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Talking Freight Seminars FHWA Office of Freight Management and Operations and FHWA Office of Planning

Freight Studies

Joel Falter

O-D Truck Studies in California

Presented by:

Joel FalterMay 19, 2010


Southern California Origin-Destination Goods Movement Studies Presentation Agenda

Introduction

Study Objectives, Uses and Data Collected

Data Collection Methodology

Project Challenges

Lessons Learned

Some Findings


Introduction

Three Studies Have Been Performed by KOA Corporation to Date:

• US-395/US-6/SR-14 (Caltrans)

• SR-58 (SANBAG/KernCOG/Caltrans)

• I-5/SR-99 (KernCOG)

• Kern County Rural Roads Study (KernCOG)

• 19,770 Drivers Have Been Surveyed

• Over 500 Firms Have Been Interviewed


Funding

Kern Council of Governments, a Medium Sized MPO, Funded 3 of the Truck Studies as Follows:

• SR-58 was funded through a partnership between Kern COG and the San Bernardino Associated Governments

• I-5/SR-99 was funded through a partnership between Kern COG and the Tulare County Association of Governments

• Rural Routes within Kern County funded by Kern COG (in progress)

• US-395 was funded by the State of California


US 395/US-6/SR-14 Study Area


SR-58 Study Area


I-5/SR-99 Study Area


Rural Routes in Kern County

Photo

Photo


Goods Movement Study Objectives

The Data Collection Goals and Objectives were to:

• Gain Statistical Information on Truck O & D

• Better Understand the Types of Cargo Being Transported

• Understand Why the Route was Chosen

• Understand Travel Patterns Within Each of the Corridors

• Understand Travel Patterns Between California and Nevada

• Conduct a Literature Review of Prior Studies


How the Information and Data Will be Used:

• Assist Caltrans in Long Range Infrastructure and

Operations/Safety Planning

• Assist the COG’s in Goods Movement Forecasting and Long

Range Planning

• Provide Trucking Information for Agencies in Their Local

Planning Efforts

• Address Air Quality Issues

• Have a Resource That Can be Shared Throughout the Region

and the State

Goods Movement Study Objectives


Conducting These Studies Involved Significant

Personnel Efforts and Resources Including:

24-Hour Automatic Vehicle Classification Counts

Peak Period Manual Vehicle Classification Counts

24-Hour Truck Driver Intercept Surveys

Commercial Fleet Operator Surveys

Counts and Surveys Were Also Done for Different Seasons

• The Current Rural Road Study will Employ Video Technology

How The Data Was Collected


Collecting Data From a Moving Target

Finding a Safe Location to Pull Heavy Duty Trucks Over

Maintain a Safe Environment at All Times

Minimize Disruption to Interstate Commerce

Have No Impacts on Traffic Flow at Any Time

Overcoming Agency Bureaucracy

Hiring the Right People

Collecting Meaningful Data

What to Do When There is No Place to Pull Trucks Over

Project Challenges


Even the Best Laid Planning Efforts Have Speed

Bumps

Projects of This Magnitude Require Over-Planning

and Over-Communicating

You Must Provide Adequate Resources to Ensure

the Success of the Study

It is a 3-C Process: Continuous Communication and

Coordination

Here are the Details of What We Learned

Lessons Learned - General


Start as Early as Possible

Bring All Players Together (DOT, Law Enforcement, Lead Agency, Sub-Consultants, Others)

Stay in Contact With Agencies Daily

Ensure Everyone Understands:

Have Contingency Plans

Lessons Learned – Coordination/Communication

• What You Are Doing

• Why You Are Doing It

• When You Are Doing It

• What You Need/Expect From Them


Make Sure Survey Sites Will be Available for the

Survey and are in Working Order

When Using State Facilities Get As-Built Plans

or Good Aerials

Plan Far in Advance for Permits

Study the Physical Environment

Continue Applying the 3-C Process

Lessons Learned – Survey Planning


Hire the Right People

Specify the Skills Your Surveyors Must Have

Good Verbal and Written Communication Skills Critical

Bilingual Skills a Plus

If Using Temporary Labor Screen the Surveyors Personally

Conduct Training With All Surveyors in Advance

Make Sure the Same Crew Will be With You Throughout

Plan Staffing Levels Carefully

Lessons Learned – Staffing


Check-In With Law Enforcement and DOT Make Sure Survey Sites Are in Working Order QC the Work Throughout the Survey Period Have Strong Supervisorial Presence Be Respectful of Peoples Time (Drivers and Fleet

Managers) Questioners Should Understand The Issues Ask Relevant/Reasonable Questions Let People Know What the Study is About and What’s in it

For Them Listen and Let People Vent Lollipops Don’t Work

Lessons Learned – Survey Operations


ID All Survey Sheets by Location

Make Sure Surveyors Complete the Entire Survey

Code the Survey Instrument Questions to Minimize Writing/Interpretation

Provide Check Boxes with Routes and STCC Codes for Example

Standardize Coding to Minimize Interpretation

Make Questions as Direct as Possible

Test the Survey For Ease of Data Collection and Data Entry

QC the Data Entry Frequently to Catch Mistakes and Problems

Lessons Learned – Data Collection/Interpretation


What Did We Get From All of This?

Kern County Goods Movement


I-5 and SR-99

Truck Driver Survey


Survey at Six Locations:

Tipton (Tulare) Northbound & Southbound Rest Stops

Kettleman City Northbound & Southbound Rest Stops

Lebec/Grapevine Northbound & Southbound Rest Stops

Survey was Conducted Continuously for 24 Hours at Each Location

Conducted in both Seasons:

Fall – November 2008

Spring June 2009

Surveyed 7,372 Trucks (Average almost 1 Survey Per Minute)

Truck Intercept Survey


Truck Intercept Survey


2,246(32.87%)

205(3.00%)

809(11.84%)

922(13.49%)

1,207(17.66%)

1,444(21.13%)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Percentage

Food or Kindred Products

Empty Container

Farm Products

Miscellaneous Freight Shipments

Transportation Equipment

TYPE

Commodity Survey Results


Survey Results

Northbound Truck Trip Distribution

Southbound Truck Trip Distribution


Survey Results – Northbound Routes


Survey Results – Southbound Routes


Commodity Survey Results – Food and Kindred Products


Commodity Survey Results - Empties


Commodity Survey Results – Farm Products


Overview of Fleet Operator Survey

Trucks Use SR-99 Much More often Than I-5 Because Origins and Destinations are Clustered Along SR-99 Every Private Fleet Operator Interviewed was Located East of I-5

Trucks Tend to use I-5 to Connect Kern County Points with Regions Outside (i.e. Los Angeles and Bay Area)

Most “Through” Trips Use I-5

Regional Trips Tend to Place More Burden on East-West Connectors. Local Trips Prefer to Use Arterials/Frontage Roads Instead of Freeways


National Activities

Most National Activities Use SR-58 To Haul Goods To Points East Using I-15 Through Las Vegas

Produce Was The Most Common Commodity Reported On Eastbound Shipment

General Merchandise Was The Most Common Commodity Reported On Westbound Shipment

Other Than Bakersfield No Carrier With National Operations Reported Any Base, Terminal Or Layover Location Along SR-58


Local Users Haulers of Sand, Gravel, Rock & Asphalt Reported the

Heaviest Use of SR-58 (“Hundreds of Trips Per Day”)

Interview With One Petroleum Hauler (Eastern Bakersfield) Reported Heavy Usage of SR-58 (“2000 to 3000 Trips Per Week”)

Other Local Carriers Include Gasoline, Propane, Food Products, Auto Products Deliveries to Local Retailers

Most Local Activities Centered Within Bakersfield With Some Local Delivery Routes Within Tehachapi, Mojave & Barstow


Driver Suggestions

Driver and Fleet Operator Suggestions:

Raise Speed Limit Add/Widen Lanes More Rest Stops Better Roadway Maintenance


For Further Information Contact: Joel Falter

[email protected]

http://www.kerncog.org/cms/publications/publications

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