Planning Expertise

Libby Ogard, established a consulting practice which has completed eight state rail plans, nine freight plans and eight National Cooperative Research Projects in freight planning, truck tolling and was the lead author of the National Coopertive Research Program “State and Federal, Passenger and Freight, Rail Funding Programs“ which identified 423 rail and freight grant sand loans.

The first planning project Ms. Ogard worked on was in 2001, she estimated demand and forecasted freight volumes. A day long stakeholder outreach session was held to bring carriers, shippers and public agencies together to determine the needs and potential benefits of public investment.  Momentum created by this study continued and fifteen years later Libby prepared an MARAD Port Development Project which provided $20 million to build out a container freight station, a covered rail loading area within a 50,000 SQFT warehouse and improved a dock wall to increase vessel handling capabilities.