Analysis of Travel Time Reliability for Freight Corridors Connecting the Pacific Northwest

Due to its geographic location, Oregon's economy is highly dependent on reliable transportation. Recent studies indicate that projected growth in freight and passenger traffic will significantly increase congestion and travel time delays. Further, it is predicted that congestion may result in a potential income loss valued at $1.7 billion annually in value added generated in Oregon by 2025, and a loss of 16,000 ongoing jobs(ERDG, 2005, ERDG, 2007). Most supply chains cannot thrive without access to an efficient and reliable freight system. Since congestion in the highway system has a significant impact on the productivity and competitiveness of the Pacific…

Due to its geographic location, Oregon’s economy is highly dependent on reliable transportation. Recent studies indicate that projected growth in freight and passenger traffic will significantly increase congestion and travel time delays.  Further, it is predicted that congestion may result in a potential income loss valued at $1.7 billion annually in value added generated in Oregon by 2025, and a loss of 16,000 ongoing jobs(ERDG, 2005, ERDG, 2007).

Most supply chains cannot thrive without access to an efficient and reliable freight system. Since congestion in the highway system has a significant impact on the productivity and competitiveness of the Pacific Northwest Economy, the objective of this research is to evaluate travel time reliability in the main freight corridors connecting the Pacific Northwest to California, the Midwest, and Southwest.

Statistical analysis of Global Positioning System (GPS) commercial vehicle travel data will be used to study travel time reliability and identify congestion chokepoints affecting corridors to/from the Pacific Northwest. GPS data will be used to determine travel time distributions along different corridors by corridor segment (connecting main cities along the corridor), time of day, and day of week. Unlike previous studies, (a) GPS data will be complemented with detector and transponder based information to improve the accuracy of the travel time estimations in urban areas and to compare measurements and (b) the impact of travel time variability by time of day will be tested using methodologies from the Operations Research (OR) literature.

A major objective of the project is to quantify travel time reliability on I-5 and I-84 freight corridors connecting major regional origin-destinations that start, end, or run through Oregon.