Heavy Truck Movement Model for the Port of Miami

In this era of exponential growth of international trade and commerce and rapidly developing economies of third world countries, efficient seaport operations are critical to maintaining the economy and welfare of a major port's host city. In the case of Port of Miami, there is rapidly growing freight movement into and out of the port. The demand for freight movement through this port will outstrip its internal and external physical capacity within the next five years. Virtually all of the freight's land movement is currently handled by heavy trucks, traveling through downtown Miami. The objective of this study is to estimate truck freight movement on specific roadway links around the Port of Miami, Florida, in terms of volumes for peak and off-peak periods. The estimation model will apply data on vessel movements, gantry crane operating times, historical truck traffic records, and storage rates of freight units (i.e., containers, trailers, etc.). This study will attempt to formulate a model correlating the effects of waterborne freight vessel traffic and internal port activity freight truck volumes. Most predictive freight traffic models are typically developed for interregional activity such as county to county movement. These models are usually formulated on the basis of general economic factors and demographics of the regions under consideration. This type of approach is insufficient for a major freight port such as Miami's. A useful, predictive truck traffic model will assist transportation planners and agencies with traffic forecasts, environmental assessments, and economic analyses, necessary to make transportation management decisions and infrastructure improvements.