REGIONAL FREIGHT AND GOODS MOVEMENT STUDY - PHASE III

Transcription

1 REGIONAL FREIGHT AND GOODS MOVEMENT STUDY - PHASE III TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM #2 - FUTURE PERFORMANCE OF FREIGHT SYSTEMS AND DESIGNATED TRUCK ROUTE NETWORK prepared for Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization prepared by April

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3 technical memorandum Regional Freight and Goods Movement Study Phase III Technical Memorandum #2: Future Performance of Freight Systems and Designated Truck Route Network prepared for Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization prepared by 730 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 1000 Atlanta, GA date April 2015

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5 Memorandum Date: April 21, 2016 To: From: Re: MPO Members Mary Connelly, Senior Transportation Planner Regional Freight and Goods Movement Study - Technical Documentation As part of Phase III of the Regional Freight and Goods Movement Study, the MPO along with consultants spoke with members of the rail industry, motor carriers, shippers, local city planning staff, local elected officials, as well as state and federal agencies about the issues they face related to freight and goods movement. A consultant team led by Cambridge Systematics, with Volkert and RPM Transportation Consultants, created a variety of technical documents that helped gain understanding of the existing and future conditions of freight and goods movement within the Middle Tennessee region and provide information and recommendations on best practices for coordinated freight and land use planning. These efforts also included the development of a set of recommended strategies, objectives, and actions for improving freight and goods movement customized to the Middle Tennessee region. Together, these consultant deliverables provide the necessary background in the creation of a regional vision for freight. Tech Memo #1 - Historic, Existing, and Future Conditions Report Uses historic, current, and future data to describe the conditions and trends related to the regional freight economy and the travel patterns and flows that associated with these trends. Includes information on economic and market conditions, freight generators, commodity flows, truck speeds, rail movements, and water and airport movement. Tech Memo #2 - Performance of Freight Systems Report Discusses the implications of future trends on freight and goods movement. Introduces a regional designated truck route network as a strategy to help address changes based on the region s current trajectory. Tech Memo #3 - Land Use Planning and Urban Design Recommendations Report Reviews national best practices and local plans, policies, and regulations for land use and urban design to develop a set of recommendations to improve the efficiency of goods movement across and within the region while minimizing its impact on local quality of life. Tech Memo #4 - Freight and Goods Movement Strategies Describes strategies that may be used in coordination with a regional freight vision for the Nashville Area MPO, and is focused on three primary strategies: implementing a regional truck network, optimizing the location of rail operations, and coordinating economic development and land use decisions with planned investments.

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7 Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction Future Performance of Freight Network Roadway Network Rail Network Water Network Air Cargo Network Land Use Decisions Truck Route Network Truck Route Network Definition Base Truck Route Network Expanded Truck Route Network Truck Route Network Connectivity Truck Route Network Performance Truck Route Network and Truck Volumes Congestion on the Truck Route Network Safety Hotspots on Truck Route Network Potential Truck Route Network Conflicts Truck Route Networks and Prohibited Routes Truck Route Networks and Bicycle/Sidewalk Networks Railway-Highway Crossings on the Truck Route Network Truck Route Networks and Conflicting Facilities Schools Hospitals Truck Route Network and Land Use Conflicts Truck Route Network Design Standards Pavement Section Typical Sections for Urban, Suburban and Rural Contexts Considerations to Manage Truck Route Conflicts with Other Activities Intersection Turning Radii Strategies to Upgrade Network and Cost to Improve Future Planning and Programming for the Truck Route Network i

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9 List of Tables Table 2.1 Truck-Involved Crashes by Route Type and Severity Table 2.2 Potential Impacts of Future Roadway Performance Table 2.3 Potential Impacts of Future Rail Performance Table 2.4 Potential Impacts of Future Waterway Performance Table 2.5 Potential Impacts of Future Air Cargo Performance Table 3.1 Roadways in the Base Truck Route Network Table 3.2 Additional Roadways in the Expanded Truck Route Network Table 3.3 Top 10 Most Congested Locations on the Truck Route Network Table 3.4 Top 10 Truck-Involved Crash Segments in the Nashville Region (Non- Interstate Roadways Only) Table 3.5 Fatal Crashes on the Truck Route Network Table 3.6 Railway-Highway Crossings on the Truck Route Network Table 3.7 Schools Located Along the Truck Route Network Table 3.8 Hospitals Located Along the Truck Route Network Table 3.9 Potential Truck Route Network Conflicts and Mitigation Strategies iii

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11 List of Figures Figure Congestion Map for Nashville Region Figure Congestion Map for Nashville Region Figure 2.3 Low Clearance Bridge Locations in Nashville Region Figure 2.4 Weight Restricted Bridge Locations in Nashville Region Figure 2.5 Forecast Trains Per Day in Nashville Area, Figure 2.6 Forecast Trains Per Day in Nashville Area, Figure 3.1 Base Truck Route Network in the Nashville Region Figure 3.2 Expanded Truck Route Network in the Nashville Region Figure 3.3 Freight Intensive Subregion Access via Truck Route Network Figure 3.4 Truck Volumes on the Truck Route Network Figure 3.5 Congestion Map for Roadways on the Truck Route Network Figure 3.6 Highest Crash Locations in Relation to the Truck Route Network Figure 3.7 FARS Incidents on the Truck Route Network Figure 3.8 Truck Prohibited Routes in the Nashville Region Figure 3.9 Bicycle Routes Located Along Truck Routes in the Nashville Region Figure 3.10 Pedestrian Routes Located Along Truck Routes in the Nashville Region Figure 3.11 Railway-Highway Crossings on the Truck Route Network Figure 3.12 Schools Located Along the Truck Route Network Figure 3.13 Hospitals Located Along the Truck Route Network Figure 3.14 Land Use Along Truck Routes Figure 3.15 Suggested Minimum Thickness for Asphalt Concrete and Aggregate Base Figure 3.16 Urban, Suburban, and Rural Truck Route Sections Figure 3.17 Figure 3.18 Figure 3.19 Urban Area Typical Section for a Roadway on an Identified or Designated Truck Route Suburban Area Typical Section for a Roadway on an Identified or Designated Truck Route Rural Area Typical Section for a Roadway on an Identified or Designated Truck Route Figure 3.20 Large Truck Turning Radii Example v

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13 1.0 Introduction The Nashville region is strategically located within 650 miles of half of the United States population, with the region itself being home to approximately 1.6 million people. The region benefits significantly from freight transportation assets and infrastructure, including our roadways, waterways, railroads, and airports. Additionally, as of 2013, more than 250,000 jobs in the MPO region were directly related to the four key freight-dependent sectors: manufacturing, construction, wholesale trade, and retail trade. Given anticipated growth and development patterns and the importance of freight to the regional and national economies and livelihoods of the region s residents, it s important to plan for potential deficiencies and challenges looking forward. This report describes the impact of the performance of the Nashville freight network on the region s supply chain and economy. This is done by summarizing the performance identified in the Existing Conditions and Trends (Task 3) report for each of the four primary freight modes: roadway, rail, waterways, and air cargo. The impact of the performance of the multimodal freight network is then described qualitatively based on inferences about the movement of goods in the region, along with the impact that land use decisions have on freight and goods movement in the region. Given anticipated growth in truck-related movements, it s important to think about potential strategies to address challenges that will arise given our growth and development. The introduction of a proposed truck route network for the Nashville region represents a way to address challenges of existing and future congestion and plan for improvement the efficiency of the roadway network for freight-related travel and all vehicles alike. 1-1

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15 2.0 Future Performance of Freight Network Identifying and profiling the existing and future characteristics of the freight-related transportation networks is presented in an effort to identify needs related to these networks for freight and overall regional travel. By discussing the implications of future performance trends and deficiencies in regional transportation networks, the MPO region can begin to address and develop tools, strategies, policies, and projects to help freight travel through the region with greater efficiency. Strategies and tools will be evaluated throughout this document and in later documents as part of this study. What follows is an analysis and discussion of the various transportation networks in the region and how the current and future performance of these networks may affect freight-related movements. 2.1 Roadway Network The Nashville region features a significant amount of recurring commute congestion (Figures 2.1 and 2.2). Truck traffic contributes to this congestion and trucking operations also are negatively impacted by congestion. The cumulative impact of congestion on truck operations is that it requires more trucks and more hours of truck driving to move goods, thereby increase the costs of shipping in the Nashville region. Another impact of congestion is that many companies alter their trucking operations specifically to avoid traveling during congested periods of the day. These changes in operating hours also increase costs as nonpeak congested periods tend to shorten driver days and drivers are typically paid more for working before the morning peak or after the evening peak. This drives up supply chain costs and in turn increases costs for the general public for the goods that they consume. The impact of congestion on goods movement is most acute in non-interstate, freight-intensive locations in the Nashville region. The trucks accessing these types of roads are directly related to the regional economy and have virtually no through truck trips. Truck traffic is forecast to increase by 92 percent between 2012 and Figure 2.2 shows forecast of volume-tocapacity ratios in the Nashville region for Without improvement in the operational performance of the roadway network, truck-related congestion will increase significantly over the long-term horizon. This will add costs to the regional supply chain and increase the cost of purchasing goods by Nashville residents along with increasing the cost of doing business for Nashville manufacturers. 2-1

16 Figure Congestion Map for Nashville Region Source: Nashville Area MPO Travel Demand Model, September 2014 version. 2-2

17 Figure Congestion Map for Nashville Region Source: Nashville Area MPO Travel Demand Model, September 2014 E+C version. 2-3

18 Another aspect of highway performance related to freight is in regards to safety. Table 2.1 shows that there were 7,835 truck-involved crashes between 2008 to The impact of truck-involved crashes includes property damage to trucks and other vehicles involved in the crash. Another significant impact is the bodily injury and fatalities of people riding in vehicles in truck-involved crashes. Truck-involved crashes are directly proportional to insurance rates for truck operators. Therefore, these crashes increase costs in the overall supply chain and the cost of doing business for truck-dependent businesses in the region. Additionally, the insurance rates of non-truck drivers is also a function of truck-involved crashes, so these crashes result in less consumer spending power for Nashville residents. The 92 percent growth in freight projected between 2012 and 2040 has the potential to significantly increase the number of crashes in the Nashville region. The extent of these crashes can be somewhat mitigated by reducing the number of through truck trips that use the roadway infrastructure in the core Nashville region. For example, increased use of SR 840 by through truck trips could potentially reduce truck crashes by having trucks using roadways with lower volume-to-capacity ratios. Table 2.1 Truck-Involved Crashes by Route Type and Severity Route Type Fatal Serious Injury Injury Non-Injury (PDO) Total Interstates ,748 3,844 State Routes ,072 2,771 All Others ,220 Total ,818 5,773 7,835 Source: Tennessee Crash Database, 2008 to Roadway performance is also a function of design features of the infrastructure including bridges with a low vertical clearance or a low weight limit. The Existing Conditions and Trends report highlighted a number of locations in the Nashville region with low vertical clearances (14 feet or less) or low weight limits (weight restrictions and over 500 annual daily vehicles in 2012). These locations inhibit the efficient the movement of goods in the region by causing drivers to take longer routes than originally planned for which increases fuel consumption and travel time, thereby increase the cost of doing business for truck-dependent companies in the Nashville region. Additionally, trucks that ignore or are unaware of posted height and weight limits pose a risk to the safety of the load, the bridge infrastructure, and the facility carried by that bridge. Figure 2.4 shows the 17 bridges in the Nashville region with posted weight limits and an annual daily traffic count over 500 vehicles in Similar to the vertical clearance restrictions, these weight-restricted roads have the potential to cause longer and more timeconsuming truck trips, and trucks that ignore or are unaware of these restrictions can cause damage to the roadway and pose a safety hazard to all motorists. 2-4

19 Figure 2.3 Low Clearance Bridge Locations in Nashville Region Source: National Bridge Inventory, Google Street View. 2-5

20 Figure 2.4 Weight Restricted Bridge Locations in Nashville Region Source: National Bridge Inventory, Google Street View. 2-6

21 The implications of the future outlook of these roadway performance trends for freight-related businesses in the region are highlighted in Table 2.2. Table 2.2 Potential Impacts of Future Roadway Performance Performance Factor Congestion Roadway Design Travel Behavior Safety Economic Competitiveness Potential Impact Longer travel times for trucks and other vehicles. Inefficient routing of trucks due to deficiencies including vertical clearance restrictions and weight limits. Increases in supply chain costs. Increases in the cost of doing business and the price of goods in the region. Increase in truck-related crashes due to deficiencies in roadway design and worsening congestion. Decreased regional competitiveness and challenges relative to attracting and retaining freight-related businesses in the region. ` 2-7

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23 2.2 Rail Network The key performance issue for the freight rail network is long-term congestion of the mainline track. Figure 2.5 and Figure 2.6 show the current and 2040 projected number of trains on rail track in the region, respectively. Single track facilities such as those that are dominant in the region tend to have a maximum capacity of between 30 and 40 trains per day. The 2040 projected values show that several of the rail lines are already at a level where congestion of the main line is a significant issue. Of particular note, is the projected congestion on the CSX track that parallels I-24 running diagonally northwest through to the southeast of the Nashville region. The Radnor Intermodal Railyard in this vicinity, so congestion on this line will slow the movement of intermodal containers in and out of the Nashville region. Additionally, the rapidly expanding Nissan automobile plant in Smyrna is located along this track, so congestion along this line has the potential to negatively impact the growth of this facility and the price competitiveness of automobiles that are assembled there. This track is also the mainline that connects Florida, the Atlanta metropolitan region, the Nashville region, and points in the Midwest. Therefore, the performance of this track has the potential to impact both Nashville s trade with regional partners and the efficiency of goods movement for several regions in the eastern half of the U.S. 2-9

24 Figure 2.5 Forecast Trains Per Day in Nashville Area, 2011 Source: FHWA Freight Analysis Framework rail forecast applied to FRA baseyear train data. 2-10

25 Figure 2.6 Forecast Trains Per Day in Nashville Area, 2040 Source: FHWA Freight Analysis Framework rail forecast applied to FRA baseyear train data. 2-11

26 The implications of the future outlook of rail performance trends for freight-related businesses in the region are highlighted in Table 2.3. Table 2.3 Potential Impacts of Future Rail Performance Performance Factor Congestion Slower speed freight trains Potential Impact Diversion of freight traffic from rail to I-24, increasing congestion and decreasing reliability and safety along I-24. Increase inventory costs for rail customers, thereby increasing costs of doing business in Middle Tennessee for key industries and customers. Loss of customers from rail to the trucking industry, increasing truck volumes and truck VMT in the region. Economic competitiveness Decreased competitiveness may cause rail-dependent shippers to move to other regions and lowering chances of attracting new business. 2-12

27 2.3 Water Network The Cumberland River and the Old Hickory Lock are the primary freight-related waterway features in the Nashville region. While the current river channel depth of 9 to 10 feet is sufficient for a barge that measures 195 feet long and 35 feet wide, a 12 foot draft would enable the river to carry barges sized 290 foot long by 50 foot wide and would have double the capacity of the current system. A doubling of per barge capacity on the waterway would result in significant savings for Cumberland River shippers and receivers. It would also improve the region s ability to attract additional water-dependent companies. Similarly, expanding the length and width of the Old Hickory Lock would allow for longer barge tows to be used which would also increase the profitability of existing operations along with making the region more competitive to expand current operations and attract new companies. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining the current depth of the Cumberland River. Maintaining the river at its current depth will not enable it to take advantages of economies of scale of utilizing bigger barges. Additionally, without replacing the current locks, the existing locks will require more maintenance and more potential downtime which will hinder waterways movements in and out of the Nashville region. This will have the biggest impact on coal movements along the waterways and the local power plants that rely on this coal for fuel. Therefore, the potential downstream impacts include higher electricity costs for consumers and businesses in the Nashville region. Table 2.4 Potential Impacts of Future Waterway Performance Performance Factor Capacity Age of infrastructure Potential Impact Current channel depth does not allow larger barges. Larger barges may provide significant savings for shippers and receivers. Existing locks will require more maintenance and more potential downtime, hindering waterway movements throughout the region. 2-13

28 2.4 Air Cargo Network Air cargo in the Nashville region is handled primarily at the Nashville International Airport (BNA) and secondarily at the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport. At the Nashville International Airport, congestion on I-40 and Murfreesboro Pike has the potential to delay the arrival and departure of air cargo trucks to the airport during commute peak periods. The impact of this congestion is an increased potential of missing cutoff times for air cargo flights which significantly increases air cargo travel time and can cause major supply chain disruption for the high-value, time-sensitive goods that typically use this mode. Decreased road performance also decreases reliability which exacerbates the congestion impact by forcing air cargo trucks to build in buffers to their trip times to ensure an on-time arrival at the airport. The Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport generally has uncongested access for air cargo related trucks off of the interstate system. However, the last-mile connector, Jefferson Pike, would benefit from an additional lane to be able to handle the combination of truck and auto traffic that use the facility. This would increase safety along the roadway which currently features large volumes of both trucks and autos. According to Nashville International Airport s Master Plan Update, completed in 2013, air cargo volumes at BNA are expected to increase by approximately 52% through BNA s Master Plan Update has determined, however, that existing air cargo facilities are sufficient to meet future air cargo demand for consolidating outbound freight and the breaking down, sorting and loading of inbound freight onto trucks. Still, with both air cargo and passenger traffic at BNA forecast to grow significantly, impacts to freight movement throughout the region may be significant. Table 2.5 Potential Impacts of Future Air Cargo Performance Performance Factor Potential Impact Potential diversion of some goods from air cargo to truck activity. Increased air cargo operations Cargo building requirements Additional truck traffic on connecting roadways. Increases in the likelihood of truck-involved crashes that impact the movement of goods in, out, and through air cargo facilities. BNA has sufficient building and apron space to accommodate future air cargo demand. 1 Nashville International Airport Master Plan Update. December

29 2.5 Land Use Decisions The performance of the freight system in the Nashville region is also related to land use decisions of freight-related companies such as manufacturers, warehouses, and distribution centers. These decisions are based on several factors including availability of suitable land, proximity to suppliers and customers, and the quality of the transportation system adjacent to the facility. From a transportation system efficiency perspective, it is most advantageous for new and relocating freight-related companies to locate facilities in one of the five existing key freight subregions identified in the Existing Conditions and Trends report. This would likely have the following impacts: Reduce truck travel time between new facilities, suppliers, and customers; Minimize the amount of new freight-related infrastructure needed to be built or expanded; Aid in the separation of freight activity from non-compatible land uses (such as schools, parks and residential areas); and Provide developers strong incentives to locate future non-compatible land uses away from freight clusters. The need to coordinate infrastructure planning and land use planning is or increased importance given current trends in the Nashville region. The region s continued and rapid population growth will increase the amount and magnitude of conflicts between freight-related activity and freight-sensitive activity. As an example, the population of the City of Smyrna grew from 39,976 in 2010 to 45,274 in 2014, a growth over 13 percent in just four years. This increase in population increases the number of auto trips generated in and attracted to Smyrna, one of Middle Tennessee s most freight-intensive clusters. This will lead to more truck-auto conflicts which increases congestion for trucks and autos, decreases reliability of the transportation system, and increases the likelihood of truck-involved crashes in Smyrna. This pattern is similar within all freight-intensive subregions and may also lead to potential truck conflicts with pedestrians and bicyclists in denser more walkable parts of the region. Coordinating land use planning with infrastructure planning also provides an opportunity to contain freight growth in the Nashville region to freight-intensive clusters rather than availability of industrial land. A development pattern for freight-related businesses that was based solely on the availability of undeveloped industrial land has the potential to cause longer truck trips which in turn would increase truck VMT, congestion for trucks and autos, and increase the number of truck-involved crashes. Additionally, it would not provide any indicators for developers of non-compatible land uses where they can locate facilities to minimize interaction with truck and other freight-related activities. The region is facing a number of transportation and mobility challenges that may be exacerbated by poorly coordinated land use and transportation decisions. One way to address and mitigate these challenges is the creation of a designated network for truck travel 2-15

30 throughout the region. Creating a regionally agreed upon truck route network in the region is timely given the development of the national Priority Freight Network and one of the strategies that can be used to help manage the myriad of mobility issues that arise from continued population growth and freight activity. This network can serve as the focus for truck activity in the region which will ensure that the modal elements of the region s freight network retain strong connectivity. It can also be used to attract trucks away from roadways that are not conducive to truck activity. The next section describes the process for developing a truck route network in the Nashville region, and provides design standard to improve truck flow efficiency on designated routes. Applying these design standards will provide additional incentives for trucks to use the designated truck route network as opposed to alternative roadways. 2-16

31 3.0 Truck Route Network The objective of creating a truck route network is to serve as an element in the development of a regional vision for freight, detailed in a later task of this study. The network balances the economic development goals of freight expansion with livability goals which serve to improve freight s role as a good neighbor to the surrounding communities in the region. The benefits of developing a truck route network include: Ensuring connectivity for all of freight s modal elements and connectivity between freight-intensive clusters within the region; Identifying a set of roadways that are most conducive to truck traffic and identifying enhancements to improve mobility of trucks on these roadways; Providing incentive for truck drivers to avoid utilizing routes that are incompatible with goods movement thereby increasing mobility and safety for truck drivers, autos, pedestrians and bicyclists; Providing incentive for future freight-related land uses to be located near roadways that are compatible for moving trucks; and Providing a signal to developers of activities that are incompatible with freight of locations to avoid. This section provides background on the development of the regional truck route network as well as an analysis of various performance factors and design guidelines for roadways included in the network. 3.1 Truck Route Network Definition Base Truck Route Network To develop this truck route network, the following process was utilized: 1. Assemble existing municipal-level truck route networks and truck prohibited roads. 2. Overlay the preexisting truck route network and truck prohibited road network with freight generators and emerging industrial areas. 3. Manually adjust the truck route network to balance increased connectivity to freight facilities with decreased overlap with other facilities, land uses, and networks that are adversely impacted by heavy truck activity. 4. Conduct outreach to the trucking industry, city planners and other key stakeholders to receive comments and edit the draft truck route network. 3-1

32 5. Finalize truck route network. This process resulted in a comprehensive truck route network which is referred to as the base truck route network. It allows for connectivity to the major freight generators in the region. The base truck route network also identifies key roadways for long haul movements. This includes both long-haul movements with a trip end in the Nashville region and truck trips passing through the region. A map of the base truck route network is displayed in Figure 3.1, while the included roadways are listed in Table

33 Figure 3.1 Base Truck Route Network in the Nashville Region Source: Cambridge Systematics. 3-3

34 Table 3.1 Roadways in the Base Truck Route Network Access Roadway From To I-24 All All Long Haul High Truck Volume I-40 All All I-65 All All I-440 All All SR-840 All All Long Haul Eastern Bypass Mega Sites Nissan Plant SR-109 SR-840 SR-52 SR-52 SR-109 I-65 Lee Victory Parkway I-24 Lowry Street Nissan Drive Lowry Street Jefferson Pike Enon Springs Road Nissan Drive Clayton Estates Road TN-396/Saturn Parkway I-65 TN-6 Mega Sites GM Plant US 31/SR-6/Main Street/Nashville Highway Ephlin Parkway SR-840 Mega Sites Radnor Yard Harding Place I-65 Sidco Drive Sidco Drive Harding Place Thompson Lane Armory Drive Haywood Lane I-24 Antioch Pike Antioch Pike Haywood Lane Space Park South Harding Place I-24 Bush Road Mega Sites BNA and surrounding industrial area Bush Road Franklin-Limestone Road Antioch Pike Franklin-Limestone Court/Mullis Road Franklin-Limestone Court/Mullis Road Briley Parkway I-24 I-40 Donnelson Pike I-24 I-40 US 412/Bear Creek Pike I-65 SR-6 US 43 US 412 Industrial Park Boulevard Access to Columbia Industrial Park Boulevard Santa Fe Pike James Campbell Boulevard/SR-50 SR-50 Industrial Park Boulevard Tom J Hitch Parkway 3-4

35 Access Roadway From To I-24 Southeast Corridor US 41/Manchester Pike US 231 (Murfreesboro) I-24 (south Nashville) Joe B. Jackson Parkway I-24 Ridge Drive US 231 I-24 US 41 I-24 Southeast Corridor - Murfreesboro Middle Tennessee Boulevard/Molloy Lane New Salem Road US 231 New Salem Road I-24 TN-96 TN-96/Old Fort Parkway I-24 US 41 I-24 Southeast Corridor Smyrna Sam Ridley Parkway/ Jefferson Pike I-24 SR-840 Almaville Road I-24 Midway Lane Industrial Boulevard Sam Ridley Boulevard Waldron Road Waldron Road/ Parthenon Boulevard I-24 Murfreesboro Pike Bridgestone/Firestone Parkway Old Hickory Boulevard Waldron Road I-24 Southeast Corridor La Vergne Old Hickory Boulevard I-24 Firestone Parkway Mason Road Industrial Boulevard Bain Drive Tech Park Drive Ingram Boulevard Heil Quaker Boulevard Teledyne Place Corporate Place JP Hennessey Drive TN-96/Murfreesboro Road I-65 TN-397/Hatcher Memorial Parkway TN-397/Hatcher Memorial Parkway SR-96 US 31/SR-6/Columbia Avenue Franklin Columbia Avenue TN-397 Downs Boulevard Cool Springs Boulevard I-65 Aspen Grove Drive Aspen Grove Drive Cool Springs Boulevard Seaboard Lane Seaboard Lane Aspen Grove Drive Mallory Lane 3-5

36 Access Roadway From To Mallory Lane Seaboard Lane Moores Lane Moores Lane Mallory Lane I-65 Maddox-Simpson Parkway US 231/Murfreesboro Road US 70/Sparta Pike Lebanon US 70 I-40 Maddox-Simpson Parkway Murfreesboro Road S. Hartmann Drive I-40 S Hartmann Drive Coles Ferry Pike I-40 Eastgate Boulevard SR-109 West of Manheim Vietnam Veteran s Boulevard I-65 TN-109 Gallatin Airport Road TN-109 US 31E/Gallatin Pike/East Broadway US 31 E Airport Road TN-109 Gateway Drive Springfield US 41 I-65 US 431 TN-49/TN-76 I-24 I-65 Downtown Briley Parkway I-24 I-40 Lebanon Pike/Hermitage Way Clovernook Drive Driftwood Street Decatur Avenue I-24 Hermitage Avenue Fessler s Lane I-40 Visco Drive Downtown Southeast Visco Drive/Nestor Street Driftwood Street Fairfield Avenue Hermitage Avenue Green Street Green Street Fairfield Avenue I-24/I-40 Downtown I-440/I- 40/I-65 Subarea West End Avenue I-440 Broadway Broadway West End Avenue I-40/I-65 Jefferson Street/Spring Street I-24 I-40 Vashti Street/Cowan Street Rosa Parks Boulevard I-65 Broadway Downtown - Core Broadway Rosa Parks Boulevard I-40 US 31E/Ellington Parkway US 41 TN-155/Briley Parkway 3-6

37 Access Roadway From To Downtown Northwest near John C. Tune Airport Centennial Boulevard Centennial Place Cockrill Boulevard John C. Tune Airport 40 th Avenue North Centennial Boulevard NW of John C. Tune Airport Dr. Walter S. Davis Boulevard Centennial Boulevard Ed Temple Boulevard Ed Temple Boulevard Davis Boulevard Clarksville Pike Downtown Remainder of Northwest Rosa Parks Boulevard Clarksville Pike I-65 Vantage Way Rosa Parks Boulevard Great Circle Road Great Circle Road Mainstream Drive Great Circle Road Rosa Parks Boulevard Freeland Station Road Source: Cambridge Systematics Expanded Truck Route Network There have been previous planning efforts that developed truck route networks at the national, state, and municipal level in Tennessee. Many of the roadways overlap with the base truck route network described in Section 3.1. However, there are a few roadways which are included in these previous efforts that are not included in the base truck route network. To preserve the designation of these roadways as important for the region relative to freight, these roadways are included in an Expanded Truck Route Network. The expanded network includes the following types of roadways in addition to those included in the base truck route network: The National Network, authorized under SAFETEA-LU, is the last official national network; The Nashville Regional Freight Highway System (NRFHS), identified as part of Phase II of the MPO s Freight And Goods Movement Study; and Locally identified truck routes. The roadways included as part of the expanded truck route network are listed in Table 3.2 and are shown in a map on Figure

38 Figure 3.2 Expanded Truck Route Network in the Nashville Region Source: Nashville Area MPO. 3-8

39 Table 3.2 Additional Roadways in the Expanded Truck Route Network Roadway To From US 31/SR 6/Main Street/Nashville Highway Donald F Ephlin Parkway Allison Avenue US 231/S Church Street/Shelbyville Highway I-24 Rutherford County Line John Bragg Highway N Rutherford Boulevard Rutherford County Line Mercury Boulevard SE Broad Street N Rutherford Boulevard SE Broad Street Mercury Boulevard TN-10/S Church Street US 231/Lebanon Road/Murfreesboro Road Nashville Highway Maddox Simpson Parkway US 70/Sparta Pike I-40 Wilson County Line US 231/Hunters Point Pike I-40 Sumner County Line US 70/Lebanon Pike/Lebanon Road Briley Parkway Winwood Drive US 70/TN-26/Baddour Parkway W Main Street I-40 Nolensville Pike/Road I-440 Murfreesboro Road Horton Highway Murfreesboro Road SR-840 Ronnie McDowell Parkway/N Broadway Oak Street Sumner County Line TN-52/Austin Peay Highway Ronnie McDowell Parkway/N Broadway Clyde Wix Road Briley Parkway I-24 E Thompson Lane TN-12/Ashland City Highway Briley Parkway Davidson County Line US 431/TN-11 E 5 th Avenue US 41 Scotty Parker Road TN-109 TN-109 TN-106/5 th Avenue N Rebel Circle TN-96/Bridge Street TN-96 5 th Avenue N Downs Boulevard Downs Boulevard TN-96 Columbia Avenue/TN-6/US 31 TN-397/Mack C Hatcher Memorial Parkway US 431/Hillsboro Road TN-96/Murfreesboro Road TN-96/Murfreesboro Road/Franklin Road I-65 I-24 S Hartmann Drive I-40 Murfreesboro Road Hartman Drive Coles Ferry Pike US 231/Hunters Point Pike US 31 E Airport Road US 231 Old State Highway 109/Albert Gallatin Avenue TN-109 US 31E/Gallatin Pike 3-9

40 Roadway To From TN-155/White Bridge Pike Harding Road I-40 TN-254/Old Hickory Boulevard I-65 I-24 TN-255/Harding Place I-65 I-24 TN-171/N Mt Juliet Road I-40 W Division Street TN-45/Robinson Road/Old Hickory Boulevard Gallatin Pike I-40 Bill Jones Industrial Drive TN-76/E 5 th Avenue TN-11 Williams A. Batson Parkway (incomplete) TN-49 US 41/TN-11 US 431/Whites Creek Pike/Tom Austin Highway I-24 Williams A. Batson Parkway Columbia Pike/TN-6/US 31 Hillview Lane Henpeck Lane US 431/Lewisburg Pike TN-397/Mack C. Hatcher Memorial Parkway South of Bowman Lane TN-246/Main Street Downs Boulevard Carters Creek Pike TN-96 Downs Boulevard Boyd Mill Avenue Cool Springs Boulevard US 31/Franklin Road US 431/Hillsboro Road TN-397/Mack C. Hatcher Memorial Parkway TN-397/Mack C. Hatcher Memorial Parkway TN-397/Mack C. Hatcher Memorial Parkway Aspen Grove Drive Concord Road Harpeth Hills Drive TN-25 TN-109 North of Bradford Drive TN-174/Long Hollow Pike Vietnam Veterans Boulevard Lower Station Camp Creek Road Big Station Camp Road TN-174/Long Hollow Pike Lower Station Camp Creek Road Lower Station Camp Creek Road Lakeland Drive US 31E/Nashville Pike Source: Nashville Area MPO Truck Route Network Connectivity As detailed previously, the truck route network was determined based on the location of existing freight activity centers, as well as long haul routes serving trucks passing through the Nashville region. This section focuses on how well the identified network connects to these existing locations as well as previously identified local routes within the region. Figure 3.3 shows truck trip generation density (on a per square mile basis) for each of the traffic analysis zones in the metropolitan Nashville portion of the Tennessee Statewide travel 3-10

41 demand model relative to the identified truck route network. Additional information regarding the methodology and data associated with truck trip generation may be found in the Existing Conditions and Trends (Task 3) report. The figure demonstrates that the truck route network provides good access to the subregions that generate the highest volumes of truck traffic. Additionally, the truck route network is most dense in the most freight intensive locations in the southeast close to Interstate 24 and in downtown Nashville. The expanded allows for additional connectivity between points already served by primary networks. The identification of these routes allows for truckers to know what other options are available in the event of a closure of a primary route or severe congestion. Some examples of these parallel routes include the following: Old TN 109/Scotty Parker Road parallel to Highway 109 US 70 parallel to I-40 TN 96 parallel to SR 840 US 231 parallel to SR 840 While this expanded network allows for the continued movement of goods in the event of a primary route operating below standards, resources targeted towards freight improvements should be focused on the primary network. 3-11

42 Figure 3.3 Freight Intensive Subregion Access via Truck Route Network Source: American Transportation Research Institute Truck GPS data analyzed for development of TDOT Statewide Travel Demand Model. 3-12

43 3.2 Truck Route Network Performance Truck route network performance is an important measure of the efficiency of goods movement in the Nashville region. Important measures include: Truck volumes - Volumes measure the amount of utilization of the truck route network and can help measure how much trucks are attracted away from less compatible roadways and land uses. Congestion - Congestion on the truck route network will measure the capacity sufficiency of the roadways relative to the level of truck and auto traffic. Crashes - Crashes on the truck route network are a measure of the safety of the designated roads relative to activity levels. This is in part a function of the compatibility of roadway design with vehicle and other types of activity. This section discusses each of these performance related issues for the truck route network Truck Route Network and Truck Volumes By including the entire interstate system in the Nashville region into the truck route network, the highest truck volumes in the region are ensured to be traveling on the network. The interstates are used for long haul trips in and out of Nashville, truck trips through the region, and to distribute goods to locations within the region. As such, these roadways have some of the highest truck volumes in the region. All roadways that have over 2,500 trucks per day are included in the base truck route network. As shown in Figure 3.4, the long haul interstate routes have the heaviest truck volumes on the truck route network. This is followed by State Route 840 which has close to interstate level volumes. Therefore, the network appears to have good coverage of high truck volume locations across the region. Note that some portions of the roadway network are not represented in this figure. The model illustrates conditions in 2010 and some key roadway segments, such as SR-840, were not complete at this time and as such were not included in the model in order to correctly model conditions. 3-13

44 Figure 3.4 Truck Volumes on the Truck Route Network Note: Data not available for recently completed roadway segments (ex. SR-840). 3-14

45 3.2.2 Congestion on the Truck Route Network There are many locations along the truck route network which feature recurring congestion. This is directly related to the multimodal use of the truck route network in that it serves both trucks and passenger cars, with passenger cars exhibiting peaks during the morning and evening commute periods. Based on the Nashville region travel demand model, the ten locations on the truck route network with the highest congestion levels (as exhibited by volume to capacity ratios) are listed in Table 3.3. The majority of these top congested locations tend to be at the convergence of two major roadways on the truck route network. The volume-to-capacity ratio for the entire truck route network is shown in Figure 3.5. It shows that a little over half of the truck route network has some level of recurring congestion. This congestion is mostly along the interstate system, but it can also be found on State Route 840, Vietnam Veterans Boulevard, and Murfreesboro Pike. Table 3.3 Top 10 Most Congested Locations on the Truck Route Network Rank Roadway Location County 1 I-24 Exit to I-40 West Davidson 2 I-440 Prior to exit at US 41/Murfreesboro Pike Davidson 3 Interchange Gallatin Pike to Briley Parkway Davidson 4 Interstate Ramp N Mt Juliet Road to I-40 West Wilson 5 Interstate Ramp Old Hickory Boulevard to I-40 West Wilson 6 Interstate Ramp US 231 to northbound I-24 Rutherford 7 I-40 W West of interchange with I-24 Davidson 8 Interstate Ramp Southbound I-65 to TN-96/Murfreesboro Road Williamson 9 Interstate Ramp Rosa L Parks Boulevard to I-65 South Davidson 10 Murfreesboro Pike Near Briley Parkway Davidson Source: Nashville Area MPO Travel Demand Model, September 2014 version. 3-15

46 Figure 3.5 Congestion Map for Roadways on the Truck Route Network Source: Nashville Area MPO Travel Demand Model, September 2014 version. 3-16

47 3.2.3 Safety Hotspots on Truck Route Network An analysis of truck-involved crashes was undertaken for the Nashville region using data obtained for the State of Tennessee from 2008 to Information from the crash database includes the route and the county where truck-involved crashes occur along with the severity of the crash over the period from 2008 to Table 3.4 shows the top 10 non-interstate, truck involved crash segments in the Nashville region. At least some portion of these segments are located along the identified truck route network. The segments and the overlapping portions included in the truck route network are shown in Figure 3.7. Therefore, safety improvements that are considered for these corridors should also incorporate features that make the corridors more truck-friendly. Table 3.4 Top 10 Truck-Involved Crash Segments in the Nashville Region (Non-Interstate Roadways Only) Rank Route County Total Crashes Truck Route 1 Memphis Bristol Highway (SR-1) Davidson 223 Yes 2 Briley Parkway (SR-155) Davidson 170 Yes 3 Charlotte Pike (SR-24) Davidson 154 Yes 4 Nolensville Pike (SR-11) Davidson 140 Yes 5 Murfreesboro Road (SR-10) Rutherford 128 Yes 6 Columbia Avenue (SR-6) Davidson 107 Yes 7 Gallatin Pike (SR-6) Sumner 98 Yes 8 Harding Place (SR-255) Davidson 97 Yes 9 Memphis Bristol Highway (SR-1) Rutherford 90 Yes 10 Murfreesboro Road (SR-10) Wilson 86 Yes Source: Tennessee Crash Database, 2008 to

48 Figure 3.6 Highest Crash Locations in Relation to the Truck Route Network Source: Tennessee Crash Database, 2008 to

49 Another source for determining accident prone locations on the truck route network is the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). This database is maintained by the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA). FARS is considered the most reliable national crash database, but only includes information on fatal crashes, unlike the state information presented previously. In 2013 in the MPO region, there were 163 fatal crashes representing 18 percent of the statewide total. Of interest for this effort, however, are those crashes which occurred on the identified truck route network. Of the 163 crashes in the Nashville region, 66, or 40 percent, occurred on the truck route network. While an instance was found in each county on the network, only three counties had crashes on the network involving a truck: Davidson, Rutherford, and Sumner. As detailed in Table 3.5, there were 11 truck involved crashes on the network reported by FARS in With seven of this total, I-24 had the most occurrences while I-65, SR-109, Joe B Jackson Parkway, and Rosa L Parks Boulevard had one instance each. The location of all accidents on the truck route network in the region is shown in Figure 3.8. Table 3.5 Fatal Crashes on the Truck Route Network On Truck Route Network County Total Fatal Crashes Percent of Total All Fatal Crashes Truck Involved Truck Involved Percentage Davidson 67 7% % Maury 16 2% 3 0 0% Robertson 8 1% 4 0 0% Rutherford 25 3% % Sumner 12 1% % Williamson 16 2% 6 0 0% Wilson 19 2% 5 0 0% Nashville Area MPO Region % % Remainder of Tennessee % Total % Source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System. 3-19

50 Figure 3.7 FARS Incidents on the Truck Route Network Source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System. 3-20

51 3.3 Potential Truck Route Network Conflicts Truck movements are responsible for the last mile delivery of goods. As such, they must be able to access a variety of areas to deliver these goods, many of which were not designed with trucks in mind. This can make navigation a difficult task. Other constraints such as truck prohibited routes and high-pedestrian areas can exasperate these issues. The below section discusses how the identified truck routes fit with the existing transportation infrastructure, particularly with portions of the infrastructure that have modal activity that may conflict with trucking activity Truck Route Networks and Prohibited Routes Truck prohibited routes are designated by local municipalities. These restricted roads are predominately local streets in residential neighborhoods. Within the Nashville region, truck route prohibitions were found in Davidson, Maury, Rutherford, and Williamson counties. The largest concentration of these routes is in the Murfreesboro area in Rutherford County. Fortunately, none of the prohibited truck routes are major thoroughfares and do not have a significant impact on the maneuverability of trucks within the region. As seen in Figure 3.8, there is no overlap between the existing truck prohibited routes and the identified truck route network. 3-21

52 Figure 3.8 Truck Prohibited Routes in the Nashville Region 3-22

53 3.3.2 Truck Route Networks and Bicycle/Sidewalk Networks Truck activity tends to be problematic when it occurs on the same roadways as bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Specifically, bicycle and pedestrian users would be sensitive to large amounts of truck traffic along multi-use corridors. Based on available data, designated bicycle route conflicts with the truck route network are displayed in Figure All designated bicycle routes which run parallel to the identified truck route network or intersect with the truck route network are identified on this map. The map shows that there is a heavy concentration of conflicting truck and bicycle route locations in downtown Nashville due to a higher population density which encourages bicycle movements along with a truck route network needed to provide goods for retail and manufacturing locations in the downtown region. Other truck route and bicycle route conflicts are located along major non-interstate corridors. Specifically, these locations include: US 31E and SR-52 in Sumner County, SR-11 in Robertson County, SR-10, SR-24, and SR-26 in Wilson County, SR-1 and SR-102 in Rutherford County, and Bear Creek Pike in Maury County. Potential pedestrian conflicts with the truck route network are displayed in Figure The figure shows locations that have sidewalks relative to the identified truck route network. This includes sidewalk facilities which run parallel to identified truck routes as well as those which cross over the identified truck routes. Many of these corridors are similar to the ones identified for bicycle routes. There is a similar concentration of potentially conflicted locations in the downtown Nashville area. However, other cities also show potentially conflicted locations including in Murfreesboro, Franklin, and Springfield. Other major corridors with sidewalk facilities are US 31E in Sumner County as well as SR-254 and SR-255 in Davidson County. 3-23

54 Figure 3.9 Bicycle Routes Located Along Truck Routes in the Nashville Region 3-24

55 Figure 3.10 Pedestrian Routes Located Along Truck Routes in the Nashville Region 3-25

56 3.3.3 Railway-Highway Crossings on the Truck Route Network Several railroad crossings were identified in previous tasks of this study with data on the number of trains per day using the crossing, average annual daily traffic (AADT), and average annual daily truck traffic (AADTT). A total of 26 unique crossings were identified in the top ten for each of these three attributes. Nine of these are present on the truck route network. As detailed in Table 3.6, these include seven crossings that are in the top ten by AADT and six that are in the top ten by AADTT; none were in the top ten based on the total number of trains. The locations of these nine crossings, as well as 14 others on the truck route network which did not meet this criteria, are shown in Figure These 14 other locations are predominately located in the area near John C. Tune Airport and the Southeast Downtown industrial area. For the most part, the remaining 14 not listed in Table 3.6 are crossings located on side tracks which do not see the high train counts seen on the main lines. Table 3.6 Railway-Highway Crossings on the Truck Route Network Map ID Route City Total Trains Truck AADT Total AADT 1 US 41/SR 1/NW Broad Street Murfreesboro 2 n/a 36,547 2 US 31E/Nashville Pike Gallatin 14 2,624 32,797 3 US 70/Lebanon Road Nashville 2 1,505 30,097 4 SR 45/Robinson Road Nashville 2 1,300 25,993 5 SR 45/Old Hickory Boulevard Nashville 14 1,503 25,053 6 SR 45/Old Hickory Boulevard Nashville 2 1,503 25,053 7 SR 45/Old Hickory Boulevard Nashville ,021 8 US 231/SR 10/Cumberland Street Lebanon 5 1,455 14,454 9 Maddox-Simpson Parkway Lebanon 2 1,699 5,664 Source: U.S. Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety. 3-26

57 Figure 3.11 Railway-Highway Crossings on the Truck Route Network Source: U.S. Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety. 3-27

58 3.3.4 Truck Route Networks and Conflicting Facilities Schools The location of schools along truck routes affects both students and truck drivers. Truck drivers can be slowed down by the significant traffic generated at the beginning and end of the school day as well as the posted school zone speed limits. Additionally, there is particular concern about safety impacts of trucks operating close to school zones. Table 3.7 lists the schools that were identified as being within 0.1 miles of the presented truck routes with their locations shown in Figure Overall, roughly ten percent of schools in the Nashville region are located within 0.1 miles of the truck route network. Special care should be taken at these locations to ensure that sight distance for trucks, pedestrian crosswalks are easily identifiable, and that road signs clearly indicate the presence of schools are nearby and when students are most likely to be using the local road network. Table 3.7 Schools Located Along the Truck Route Network School County Approximate Enrollment 2 Roadway Network Smyrna High School Rutherford 1,988 Lee Victory Parkway Base Franklin High School Williamson 1,839 Hillsboro Road Expanded Wilson Central High School Wilson 1,698 Intersection of SR-109 and SR-840 Base Lebanon High School Wilson 1,544 Harman Drive Base Gallatin Senior High School Sumner 1,374 US 31E Base Springfield High School Robertson 1,083 TN-49/TN-76 Base Una Elementary Davidson 981 Murfreesboro Road/US 41 Base West Wilson Middle Wilson 978 N Mount Juliet Road Expanded Trinity Elementary Williamson 943 TN-96 Expanded Hume-Fogg High Davidson 918 Broadway and Rosa Parks Drive Base Watertown Elementary Wilson 902 SR 26/Sparta Pike Expanded Mount View Elementary Davidson 900 Murfreesboro Road/US 41 Base Southside Elementary Wilson 882 Murfreesboro Road Expanded Spring Hill High School Maury 849 SR 6/Nashville Highway Base 2 Enrollment is available for the 2010/2011 school year for public schools and 2008/2009 for private (P) schools. 3-28

59 School William Henry Oliver Middle County Approximate Enrollment 2 Roadway Network Davidson 812 SR 11/Nolensville Pike Expanded Greenbrier Elementary Robertson 800 US 41 Base Donelson Middle Davidson 781 SR 24/Lebanon Pike Expanded Christiana Middle School Rutherford 768 US 231 Expanded White House Heritage High School May Werthan Shayne Elementary School Robertson 766 TN-49/TN-76 Base Davidson 756 SR 11/Nolensville Pike Expanded Heritage Elementary Williamson 732 US 31/SR-6/Main Street/Nashville Highway Base Christiana Elementary Rutherford 718 US 231 Expanded Heritage Middle School Williamson 701 US 31/SR-6/Main Street/Nashville Highway Base Madison Middle Davidson 650 SR 45/Old Hickory Boulevard Expanded DuPont Hadley Middle Davidson 641 Old Hickory Boulevard Expanded Freedom Intermediate Williamson 622 SR 96 Expanded Carroll Oakland Elementary Springfield Middle School Station Camp Middle School Wilson 613 Hunters Point Pike Expanded Robertson 612 TN-49/TN-76 Base Sumner 611 Big Station Camp Boulevard Expanded Freedom Middle School Williamson 603 TN-96 Expanded Robert E Ellis Middle Sumner 601 SR 6/East Main Street Expanded R Howell Elementary Maury 600 Bear Creek Pike Base Greenbrier Middle School Coopertown Middle School Robertson 588 US 41 Base Robertson 571 TN-49/TN-76 Base Hickman Elementary Davidson 524 SR 24/Lebanon Pike Expanded Tusculum Elementary Davidson 524 SR 11/Nolensville Pike Expanded Spring Hill Elementary Maury 515 US 31/SR-6/Main Street/Nashville Highway Base 3-29

60 School Andrew Jackson Elementary Mt. Juliet Christian Academy Approximate County Enrollment 2 Roadway Network Davidson 502 SR 45/Old Hickory Boulevard Expanded Wilson (P) 493 N Mount Juliet Road Expanded Winstead Elementary Williamson 488 US 31/TN-6/Columbia Pike Expanded Franklin Elementary Williamson 477 Downs Boulevard Expanded West Elementary Wilson 470 US 70/Lebanon Road Expanded Johnson Elementary Williamson 434 SR 96 Expanded Watauga Elementary Robertson 431 US 41 Base E.A. Cox Middle School Maury 411 Bear Creek Pike Base Coopertown Elementary Robertson 410 TN-49/TN-76 Base Moore Elementary Williamson 406 US 431/Lewisburg Pike Expanded Portland East Middle School Sumner 404 SR-109 Base St. Joseph School Davidson (P) 395 Gallatin Pike S Expanded South Haven Christian School Robertson (P) 381 US 41 Base Bradley Academy An Arts Integrated School Rutherford 381 Near intersection of Mercury Boulevard and SE Broad Street Expanded Cheatham Park Elementary Robertson 370 Near intersection of US 41 and TN-49/TN-76 Base Walter Hill Elementary Rutherford 340 US 231 Scenic Expanded New Hope Academy Williamson (P) 208 Downs Boulevard Expanded Nashville Big Picture High School Davidson 199 SR 155/White Bridge Road Expanded Middle College High Davidson 157 White Bridge Pike Expanded Holloway High School Rutherford 154 SR 1/Mercury Boulevard Expanded Franklin Classical School Williamson (P) 122 Hillsboro Road Expanded Genesis Learning Center Rutherford (P) 93 US 231 Base Mt. Juliet Montessori Academy Ridgetop Adventist Elementary Wilson (P) 46 US 70/Lebanon Road Expanded Robertson (P) 23 US 41 Base 3-30

61 School Rutherford County Community Learning Center County Approximate Enrollment 2 Roadway Network Rutherford (P) 17 Murfreesboro Road/US 41 Base Rosie s Playschool Davidson (P) N/A SR 11/Nolensville Pike Expanded Coopertown Christian Academy Rutherford (P) N/A TN-49/TN-76 Base Spring Hill Christian Academy Williamson (P) N/A US 31/SR-6/Main Street/Nashville Highway Base Jaymes Academy Rutherford (P) N/A Bridgestone Boulevard and Waldon Road/Parthenon Boulevard Base Aaron Academy Sumner (P) N/A US 31E Expanded The Montessori School of Donelson Franklin Road Christian School Davidson (P) N/A Lebanon Pike Expanded Rutherford (P) N/A TN-96/Franklin Road Expanded Source: Cambridge Systematics, National Center for Educational Services. 3-31

62 Figure 3.12 Schools Located Along the Truck Route Network Source: Cambridge Systematics, National Center for Educational Services. 3-32

63 Hospitals Hospitals tend to be located along major roadways to provide easy access to the facilities. Therefore, many of the hospitals in the Nashville region are also located on roadways which have been identified as part of the truck route network. Of the 25 hospitals in the region, seven, or 28 percent, are located within 0.1 miles of a truck route. These hospitals are listed in Table 3.8 and are displayed in Figure Table 3.8 Hospitals Located Along the Truck Route Network Hospital County Size (Beds) Roadway Network Alvin C York Veterans Rutherford Not TN-10/Lebanon Pike Expanded Administration Medical Center Available Maury Regional Medical Center Maury 275 James Campbell Boulevard Base Nashville General Hospital at Meharry Davidson 144 Jefferson Street Base TriStar Portland Medical Center Sumner Not Available SR 109 Base TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center Davidson 109 Nolensville Pike Base TriStar Stonecrest Medical Center Rutherford 109 Sam Ridley Parkway Base University Medical Center Wilson 245 Baddour Parkway Expanded Source: American Hospital Directory. 3-33

64 Figure 3.13 Hospitals Located Along the Truck Route Network Source: American Hospital Directory. 3-34

65 3.3.5 Truck Route Network and Land Use Conflicts To assess locations where other types of conflicts may occur in the region, data related to trends based future land use from the MPO land use model was utilized. For this effort, future proposed land uses were accessed as they have been compiled on a consistent basis across all of the counties in the region. This data is utilized to demonstrate areas of residential locations as well as industrial concentrations. Figure 3.14 illustrates the residential locations in the Nashville Area MPO region. Two generalized categories of residential development are Residential and Agricultural Residential. The distinction here is the concentration of residential properties. The general Residential category is typically the Single Family Residences or Multi-Family Residences, which can result in high density locations. Agricultural Residential, on other hand, limits residential development by setting a large minimum lot size, resulting in lower density locations. As seen in this figure, there is a mix of these two types across the region, with Residential land use types more commonly seen where the larger cities are located. Some of these locations may be significantly impacted by truck traffic, particularly if they are located near a major freight generator. Specific locations of potential conflicts are where the truck route network has a dense set of roadways and where the residential population is relatively dense. This is most notable in the downtown Nashville area. Other residential locations tend to be far removed from the truck route network. Residential developments located along the limited access interstates would only be impacted should they also be near a major access point to these facilities. Figure 3.14 also displays the industrial developments located in the region. The majority of industrial developments are located along these the designate truck route network, demonstrating that there is good coverage and connectivity provided by the network. For the most part, all industrial locations have one or more access points via the truck route network. There are a few exceptions industrial land to the west of Columbia in Maury County, land in northwest Robertson County, and land in northeast portions of Rutherford County. 3-35

66 Figure 3.14 Land Use Along Truck Routes 3-36

67 Overall, the identified truck route network appears to be very effective in providing connectivity to the region s significant freight generators, with the expanded network assisting in providing redundancy and alternatives for truck traffic throughout the region. The base truck route network also succeeds in incorporating the roadways with the heaviest truck volumes. There are no significant freight corridors that are not included in the base network. However, there are significant congestion and safety hotspots along the truck route network that should be considered when considering improvements to the region s roadways. These hotspots also indicate that consideration of alternative routes that separate truck activity from the hotspot locations is warranted. There appear to be some significant conflicts between the truck route network and other modal operations, particularly bicycle and pedestrian facilities. It appears that the most significant of these conflicts has been avoided based on the lack of overlap between the region s truck prohibited routes and the truck route network, but there are several locations where the identified truck route is on the same roadway as designated bicycle lanes and roadways that have sidewalk facilities. These potentially conflicting roadways need to be examined to determine the extent of the conflict and what potential mitigation efforts are warranted. There are also several locations where the truck route network is in close proximity to a school. This is in part due to the large number of schools that exist in the region. These potentially conflicting locations also warrant further investigation to ensure that all safety features are included in the road design and operations. The information included in this report, along with the information collected through outreach, will be used to identify recommended improvements to the truck route network for the Nashville region. Table 3.9 Potential Truck Route Network Conflicts and Mitigation Strategies Potential Conflicts Mitigation Strategies Pedestrian facilities Schools Hospitals Plant trees and shrubs between street and sidewalk Design intersections to include a balance of truck-friendly and pedestrianfriendly Develop truck traffic calming designs Increased signage indicating existence of truck lane and presence of school Education for teachers and students regarding interaction with trucks and truck lanes Develop truck traffic calming designs Increased signage Idling restrictions at night in nearby locations 3-37

68 Bicycle lanes Tourist attractions Develop wider than normal truck lanes and wider than normal bicycle lanes Identify locations for truck parking during peak loading/unloading periods Examine access management for tourist attraction relative to truck activity 3.4 Truck Route Network Design Standards Truck route network design standards have been developed to improve truck flow efficiency on the designated roads for trucks. It will also provide additional incentives for trucks to use the designated truck route network as opposed to alternative roadways. The following pavement and roadway design guidelines are provided for transportation organizations when considering the implementation improvements on identified or designated truck routes Pavement Section Figure 3.16 shows the suggested minimum thickness for asphalt, concrete, and aggregate base of the roadway for Street Classifications ranging from Interstate to Arterial. Note that sitespecific pavement designs should be developed considering traffic loading and subgrade conditions and that this is a general recommendation for pavement section Typical Sections for Urban, Suburban and Rural Contexts Figure 3.17 shows ground-level views of typical sections for urban, suburban, and rural contexts for designated truck routes. Site-specific designs should be incorporated into any local roadway designs. Figures 3.18, 3.19 and 3.20 show aerial views of typical arterial roadway sections for urban, suburban and rural contexts for designated truck routes. The urban section features lanes that are all twelve feet wide, a median barrier, and a small shoulder adjacent to the sidewalk. The suburban section is similar, but has 13 foot outside lanes and a wider shoulder. Rural sections include a much wider median barrier, 12 foot lanes, and a very wide shoulder Considerations to Manage Truck Route Conflicts with Other Activities The roads comprising the truck route network support all types of vehicles in addition to trucks. The following special considerations should be incorporated into roadway design for segments that potentially have conflicts: For truck routes located adjacent to bicycle lanes, adding a minimum of one foot in lane width to the outer lane is recommended. For truck routes located adjacent to major pedestrian facilities or parks, a roadside landscape plan is recommended to provide a visual barrier between pedestrian and onstreet activity. 3-38

69 For truck routes located with 0.1 miles of a school or park, special signs should be considered to notify pedestrians of potential truck traffic Intersection Turning Radii Truck-intensive intersections require larger than standard radii to accommodate truck traffic. At intersections along the truck route network where the intersecting streets are locally owned and operated, the standard corner curb radius to be used should be compatible to serve large trucks (Figure 3.21). Special reduced radii should be considered along stretches of roadway that include large pedestrian traffic. This is consistent with the Nashville Complete Streets Plan. Large radii should be avoided, because the radii encourage higher speed turning movements by passenger vehicles. A 10-foot radius, in combination with standard parking lane widths, provides an adequate effective radius to accommodate large trucks. 3-39

70 Figure 3.15 Suggested Minimum Thickness for Asphalt Concrete and Aggregate Base 3-40

71 Figure 3.16 Urban, Suburban, and Rural Truck Route Sections 3-41

72 Figure 3.17 Urban Area Typical Section for a Roadway on an Identified or Designated Truck Route Figure 3.18 Suburban Area Typical Section for a Roadway on an Identified or Designated Truck Route 3-42

73 Figure 3.19 Rural Area Typical Section for a Roadway on an Identified or Designated Truck Route Figure 3.20 Large Truck Turning Radii Example 3-43