HRTPO has recently released the latest version of the State of Transportation in Hampton Roads report.  This State of Transportation 2015 report details the current status and recent trends of all facets of the transportation system in Hampton Roads, including air, rail, water, and highways.  Many aspects of the highway system are highlighted, including roadway usage, pavement condition, bridge conditions, congestion levels, commuting characteristics, roadway safety, transit usage, and active transportation (such as biking and walking). 

A number of notable trends are highlighted in the State of Transportation in Hampton Roads 2015 report, including:

• Growth in regional roadway travel has been flat over the last decade.  Historically, roadway travel grew at about 2% annually in Hampton Roads.  However, since 2005 the amount of roadway travel in Hampton Roads has actually decreased slightly.  With population levels growing, per capita roadway travel in Hampton Roads decreased 6% over the last decade.    
• Regional air travel continues downward trend.  There were 1.75 million passengers boarding commercial service flights at Hampton Roads airports (Norfolk International and Newport News-Williamsburg International) in 2014, down 29% from nearly 2.5 million passengers in 2005.
• Intercity rail travel has increased.  Between 2005 and 2014, Amtrak ridership at stations in Hampton Roads (Newport News, Williamsburg, and -- as of 2012 -- Norfolk) increased 66%.
• 
  The Port of Virginia is handling record amounts of cargo.  The Port handled over 19 million tons of general cargo in 2014, which is 19% higher than the levels handled in 2005 and 28% higher than the amount of freight handled by the Port of Virginia during the peak of the recession in 2009.
• The number of structurally deficient bridges in the region is increasing.  A total of 81 bridges in Hampton Roads are classified as structurally deficient as of 2015, up from 54 bridges in 2007.  These 81 bridges comprise 6.6% of the bridges in the region.
• Transit usage in Hampton Roads has increased.  The number of trips taken on public transportation services in Hampton Roads (WATA and HRT) increased over the last decade, particularly during the height of the recession.  Nearly 20 million trips were taken on public transportation services in Hampton Roads in 2014, up from 16 million trips in 2005.

The State of Transportation in Hampton Roads 2015 report also includes comparisons between Hampton Roads and other metropolitan areas throughout the United States in order to show how various aspects of the regional transportation system are performing.  HRTPO staff used the 35 other metropolitan areas throughout the country with populations between one and three million people to make these comparisons.

Aspects where Hampton Roads ranks particularly high include:

• Congestion - According to INRIX, Hampton Roads has the 8^th highest congestion level among the 36 metropolitan areas.
• Unreliable travel - According to the Texas Transportation Institute, Hampton Roads has the 8^th least reliable travel times on the freeway system among the 36 metropolitan areas.
• Commuting across jurisdictional lines - According to the Census Bureau, Hampton Roads has the 4^th highest percentage of commuters that work in a jurisdiction that is different than the one that they reside in.  This makes regional transportation planning even more critical in a region like Hampton Roads.
• Air quality - According to the EPA, Hampton Roads had the 9^th fewest bad ozone days among the 36 metropolitan areas.

Aspects where Hampton Roads ranks particularly low include:

• Per Capita Roadway Travel - At 23.0 miles per person per day, per capita roadway travel is lower in Hampton Roads than in most other areas, ranking 7^th lowest of the 36 metropolitan areas.
• Transit funding - Hampton Roads has the 8^th lowest funding level of public transportation services per capita among the 36 metropolitan areas.

The State of Transportation in Hampton Roads 2015 draft report is available for public review and comment through July 29^th, 2015.  You may access the draft report by clicking on the following link:

Draft State of Transportation in Hampton Roads 2015 Report

All interested parties are encouraged to review the draft report and send comments to Keith Nichols at knichols@hrtpo.org.