SD22 - Impact the Prohibition of Water Transport of Waste May Have on Highway Safety Due to Impacts of Truck Traffic


Executive Summary:
The 1999 General Assembly adopted several bills dealing with the regulation of solid waste. As a result of this action House Bill 2556 and Senate Bill 1308 directed the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to conduct an analysis of any impact to highway safety resulting from the prohibition of the water transport of waste.

House Bill 2556 and Senate Bill 1308, as enacted, prohibits the commercial transport of various types of solid and medical waste now being shipped on the waters of the Commonwealth by ships, barges, or other vessels.

The purpose of this study was to assess all traffic statistics to determine the additional impact truck traffic will have on the Commonwealth's highways due to the prohibition of water transport of waste. Virginia has approximately 76,800 total centerline miles of highways.

Truck traffic volumes have increased by 76.68% from 1986 to 1996 on the Interstate System while also increasing by 50.74% over the same time period on the Primary System. However, truck accidents have decreased over the same period by 37.70% on the Interstate System. The Primary System has also experienced a reduction in truck accidents by 53.96% for the same period. (See the attached tables for additional information)

Various estimates suggest each vessel trip would require approximately 120 to 300 tractor-trailer truck roundtrips to replace its carrying capacity depending on size. The three barge trips initially planned per week could increase truck trips by 100 per week in the near future when the only New York City landfill will be closed in 2001. These loads could be transported to any of the five major landfills accepting waste in Virginia.

The Virginia Department of Transportation has a history of not collecting data or monitoring the movement of any commercial cargo transported over the highways of the Commonwealth. However, there are State Agencies that do have an assigned mission to monitor the movement of such cargos, such as the State Police, State Corporation Commission and, in this case, the Department of Environmental Quality.

Based on a review of traffic statistics, we feel a prohibition of barge traffic, which would increase the volume of trash trucks, would not have a major impact on the ability of Virginia's highways to safely accommodate the additional traffic. This increased traffic, from a safety standpoint is no different than the sudden traffic created from several large commercial carriers building new terminals within the state and operating over the various roadways.