HRTPO has recently released the 2018 version of the State of Transportation in Hampton Roads report.  The State of Transportation 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). 

There are a number of notable trends highlighted in the State of Transportation in Hampton Roads 2018 report, including:

• Regional roadway travel levels continue to grow -  Traffic volumes grew by 1.3% in Hampton Roads between 2016 and 2017.  For the first time since the economic downturn, travel levels in Hampton Roads reached record levels.    
• Regional air travel passenger levels increased – After decreasing earlier this decade, the number of passengers using Hampton Roads airports has in creased 10% between 2015 and 2017.
• The Port of Virginia reached another record - The Port handled nearly 22 million tons of general cargo in 2017, which is another record year for the Port.  This is 23% higher than the levels handled in 2008 and 47% higher than the amount of freight handled by the Port during the peak of the recession in 2009.
• As roadway travel levels grow, the number of crashes is increasing –  Between 2010 and 2017, the number of crashes in Hampton Roads increased 16%.  These crashes led to a 23% increase in the number of injuries and a 28% increase in the number of fatalities during this time.
• Pavement condition in Hamapton Roads has greatly improved – Only 7% of state-maintained Interstate and Primary roadways in Hampton Roads had a deficient pavement condition in 2017, down from 31% as recently as 2010.
• Intercity passenger rail travel increased throughout the decade – In spite of a small decrase in recent years, Amtrak ridership at stations in Hampton Roads increased 29% between 2008 and 2017.

The State of Transportation report also includes comparisons between Hampton Roads and other large metropolitan areas throughout the United States in order to examine how various aspects of the regional transportation system are performing.  HRTPO staff used the 38 other metropolitan areas throughout the country with populations between one and four million people to make these comparisons.

Among these metropolitan areas, Hampton Roads ranks particularly high or low in:

• High Congestion Levels - Hampton Roads has the 11^th highest travel time index – which is a measure of congestion levels – among the 39 metropolitan areas.  The region also has the 7^th highest planning time index (which measures the reliability of the roadway network), and the 6^th highest number of hours where congestion is prevalent.
• Bridges in Good Condition - Hampton Roads has the 4^th lowest percentage of bridges that are classified in good condition among the 39 metropolitan areas according to federal standards.  The majority of bridges in Hampton Roads are in fair condition. 
• Travel Time to Work - According to the Census Bureau, Hampton Roads has the 9^th lowest average travel time to work among the comparable metropolitan areas.
• Commuting Across Jurisdictional Lines - Hampton Roads has the 3^rd highest percentage of commuters that work in a jurisdiction that is different than the one that they reside in among the 39 areas according to the Census Bureau. 
• Fuel Prices – Hampton Roads had the 7^th lowest average fuel prices among the 39 metropolitan areas as of July 1^st, 2018.
• Good Air Quality - According to the EPA, Hampton Roads had the 5^th fewest number of bad ozone days among the comparable metropolitan areas.

The State of Transportation in Hampton Roads 2018 report can be accessed by clicking on the following link:

State of Transportation in Hampton Roads 2018 Report