Freight Activity and Compatibility
The specific improvement strategies appropriate for a given freight roadway facility depends not only on its freight transport function but also on the existing and planned land uses and activities within the corridor. Investment strategies developed to improve freight travel conditions within freight corridors should also consider and support the existing land uses and long-term vision for the area. Transportation solutions that provide good freight accessibility to intermodal, distribution, and industrial centers, and are also sensitive to community livability issues, need to be a focus of our freight transportation investment strategy.
To understand the geography of freight activity and livability planning initiatives throughout the region, a freight and land use compatibility analysis was performed that utilizes local land use, special planning area data and truck traffic statistics. The analysis guided the development of strategies and freight-friendly roadway design considerations given the constraints and opportunities presented by the local context of a specific facility.
Context Areas
The freight activity and land use compatibility analysis identified four general area types characterized by the land uses and activities that exist or are anticipated. Low activity areas are characterized by land uses that would generally be compatible with freight mobility, but actual freight activity (truck traffic) in these areas is low. Community oriented areas have low freight traffic and are characterized by medium- to high-density residential, office, and mixed uses that create pedestrian, bicycle, and automotive traffic. Freight oriented areas have high levels of truck traffic and land uses that are compatible with high levels of goods movement, such as industrial and commercial areas. Diverse activity areas have elements of both community oriented and freight oriented areas. Freight activity is high in these areas, either in terms of truck traffic or industrial and commercial land uses (or both), but there are also fairly dense residential and/or office uses.