2015 Freight Study finds bridge area traffic an issue

A recently published Cape Cod Commission study on freight to and from Barnstable County found that canal bridge-related congestion is a key issue for haulers and the companies that they serve.

The 2015 Barnstable County Freight Study 2015 found that freight haulers are primarily concerned with on-time reliability and the availability of dependable routes. Because congestion at the Canal varies so widely and makes travel times uncertain, freight companies are reluctant to deliver on certain days, namely Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The inability to obtain merchandise impacts both large and small business owners.

Glen Cannon, the Technical Services Director at the Commission, spoke with many local business owners throughout the course of the study. “A house decorating company told me that an off-Cape furniture store would only deliver mid-week to Cape Cod,” he said, citing the problematic bridge congestion.

The study assessed the difficulties facing freight haulers to, from and within Cape Cod, and provides a suite of recommendations to improve “freight flexibility, speed-efficiency, fuel-efficiency, and safety by transport method.”

The import and export of goods is critical to Cape Cod’s long-term economic sustainability. The demand for goods and peak congestion both occur in the summer, while the historic nature of Cape Cod communities limits the potential for significant infrastructure growth.

The Cape Cod Commission coordinates transportation planning activities under the guidance of the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), a collaboration of local, regional, state, and federal officials.

The 2015 Freight Study is available here: http://www.capecodcommission.org/resources/transportation/2015-Freight_Study_02132015.pdf

For more information about the Cape Cod MPO, please click here: http://www.capecodcommission.org/mpo