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Freight Movement

The Nashville region occupies a strategic location within North America. It is within 650 miles of half the U.S. population and sits at the nexus of major highways and rail routes. This location has made the region a transportation hub for many industries, which have produced enormous benefits to the many communities throughout the area. However, this position as a crossroads also brings the region a set of challenges associated with various aspects of transportation, particularly highway congestion and air quality, as the major sources of those problems originate outside the area. The need to influence the overhead flow of through traffic becomes a clear priority for a metropolitan area wishing to control its own development destiny.

Through its freight planning efforts, the Nashville Area MPO is committed to developing a regional investment strategy that optimizes transportation infrastructure for the freight industry, while conforming to the Nashville region's overall goals for mobility, air quality, and economic development.

Journey of a Product

Current Efforts

Freight Study: document cover

Regional Freight & Goods Movement Study, Phase II (2010)

Building upon the accomplishments of the first phase of the Regional Freight & Goods Movement Study (2004), the Nashville Area MPO is completing an effort to identify and plan for long-term freight needs in the Nashville region. Phase II of the study provides the needed technical tools to help regional partners:

  • Predict future freight traffic volumes through the year 2035.
  • Identify areas likely to see future capacity constraints and infrastructure deficiencies
  • Identify possible traffic bottlenecks and safety concerns
  • Evaluate the costs and benefits of potential improvements