# Presentation: 200136

## Georgia Truck Lane Needs Identification Study

- Talking Freight Seminar
- March 19, 2008
- Matthew Fowler, P.T.P
- Assistant State Planning Administrator

## Freight Growth in Georgia

- Freight flows in Georgia are forecast to increase 260% by the year 2035.
- Trucks currently carry 86% of the freight moving through the state.
- Truck Traffic is growing twice as fast as car traffic.

- 945 Million Tons

- 2.5 Billion Tons

**260% Increase**

**2035**

**2004**

## Georgia Freight Movement, By Mode Share

**Georgia Freight Movement, ****By Mode Share**

**Water  3%**

**Truck  86%**

**Rail  11%**

**Air  <1%**

**Year 2004**

**Year 2035**

**Truck  88%**

**Rail  10%**

**Air  <1%**

**Water  2%**

*(Based on the weight, not value of the freight)*

- Source:  Transearch data

## Overview of Truck Lane Study

- Questions
- Do truck-only lanes significantly reduce peak-period congestion, corridor wide?
- If so, where should we build them?
- How much would truck-only lanes cost?
- Are there benefits to truck-only lanes?
- Study assumptions
- Follow existing freeway alignments
**No tolls**
**Voluntary** usage

## Study Area

**Statewide:**
** ****All Interstates plus select U.S. and State Routes**

**Savannah Sub-Area Inset**

## Data Collection and Inputs

- Total Traffic Volumes
- Truck Traffic Volumes
- Congestion Levels (existing and future year)
- Freight “Origin & Destination” Surveys
- Establishment Surveys
- Freight Bottleneck Locations
- Major Freight Generators

## Traffic Volumes – 2004 & 2035

## Truck Volumes- 2004 & 2035

**Truck Volumes- 2004 & 2035**

## “Origin-Destination” Survey

**“****Origin-Destination” Survey**

- Weigh Stations
- Truck Stops
- Intermodal Facilities
- Ports
- Approximately 5,600 total surveys

## Average Daily Truck Traffic >30,000
Congested Conditions – Level-of-Service “E” or “F”  
Major ‘Through’ Travel Movements
	Major Truck Generators
	Freight Bottlenecks

- Average Daily Truck Traffic >30,000
- Congested Conditions – Level-of-Service “E” or “F”
- Major ‘Through’ Travel Movements
- 	Major Truck Generators
- 	Freight Bottlenecks

**Initial Evaluation Results (2035)***as presented to GDOT Board in April 2007*

## Candidate Corridors

- Routes meeting the initial evaluation criteria (further studied):
- I-75 North (I-285 to Chattanooga)
- I-75 South (I-475 to I-285)
- I-85 North (I-285 to Barrow/Gwinnett County Line)
- I-85 South (Coweta/Meriwether County Line to I-285 South)
- I-20 West  (Georgia/Alabama Border to I-285)
- I-20 East (I-285 to Newton/Morgan County Line)
- I-285 (All)
- I-675
- Routes that did **not** meet the initial evaluation criteria:
- I-16
- I-59
- I-24
- SR 400
- SR 166
- US 78

## System-Level Alternatives

*Metro Atlanta*

## System-Level Alternatives (cont’d.)

*Metro Atlanta*

## System-Level Evaluation

- Traffic Flow and Speeds
- Traffic Volumes
- Benefits and Costs

## 2035 PM Peak Period Speeds

**Truck Only Lanes *****only***** increase peak period General Purpose Lane speeds by 10 mph, on avg**

**Notes:**
Once again we see our truck lanes operating at acceptable although not free flow during the most congested times of the day.  But you will also notice about a 10 mph improvement in the GP lanes.  This improvement in speed results in quicker travel times and reduced delay.  A quick brain teaser if you commuter in the afternoon peak hours is 20 miles and you average 20 mph it will takes you 60 minutes to complete your trip.  If the avg. travel speed is 30 mph you trip time is reduced by 20 minutes to 40 minutes travel time.  
While everybody's commute is different you can see the power of relatively small improvements in travel speed. 

## 2035 Daily Traffic Volumes

- System 1

- System 2

- System 3

- System 4

**Notes:**
The results from the alternative analysis are not as dramatic as the corridor level results.  This can be attributed to a couple of factors. 1. All the best performing projects are included in the system alternatives. 2. Grouping of projects tends to normalize the utility over the system. 3. the potential benefits of the TOL system is also improved.
The overall increase in the system is ~45k. 
So the system now carries ~45k more vehicles per day and the traffic composition is separated into similar operation characteristics we can see a positive improvement in congested speeds. 

## 2035 GP Lane Daily Traffic Volumes 

- 2035 GP Lane Daily Traffic Volumes

**6%**

**6%**

**4%**

**5%**

- Trucks shifting to Truck Only Lanes frees up capacity in General Purpose Lanes; however, the capacity is “consumed” by new travelers attracted from parallel arterials (latent demand/diverted traffic), resulting in minimal reductions in General Purpose Lane congestion

## 30-Year User Benefits and Costs(in 2007 Dollars)

-    Truck Only Lanes generate benefits (VMT and VHT reductions, secondary economic benefits); however, benefits primarily accrue to trucking community

**Notes:**
Cite some numbers 

## System 3

- System 3 yields greatest benefits
- Complete, comprehensive network
- Cost:
***$13.2 Billion (current year dollars)***
***$21.69 Billion (future year dollars)***
- $13.2 Billion represents approximately 14 years worth of eligible federal-aid highway funding available for Georgia (in current year dollars)

- (Estimated current year cost per lane-mile: $20 Million)

- Metro Atlanta

## Study Findings

- Traffic Flow and Speeds
- Truck Only Lanes *only* increase ‘peak period’ General Purpose Lane speeds by approximately 10 mph
- Any substantial improvements to speeds in General Purpose Lanes are “consumed” by motorists attracted from parallel arterials (latent demand/diverted traffic)

## Study Findings

- Traffic Volumes
- Trucks are not the largest number of customers in a corridor
- On a daily basis, trucks average 10%-15% of traffic volume on Metro Atlanta Interstates
- During peak periods, trucks average approximately 6% of total traffic volume on Metro Atlanta Interstates
- Atlanta mirrors national trends; in metropolitan regions, cars overwhelmingly dominate vehicle mix during _peak_ travel periods
- Truck Only Lanes result in minimal reductions in General Purpose Lane traffic volumes, due to latent demand/diverted traffic

## Study Findings

- Benefits and Costs
- Overall, Benefits exceed Costs; however, the primary benefit is to the 6% of traffic (trucks) travelling in the peak periods
- Other motorists, representing 94% of the vehicle mix, do not realize direct and significant benefits in General Purpose Lanes
- Truck Only Lanes are cost prohibitive based on funding availability and study assumptions

## Study Conclusion

- Do not pursue stand-alone Truck Only Lanes
- Truck Only Lanes provide direct benefits for trucks, which comprise only 6% of peak period traffic
- Vehicles in General Purpose Lanes (94% of vehicle mix in peak periods) would not realize direct and significant benefits
- Truck Only Lanes do not significantly reduce peak period congestion in General Purpose Lanes
- Truck Only Lanes are not the only strategy to address truck traffic

## Next Steps

- GDOT’s Metro Atlanta Managed Lane System Plan (MLSP) is underway
- MLSP will explore all managed lane options (HOV/HOT/TOL/TOT/ETL or a combination thereof) in order to serve ***all*** of GDOT’s travelling customers
- Findings from Truck Only Lane Study will feed into MLSP
- Anticipate realizing increased benefits for all customers with MLSP
- Presently working with our Metro Atlanta transportation planning partners

## Slide 25