Monday, November 06, 2006
I-81 plan must look at the long haul
From the RoundTable blog
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Joyce Waugh
Waugh is vice president of public policy for the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board's unanimous approval of a resolution to make short-term improvements to I-81 is both good news and bad news.
The good news is that we may well see some fairly significant improvements quite soon, including truck climbing lanes, extra guard rails, longer on and off ramps, and a separate rail study for future rail improvements. These are all important improvements.
The bad news is that these improvements will not add a single mile of additional capacity. A serious, long-term solution will not be forthcoming in the near future and more capacity is needed right away. While work will continue on the Tier II Environmental Impact Statement, it will take several years to complete and even longer to fund. Short-term improvements were estimated by Transportation Commissioner David Ekern to cost $400 million with $140 million in federal funds currently available.
Safety is the No. 1 concern for this over-capacity interstate. Short-term improvements will temporarily help with some of the existing congestion, but is that enough?
According to the Tier I Draft Environmental Impact Statement, or DEIS:
n Traffic on I-81 is expected to nearly double by 2035 from what it was in 2004, and already exceeds capacity.
n Truck traffic is expected to grow at a faster rate than general traffic.
n Crash rates on I-81 are more than 25 percent higher than the statewide average.
n Of the 45 miles with higher crash rate averages, eight miles have twice the statewide crash rate average.
n Trucks comprised 29 percent of the total vehicle miles traveled on I-81 between 2000 and 2002 and were involved in 29 percent of all crashes and 30 percent of all fatal crashes.
The Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement identifies needs along the 325 miles of I-81, including the need for at least one additional lane in each direction. Without additional capacity, safety issues and danger will continue to increase.
Let's consider rail for a moment.
Rail must be part of the long-term answer, but so must additional lanes.
According to Kevin Page with the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, there have been four I-81 corridor rail studies since 2001.
The 2003 Reebie Study referenced in the Draft EIS illustrates the importance of off-loading trucks to rail where possible. It further indicates that diverting a minimum of 2 percent to 3 percent to a maximum of 5.8 percent of trucks to rail would not make an appreciable difference in addressing long-term needs. Truck traffic is just growing too quickly to be accommodated by strictly using rail.
As transportation expert Susan Alt with Volvo recently explained, rail is only effective for non-time-sensitive goods. All time-sensitive goods, like frozen and refrigerated items and "just-in-time" deliveries must be shipped by truck.
Norfolk Southern Vice President Rob Martinez stated recently that intermodal freight was the fastest growing segment of the railroad's business, faster growing than the mainstay of carrying coal.
What's the answer? The answer is a combination of things.
n Make short-term improvements as soon as possible, as the Commonwealth Transportation Board unanimously approved. Build truck climbing lanes, add some rumble strips, reinforce some guard rails in critical areas, and extend key acceleration/deceleration lanes.
n Move forward with a timely rail study that will address getting as many trucks as possible off of this too busy highway.
n Use intelligent transportation systems and transportation systems management to keep traffic flowing steadily.
n Keep moving forward, expeditiously, with the Tier II Draft EIS, toward long-term, capacity-building resolution to I-81. Without additional capacity along Virginia's 325 miles of I-81, above-average crashes and fatalities will continue to be the norm.
n Continue to work on a multi-state plan and find ways to fund the improvements.
These elements combined with greater enforcement efforts will create a safer I-81.
Whether the long-term plan that results from the Final EIS takes the form of one or more lanes in each direction will depend greatly on the outcome of the Tier II Draft EIS. It will not be a rash plan, as The Roanoke Times referred to the Public-Private Transportation Act proposal.
Too little study has not been the problem in this process that seems to drag on and on. The outcome will be a well-thought-out plan that encompasses the needs of the entire corridor. Let's let the plan emerge. Our region's safety and future economic vitality depend on it.
