1. Downtown Truck Traffic Study
Stakeholders Group
Nee How (hello) and Shi-wu How (good afternoon)

2. Valdosta, Georgia 3 Hours Valdosta, GA MPO Designated 2000 ~120,000
3 Counties
MPO Staff of 1
Founded in 1861, town moved to be on Railroad
1hr. North of Intersection of I-75 & I-10
US 84, US 41, Moody AFB
CSX and NS Railroads, 2 short lines
Within 8 hr. drive of Ports in Savannah, Charleston, Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Mobile, New Orleans, etc.

3. Freight Planning in Valdosta
2009 Freight Study
White Paper Series
Industry/Economic Development Analysis
Local Economic Impact of Freight Rail
Commercial Vehicle Crash Analysis
Downtown Truck Traffic Study

4. The Issue Logistics and Distribution Growth of Port Traffic
Inland Port 1 hr north
Through Traffic
I-75 LOS F
Rail Lines LOS D or F
Truck Detour for construction

5. The Issue Map ID Roadway Name Truck AADT AADT Truck Percentage Year 1
U.S. 84/West Hill Avenue
714
8,280 9%
2014 2
U.S. 84/East Central Avenue
647
5,950
11%
2013 3
U.S. 84/East Hill Avenue
627
6,180
10% 4
5,660 5
U.S. 84/West Central Avenue
623
7,970 8% 6
603
7,530 7
577
7,860 7% 8
U.S. 41/Patterson Street
524
9,830 5% 9
U.S. 41/Ashley Street
450
12,000 4% 10
438
6,870 6% 11
416
8,180 12
381
9,060 13
285
11,200 3%

6. Impacts
3 new corporate headquarters in last year, new residential growth
New retail, dining
New hotel 125 rooms
90% occupancy
Not safe for pedestrians/crossing roads
Damage to buildings – crashes and vibrations
Noise, ambiance for restaurants on sidewalk
Inside buildings, noise

7. The Alternatives

8. Freight Intensive Industries

9. Truck Following

10. Paths from I-75

11. Paths from IPR

12. Truck Destinations – Phase 1
50% are through tucks
25% go south of downtown to industrial area

13. From West Downtown

14. From East Downtown

15. Truck Destinations – Phase 2
83% through
22% south

16. The Alternatives

17. The Alternatives

18. Alternative Evaluation
Savannah Ave. Truck Friendly
Central/Hill Pedestrian Friendly

19. Alternative Evaluation

20. Alternative Costs Alternative Construction ROW Engineering Total Cost
Savannah Avenue (2 Lanes)
$5,150,000
$3,552,000
$412,000
$9,114,000
Savannah Avenue (4 Lanes)
$7,799,000
$4,646,400
$624,000
$13,069,400
South of Savannah Avenue
$8,762,500
$16,413,091
$701,000
$25,876,591
South Bypass (James Road Route)
$28,128,000
$14,103,273
$2,250,000
$44,481,273
South Bypass (St. Augustine Road Route)
$17,894,000
$12,357,818
$1,431,520
$31,683,338
Western Perimeter
$28,914,000
$2,792,727
$2,313,000
$34,019,727

21. Savannah Ave. Alternative
Pros
Cons
Greater reduction of trucks
Easier Fed/State Approval
Little ROW needs
Minimal EJ impacts
Fast/Easy to Construct
Central/Hill become livable streets
Impact to commercial properties
Noise/vibrations only 1 block away from downtown core
Vehicle/Pedestrian Safety
More reliant on local governments to fund construction

22. South of Savannah Ave. Alternative
Pros
Cons
Increases vehicle and pedestrian safety
Likely to have a mix of funding partners
US 84 removed from downtown
Central/Hill become livable streets
Does not address 25% of truck traffic (southbound)
Creates “wall” to the Southside/EJ Impacts
Fed/State Approval Harder
Greater ROW needs (railroad concerns)
Long time to construct
Central/Hill, become local streets

23. Alternative Strategy Short-term Strategy Long-term Strategy
An alternative that can be implemented relatively quickly, at low cost, and offer immediate relief to downtown businesses and residents
Savannah Avenue alternatives
Long-term Strategy
An alternative that requires a greater investment of time and financial resources, but may complement other regional goals and be more sustainable
New alignments (South of Savannah or South Bypass)
Hybrid Strategy
Implement a short-term fix while pursuing a longer-term solution

24. The Alternatives

25. What’s Next Business Involvement and Input Local government input
Choose the least dis-liked alternative

26. Corey Hull, AICP Transportation Director Southern Georgia Regional Commission Valdosta-Lowndes MPO