California Roadways Number One in Handling Nation's Freight -- March 18, 2004 -- California Capitol Hill Bulletin -- Volume 11, Bulletin 9

According to a new study released by The Road Information Program (TRIP), California roads and highways carry more truck traffic than any other state in the nation, followed by Texas and Ohio respectively. The state's roadways carry 1.324 billion tons (or 10.3 percent) of the nation's freight, and the state is projected to increase its share of freight by 50 percent by the year 2020. On a national level, more than 15 billion tons of goods worth over $92 trillion are moved every year, 71 percent of which is moved by trucks.

TRIP's study, titled "America's Rolling Warehouses: The impact of increased trucking on economic development, congestion and traffic safety" found that commercial trucking is expected to increase by 49 percent by 2020, increasing traffic congestion and threatening business efficiency. California already has some of the most congested roads in the nation, with the bulk of that congestion located in Los Angeles, the Bay Area and San Diego - the state's largest commercial centers and ports of entry (See, Bulletin, Vol.11, No.7 (03/04/04)). Additional findings of the study include the following:

- The cost of moving freight dropped from 16 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1980 to approximately 10 percent in 2000.

- International trade, which requires the movement of goods to and from U.S. ports, continues to increase its share of overall U.S. commerce. U.S. merchandise trade has grown from 11 percent of U.S. GDP in 1970 to 25 percent in 1997 and is forecast to reach 37 percent of GDP by 2025.

- A University of California study has found that distribution centers are increasingly moving to areas that have ample land, labor and access to less congested highways.

- TRIP estimates that the five states with the greatest tonnage of materials being transported by trucks in 2003 were California, Texas, Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania, based on data from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

- While the travel of combination trucks increased by 102 percent from 1980 to 2002, the total lane miles of public roads in the U.S. increased by only 4 percent.

- The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that 46 percent of the nation's major urban highways will be congested during peak periods by 2020, compared with 28 percent in 1998. The FHWA also estimates that the percentage of urban Interstates, which will carry at least 10,000 large trucks per day, will increase to 69 percent by 2020, compared to 27 percent in 1998.

- The five states with the largest number of people killed in traffic accidents involving large trucks, excluding large truck occupants, from 1998 to 2002, were: Texas with 2,043 fatalities (409 annual average), California with 1,574 fatalities (315 annual average), Florida with 1,568 fatalities (314 annual average), Georgia with 968 fatalities (194 annual average) and North Carolina with 868 fatalities (174 annual average).

- The eight states traversed by Interstate 10, which goes from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Florida are looking at the need to add capacity along the corridor to accommodate the anticipated increase in large truck and commercial travel. The addition of truck-only lanes along some portions is considered a feasible option.

For a copy of this study, please visit The Road Information Program's website at: http://www.tripnet.org .

To expand communications between Washington and California, the California Institute provides periodic bulletins regarding current activity on Capitol Hill that directly impacts our state. Bulletins are published weekly during sessions of Congress, and occasionally during other periods.

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