Can Austin survive without swapping I-35 and SH130?
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2.3 Texas NAFTA Highway Usage Summary
Based on the assignment of the final TRANSEARCH data for 2003 to the current highway
system, the following are major findings concerning current NAFTA truck impacts on the Texas
Highway System:
• Most NAFTA trucks use Texas ports of entries.The majority of NAFTA truck
freight between the U.S. and Mexico is carried on Texas highways. Recent Bureau of
Transportation Statistics (BTS) data show that 68 percent of northbound NAFTA trucks
crossed at Texas bridges in 2005. Data for U.S. southbound crossings are not available
from BTS, but the proportion of exports bytruck through Texas ports is presumably
higher based on a U.S.-Mexico Binational Transportation Planning and Programming
Study, which estimated that 79 percent of all U.S.-Mexico trucks crossed the border at
Texas ports of entry in 1995.
• An even higher percentage of NAFTA trucks use Texas highways when all U.S.-Mexico ports of entry are considered.An estimated 83 percent of all NAFTA truck
freight through all ports of entry—representing more than 3 million truck units per
year—uses Texas highways during some part of their journey to reach Mexico.
• A significant portion of NAFTA trucks pass through Texas to other destinations.
TRANSEARCH data acquired for this study showthat 52 percent of NAFTA truck
tonnage, and 62 percent of NAFTA truck value passes through Texas en route to
destinations and origins in other U.S. states and Mexico.
• NAFTA trucks are a significant portion of truck traffic in Texas.Based on SAM
modeled volumes as shown in Figure 2.5, NAFTAtruck traffic comprised 9 percent of
all truck traffic on Texas highways in 2003, with a total of nearly 4 million truck
vehicle miles of travel daily. Approximately 96 percent of NAFTA truck traffic was on
Interstate, U.S., and other State Highways. The remaining four percent was on farm to
market and local roads.
• NAFTA trucks are concentrated on a small number of highways.Seven highway
corridors—which comprise less than two percent of all Texas roadway mileage—carry
almost 83 percent of the NAFTA truck traffic on the Texas highway system. IH-35, the
major north-south corridor, carries 37 percent of all Texas NAFTA traffic; IH-10, the
major east-west corridor, carries 22 percent of all NAFTA trucks; U.S. 59 and U.S. 281
each carry about 6 percent, while IH-20 accommodates about 5 percent, and IH-30 and
U.S. 77 account for an additional 4 percent each of total Texas NAFTA traffic.
• Highways with the highest NAFTA truck percentage are concentrated near the
border. Highways carrying a high percentageof NAFTA trucks (See Figure 2.6)
generally fall within two categories: 1) rural highways beginning at or near the border
that are used chiefly by the trucks as lateral routes (typically north-south, sometimes eastwest) to reach major corridors; and 2) major long-distance highways—such as IH-35,
Texas NAFTA Study Update – Final Report
25
U.S. 59, and U.S. 281 from the border region until they intersect with another major
national freight corridor or a large urban area where the relative share of NAFTA trucks
diminishes against the background of many types of commercial vehicles serving the
local population.
• The NAFTA trade axis runs in a Southwest – Northeast orientation. Most NAFTA
trade moves between the center of U.S. and Mexican centers of manufacturing and
population—the Midwestern and Northeast U.S.and Central Mexico. Flow volumes on
Texas highways reflectthis orientation.
Table 2.5 – Summary of 2003 NAFTA Truck Flows on Major Texas Highways
Corridor
Total Truck
VMT
(Daily)
NAFTA
Truck VMT
(Daily)
NAFTA Truck
Percent of Total
Trucks in corridor
Percentage of Total
Statewide NAFTA
Truck VMT IH-35 5,314,072 1,451,922 27.3% 36.6%
IH-10 6,081,728 881,498 14.5% 22.2%
U.S. 281 929,295 234,969 25.3% 5.9%
U.S. 59 2,466,933 224,596 9.1% 5.7%
IH-20 3,484,420 183,107 5.3% 4.6%
IH-30 1,456,930 167,481 11.5% 4.2%
U.S. 77 970,054 142,839 14.7% 3.6%
Subtotal of Top
Corridors
20,703,432 3,286,412 15.9% 82.9%
Remainder of Texas
Roadways
22,750,547 679,050 3.0% 17.1%
Summary of All Texas
Interstate, U.S., and
State Highway facilities
41,016,427 3,823,022 9.3% 96.4%
Total of All Texas
Roadways
43,453,980 3,965,462 9.1% 100.0%
NAFTA truck results are calculated for long-distance type combination unit trucks and exclude
VMT for small trucks (local delivery, construction, and municipal/utilitytype trucks). All
percentages, including the NAFTA percentage map (Figure 2.6) are calculated for NAFTA
trucks/total trucks (excluding small trucks).
2.3 Texas NAFTA Highway Usage Summary
Based on the assignment of the final TRANSEARCH data for 2003 to the current highway
system, the following are major findings concerning current NAFTA truck impacts on the Texas
Highway System:
• Most NAFTA trucks use Texas ports of entries.The majority of NAFTA truck
freight between the U.S. and Mexico is carried on Texas highways. Recent Bureau of
Transportation Statistics (BTS) data show that 68 percent of northbound NAFTA trucks
crossed at Texas bridges in 2005. Data for U.S. southbound crossings are not available
from BTS, but the proportion of exports bytruck through Texas ports is presumably
higher based on a U.S.-Mexico Binational Transportation Planning and Programming
Study, which estimated that 79 percent of all U.S.-Mexico trucks crossed the border at
Texas ports of entry in 1995.
• An even higher percentage of NAFTA trucks use Texas highways when all U.S.-Mexico ports of entry are considered.An estimated 83 percent of all NAFTA truck
freight through all ports of entry—representing more than 3 million truck units per
year—uses Texas highways during some part of their journey to reach Mexico.
• A significant portion of NAFTA trucks pass through Texas to other destinations.
TRANSEARCH data acquired for this study showthat 52 percent of NAFTA truck
tonnage, and 62 percent of NAFTA truck value passes through Texas en route to
destinations and origins in other U.S. states and Mexico.
• NAFTA trucks are a significant portion of truck traffic in Texas.Based on SAM
modeled volumes as shown in Figure 2.5, NAFTAtruck traffic comprised 9 percent of
all truck traffic on Texas highways in 2003, with a total of nearly 4 million truck
vehicle miles of travel daily. Approximately 96 percent of NAFTA truck traffic was on
Interstate, U.S., and other State Highways. The remaining four percent was on farm to
market and local roads.
• NAFTA trucks are concentrated on a small number of highways.Seven highway
corridors—which comprise less than two percent of all Texas roadway mileage—carry
almost 83 percent of the NAFTA truck traffic on the Texas highway system. IH-35, the
major north-south corridor, carries 37 percent of all Texas NAFTA traffic; IH-10, the
major east-west corridor, carries 22 percent of all NAFTA trucks; U.S. 59 and U.S. 281
each carry about 6 percent, while IH-20 accommodates about 5 percent, and IH-30 and
U.S. 77 account for an additional 4 percent each of total Texas NAFTA traffic.
• Highways with the highest NAFTA truck percentage are concentrated near the
border. Highways carrying a high percentageof NAFTA trucks (See Figure 2.6)
generally fall within two categories: 1) rural highways beginning at or near the border
that are used chiefly by the trucks as lateral routes (typically north-south, sometimes eastwest) to reach major corridors; and 2) major long-distance highways—such as IH-35,
Texas NAFTA Study Update – Final Report
25
U.S. 59, and U.S. 281 from the border region until they intersect with another major
national freight corridor or a large urban area where the relative share of NAFTA trucks
diminishes against the background of many types of commercial vehicles serving the
local population.
• The NAFTA trade axis runs in a Southwest – Northeast orientation. Most NAFTA
trade moves between the center of U.S. and Mexican centers of manufacturing and
population—the Midwestern and Northeast U.S.and Central Mexico. Flow volumes on
Texas highways reflectthis orientation.
Table 2.5 – Summary of 2003 NAFTA Truck Flows on Major Texas Highways
Corridor
Total Truck
VMT
(Daily)
NAFTA
Truck VMT
(Daily)
NAFTA Truck
Percent of Total
Trucks in corridor
Percentage of Total
Statewide NAFTA
Truck VMT IH-35 5,314,072 1,451,922 27.3% 36.6%
IH-10 6,081,728 881,498 14.5% 22.2%
U.S. 281 929,295 234,969 25.3% 5.9%
U.S. 59 2,466,933 224,596 9.1% 5.7%
IH-20 3,484,420 183,107 5.3% 4.6%
IH-30 1,456,930 167,481 11.5% 4.2%
U.S. 77 970,054 142,839 14.7% 3.6%
Subtotal of Top
Corridors
20,703,432 3,286,412 15.9% 82.9%
Remainder of Texas
Roadways
22,750,547 679,050 3.0% 17.1%
Summary of All Texas
Interstate, U.S., and
State Highway facilities
41,016,427 3,823,022 9.3% 96.4%
Total of All Texas
Roadways
43,453,980 3,965,462 9.1% 100.0%
NAFTA truck results are calculated for long-distance type combination unit trucks and exclude
VMT for small trucks (local delivery, construction, and municipal/utilitytype trucks). All
percentages, including the NAFTA percentage map (Figure 2.6) are calculated for NAFTA
trucks/total trucks (excluding small trucks).
Really impressive. Says NOTHING about the 14% of I 35 thru traffic in Austin that you claim is NAFTA related. You are trying to extrapolate statewide data and say it represents Austin. Doesn't work that way.
No, that's not what I am doing. Since I am confident I have, in fact, made my point and that you have been shown to be completely wrong I think this matter is at an end.
No, that's not what I am doing. Since I am confident I have, in fact, made my point and that you have been shown to be completely wrong I think this matter is at an end.
Well at least in YOUR mind ...
All you have done is prattle on about traffic on any stretch of I 35, and somehow expect all of us to accept your premise that has a linear relationship to what's on I 35 here. I accept that you are convinced. Problem is that all of the "facts" you have tried to use in quantity, have zero quality, when it comes to your premise.
When you find something that says what % of truck traffic in Austin is NAFTA related - which is your premise, be glad to listen. Until then it is all nothing more than distraction.
Edit: Called my son-in-law, who is in mgmt for a national freight company. He SERIOUSLY doubts much of the trailer traffic on 35 through Austin is NAFTA related. The reason is, it is about 1/10 the cost per mile for rail vs. truck, mainly due to the fact that a train is carrying 220 containers with two people, while a truck is 1 to 1. There is a cost at the intermodal terminal at both ends - which makes the break even trip about 400 miles. Which, is right at Laredo to Dallas. His experience is that almost all traffic from Laredo north of Dallas goes intermodal. He said there is some significant truck traffic (on 35) from Laredo to UP's intermodal terminal in SA - which has the advantage of being directly on UP's E-W line directly to and from the Pacific ports in California. Also can get north to the Midwest in four days to Detroit, which is very attractive to the auto industry. But that traffic never sees Austin - only the relatively small amount of stuff stopping in Dallas.
He also talked about customs advantages to "carried in bond" which allows customs processing at the origin in Mexico, and never stops at the border. MUCH easier on rail carried containers than trucks, according to him. He just didn't see any reason to not ship by rail from Mexico.
Despite Laredo being the third largest point of entry into the US, and yes, a sh^t ton of freight is moved along the I-35 corridor....
1)that 14% through-traffic, heavily 18-wheel, significant as it may be, is diverted, not by route, but by time of day...the bulk of it comes not during rush hour, but mostly off-peak, overnight.
2)even with the trucks you see in traffic locally, they too are not the main issue
3)locally driven, single occupied vehicles are the biggest problem
4)congestion is here to stay; habits, methods and modes have to adapt
Last edited by mayfair44; 12-28-2013 at 05:27 PM..
Despite Laredo being the third largest point of entry into the US, and yes, a sh^t ton of freight is moved along the I-35 corridor....
1)that 14% through-truck traffic, significant as it may be, is diverted, not by route, but by time of day...the bulk of it comes not during rush hour, but mostly off-peak, overnight.
2)even with the trucks you see in traffic locally, they too are not the main issue
3)locally driven, single occupied vehicles are the biggest problem
4)congestion is here to stay; habits, methods and modes have to adapt
Well, I can count anywhere from 6 to 12 semis in the immediate vicinity of my vehicle many times of the day when driving on I35, either heading north from Austin south of the north entrance of 130, or heading south towards Austin through the same area (indicating that they chose, for whatever reason, not to take 130 - the reason is most likely that they had deliveries within Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown that would make 130 not a viable option).
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