The HRTPO staff is currently in the process of providing an update to the Hampton Roads Regional Freight Study, with a report expected to be released later this summer.
The last update to the Regional Freight Study was completed in 2007. The purpose of this study is to assist the HRTPO Board in making decisions on which transportation improvements related to freight are desirable. The 2012 update will focus on two major components: 1) Commodity Flows and 2) Regional Truck Volumes.
The commodity flow analysis for Hampton Roads will be based on FHWA’s Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) database, which contains origin and destination freight data by mode, weight, and value for existing (2010) and projected (2040) conditions. North American freight movement to, from and within Hampton Roads is expected to increase substantially over the next 30 years in terms of tonnage and dollar value (see figure below). The regional truck volume analysis will be based primarily on VDOT truck counts throughout Hampton Roads from 2009 to 2011. Furthermore, the HRTPO staff plans on determining freight bottleneck locations in the region.