Tampa Bay Regional Goods Movement | Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Tampa Bay Regional Goods Movement Study?
2. Who is conducting the study?
3. Why is the study necessary?
4. What will we learn from the study?
5. How will the study benefit me?
6. What area does the study cover?
7. Where does the data come from?
8. How often is the information updated?
9. How do I display the information that I am interested in?
10. Can I get detailed information from the database?
11. Can I zoom in and pan around map displays?
12. What are freight "White Papers"?
13. What are freight links?
14. Is there a list of datasets, acronyms, and terms and their definitions for reference?
15. Who do I contact with specific questions regarding the information on this website?

1. What is the Tampa Bay Regional Goods Movement Study?

The Tampa Bay Region's freight transportation system is an extraordinary resource for the promotion of commerce, the creation of jobs, and the improvement of the quality of life of our residents. The Tampa Bay Regional Goods Movement Study identifies goods movement issues in the region. It focuses on the collective opportunities and challenges of truck, rail, maritime and air freight modes. It provides a framework for integrating freight mobility considerations into the regional and local planning process. This framework includes the process, information, and tools that decision-makers and planners need for effectively addressing freight mobility issues.

2. Who is conducting the study?

The study is being conducted by District Seven of the Florida Department of Transportation through its diverse consultant team lead by URS Corporation along with Renaissance Planning Group, Grimail Crawford, Inc., Gannett Flemming, Inc., Ann-Straus-Weider, Inc., Martino Planning, Inc., and Adams Traffic, Inc.

3. Why is the study necessary?

The Tampa Bay Regional Goods Movement Study was undertaken in response to steadily increasing emphasis on freight mobility concerns at the federal, state, and local levels. The Safe, Accountable, and Flexible Transportation Equity Act-A Legacy of Users, commonly known as SAFTEA-LU requires consideration of freight mobility in our transportation planning process. Florida's governor is strongly emphasizing the need to provide for efficient freight mobility in order to promote Florida's economic prosperity. The FDOT recognizes freight mobility considerations as one of the primary criteria in defining and improving the Strategic Intermodal System (SIS), the state's core transportation network. And, local governments are experiencing increasing volumes of trucks on their roadways as the area's economy grows and must balance the needs of goods movement against the needs of passenger travel and neighborhoods.

4. What will we learn from the study?

The current Goods Movement Study is a follow-on study to a previous long term freight study effort. The first study resulted in identifying regional Freight Activity Centers (large areas that contain businesses that generate significant truck and rail traffic), regional freight corridors (as opposed to local truck routes), freight "Hot spots" (locations with operational or safety related problems for trucks), and key components and issues related to the regional freight rail network. The previous study also identified freight related trends, resources, and challenges and opportunities. The current study is designed to take the recommendations presented at the end of the first study and develop a freight action strategy as well as the tools necessary to assist FDOT, local planning agencies, and consultants to implement the strategy, a key component of which is the Regional Goods Movement Data Base. A second component of this study will be to organize an active regional Goods Movement Advisory Committee, a Freight Advisory Group consisting of stakeholders, and local MPO level Freight Advisory Committees or other means of establishing freight as a key component of the local transportation system. Finally, this study will result in a long range Regional Goods Movement Strategic Plan that includes a vision for goods movement throughout the region and recommended medium and long range system improvement projects.

5. How will the study benefit me?

As the saying goes, "If you make it easier for trucks to operate efficiently, you make it easier for everyone else on the roadway system." Congestion is becoming an increasingly significant problem that stresses our transportation system. While trucks are only a small part of the total number of vehicles that use our roads daily, they are increasing in numbers as our economy grows. Trucks have very different operating characteristics than autos and small trucks. For example, they need much more room to make turns, often blocking through lanes or encroaching in on-coming lanes. Trucks also need longer distances to stop, and loaded trucks accelerate slowly compared to autos causing delay to vehicles located behind them in the queue. By identifying and making even minor intersection and signal timing improvements, significant operational efficiencies can be achieved resulting in improved safety, reduced delay and less driver anxiety.

6. What area does the study cover?

The study area includes the five counties that make up FDOT District Seven. They are: Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties.

7. Where does the data come from?

The data comes from various sources and is maintained in the Tampa Bay Regional Goods Movement Database. Sources include various FDOT maintained databases for traffic, safety, work projects, and more, as well as data imported from federal and local transportation agencies, land use information, commodity information, and information gathered via field studies of various corridors and freight activity centers. The information found on this website was created from the resources maintained in the regional database.

8. How often is the information updated?

It depends. Some data is updated annually when the FDOT databases are updated. Other information is updated when it become available from various agencies. Information from local corridor studies and sub-area studies are updated once the study is completed. In short the data is updated when it becomes available and the database contains the latest available information.

9. How do I display the information that I am interested in?

Currently, the website contains static maps of various types of information such as average annual traffic and average annual truck traffic, level of service (LOS), average truck speed along a corridor, freight tonnage on certain corridors, location of current and planned roadway projects, etc. There are also tables generated from the data and copies of tables made available from the state and the FHWA. To access this information simple select the information you are interested in from a series of drop down menus.

10. Can I get detailed information from the database?

Only persons authorized by the Florida Department of Transportation may have direct access to the database, which is password protected. It may be possible that future enhancements to the website will include some limited query capability. If there is other information that you think may be of interest to wide audience of users, please contact the Department through the "Contact Us" link located on this site.

11. Can I zoom in and pan around map displays?

Currently the maps displayed on the website are in Zoomify and PDF format. As such, they can be enlarged and shifted up or down and left or right.

12. What are freight "White Papers"?

Freight White Papers are a series of research topics related to goods movement to provide current background information to transportation planners, freight stakeholders, and other interested persons. The papers are divided into five broad subject categories and the topics were requested by the Florida Department of Transportation, recommended by local transportation agencies, or by members of the consultant team. New White Papers will be added from time to time and outdated or superseded papers will be archived. These papers can be accessed from the website by selecting a subject title from the drop down menu.

13. What are freight links?

There is an incredible amount of information available over the internet related to goods movement (freight). Freight links are made available to allow you direct access to these sites. Freight links include direct access to federal, state, and local websites, industry and modal websites, and to freight related research documents and reports. The links are sorted by agency or organization as well as by general topic. Please note that some links may change over time. If you cannot access the listed link, try paring it back to the root link, i.e., delete everything after the .com, .net, .edu, or .org. If this does not work notify us through the "Contact Us" email located on this site and we will attempt to identify the new site address.

14. Is there a list of datasets, acronyms, and terms and their definitions for reference?

There is a list of acronyms available at this time. Other terms and definitions will be added later. By clicking on blue text, you will be directed to a definition of more specific information on this subject.

15. Who do I contact with specific questions regarding the information on this website?

The FDOT District Seven Project Manager can be contacted via the "Contact Us" email window provided on this site. Please be specific with your questions as they will be used to update these FAQs if necessary. We would also appreciate any comments, observations or suggestions that can be used to improve the website. We will flag all new features of information that we add to the site in order to keep the users up to date and informed about the site and the information available.