Background of SFTA

The current SFTA Project follows upon the successful Eastern Washington Internmodal Transportation Study (EWITS). The following outlines the activies of that project and the proposed activities under SFTA.

A six year study (1992-1998) was funded jointly by the Federal government and the Washington State DOT as part of ISTEA.  Key goals of this study were to:

  • Facilitate existing regional and statewide transportation planning efforts.
  • Forecast future freight and passenger transportation service needs for eastern Washington.
  • Identify gaps in eastern Washington’s current transportation infrastructure.
  • Pinpoint transportation system improvement options critical to economic competitiveness and mobility within eastern Washington.

First statewide Origin-Destination Truck Survey Initiated in April, 1993

  • 300-350 Lions Club Members conducted personal interviews.
  • Interviews conducted at 30 separate locations (see map).
  • Interviewed 29,000 trucks without injury!
  • Developed an extensive database on freight movements, key highway corridors, truck configurations, products, etc.

Directly contributed to the Following Highway Investment Projects:

  • US 395 Hastings to Mile Post 172, Stage 2, approximate cost $12 million.
  • US 395 North Safety Improvement Projects (left turn channelizations and passing lanes), Deer Park to Kettle Falls, cost $3 million.
  • North-South Freeway justification – travel savings, freight value, and truck percentages.  North-South Corridor is now under construction.  The overall corridor build-out will be approximately $1.4 billion in today’s dollars.
  • Interstate 90 Spokane to Idaho State Line – multiple stage projects that use the EWITS data for truck percentages, commodities carried, etc. The recently finished project from Sprague to Argonne, cost $45 million; Argonne to the Idaho State Line under design, construction, cost approximately $170 million.
  • There are several different plug and run sites (these are sites the Washington State Patrol uses to weigh and inspect trucks) that will be constructed at the request of WSP.  Most recent construction occurred at the intersection of US 395 and SR 25, and we are currently negotiating on another couple of sites in the general northern area.
  • Colville alternate truck route with the City of Colville as the lead agency to allow a bypass of the City of Colville for trucks.  The truck percentages and routings were the result of EWITS data.

Strategic Freight Transportation Analysis (SFTA)

Various Objectives and Subprojects Form the Framework of SFTA

  • Facilitate existing regional and statewide transportation planning efforts.
  • Forecast future freight and passenger transportation service needs for eastern Washington.
  • Strategic Freight Transportation Analysis (SFTA):
    • Statewide Origin – Destination Truck Survey- Same Sites Over Four Seasons
    • Shortline Railroad Economic Analysis Capitol and Operational Investment Needs for Shortline Railroads by Commodity or Product
    • Strategic Resource Access Road Network Study
    • Survey of Wheat and Barley Elevators throughout Eastern Washington
    • Forest Products Survey
    • Mining and Minerals Survey
    • Fruit and Vegetables, Wine, Hay, Livestock

Origin-Destination Survey Site Locations

Survey Map of Washington.