremen or terminal workers to re-pack material. This leads to a lower chance of product loss or damage. Many ports have refined the transferring of a container off a truck and onto a container barge or ship into an art form, and can accomplish it in under a minute.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「America's Marine Highway」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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