Freight Studies Joel Falter

1. O-D Truck Studies in California Presented by: Joel Falter May 19, 2010 Freight Studies Joel Falter

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. SR-58 Study Area

7. I-5/SR-99 Study Area

8. Rural Routes in Kern County Photo Photo

9. 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

10. Goods Movement Study Objectives • 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

11. How The Data Was Collected • 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

12. Project Challenges • 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

13. Lessons Learned - General • 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

14. Lessons Learned – Coordination/Communication • 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 • What You Are Doing • Why You Are Doing It • When You Are Doing It • What You Need/Expect From Them

15. Lessons Learned – Survey Planning • 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

16. Lessons Learned – Staffing • 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

17. Lessons Learned – Survey Operations • 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

18. Lessons Learned – Data Collection/Interpretation • 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

19. What Did We Get From All of This? Kern County Goods Movement

20. I-5 and SR-99 Truck Driver Survey

21. 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

22. Truck Intercept Survey

23. Commodity Survey Results

24. Northbound Truck Trip Distribution Survey Results Southbound Truck Trip Distribution

25. Survey Results – Northbound Routes

26. Survey Results – Southbound Routes

27. Commodity Survey Results – Food and Kindred Products

28. Commodity Survey Results - Empties

29. Commodity Survey Results – Farm Products

30. 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 Overview of Fleet Operator Survey

31. 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 National Activities

32. 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 Local Users

33. Driver and Fleet Operator Suggestions: Driver Suggestions • Raise Speed Limit • Add/Widen Lanes • More Rest Stops • Better Roadway Maintenance

34. For Further Information Contact: Joel Falter Jfalter@koacorporation.com323-260-4703 http://www.kerncog.org/cms/publications/publications