Urban Freight Case Studies - Orlando

Truck Treatment in the DRI Review Process

The Mobility Strategy Plan also examined the treatment of trucks in the DRI review process. In the past, trucks were treated as passenger-car equivalents. This approach resulted in the development of shopping centers, distribution facilities, and other freight-related businesses without regard to the volume of truck traffic that was added to roadways near a site. This caused congestion and infrastructure problems on roads not suited for the size of commercial vehicles and the volume of truck traffic because of design characteristics and traffic operations.

The State of Florida now requires that trucks be accounted for separately in the DRI review process. By differentiating trucks from passenger vehicles, transportation planners and developers can determine the full impact that a development will have on the local transportation system and plan for future infrastructure improvements and facilities. METROPLAN suggests taking this process one step further by requiring developers to identify key routes that will be affected by the movement of goods to and from their facility. This extra step gives planners the ability to take a regional approach to planning and focus on the highest-use freight corridors.

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