MATS 2050 Freight Plan

StoryMaps are interactive, map-centric, multi-media presentations. StoryMaps flow from top to bottom and invite the user to scroll through the story and graphics. If you see any underlined text,   click on it   to follow a hyperlink to an external site or to change the view on an interactive map.

You can enlarge any picture or graphic in the StoryMap by clicking on the image. There are also several interactive web maps below where you can click a location for more information or zoom in and out for a better view. You can also use the navigational links above to jump from section to section.

We invite you to scroll down to get started!

As more goods move throughout the state of Georgia, the Macon Area Transportation Study (MATS) is conducting a regional freight plan to assess the needs, strengths, challenges, and opportunities of the regional freight system now and in the future. The plan is being developed by a team of consultants working with MATS and is funded by a grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and local matching funds.

Freight planning is about working towards safe and efficient movement of goods to support personal, commercial, and industrial activities that help create and sustain vibrant communities and good jobs.

Freight planning ideally integrates land use and long-range planning policies into a collaborative, multi-jurisdictional process among public and private sector representatives. It can help communities adapt to the changing nature of shopping, shipping, supply chains, and transportation to get goods and products to people and companies efficiently and cost effectively. At the same time, sound freight planning can bring about positive economic impacts like good jobs and new businesses while helping reduce conflicts between freight traffic and neighborhoods.

The MATS 2050 Freight planning process consists of several key tasks that will be undertaken and developed over the course of a roughly 15-month process. These tasks include the following:

• Stakeholder Advisory Committee and Project Management • Freight Needs Assessment • Land Use Assessment and Analysis • Economic Development Market Assessment • Environmental and Community Impact Analysis • System Vulnerabilities and Resiliency Strategies • Project Recommendations • Final Report and Deliverables

The planning process will culminate in a final Regional Freight Plan that summarizes the planning process, key findings from the study, and recommendations for projects and strategies to address identified needs. The plan will include an implementation strategy that outlines how freight plan recommendations will be incorporated into the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and local plans, as well as the partners involved in implementation.

Transporting goods and services is necessary for the functioning of any city or region. Goods are needed by every individual, household, and business and most things in our homes, restaurants, stores, and other businesses are delivered by freight in one way or another. From our food and furniture to our electronics, office supplies, and construction materials, goods movement and delivery are critical to our lives. In addition, freight, goods movement, and related industries (such as manufacturing, distribution, logistics, e-commerce) contribute to the local economy through jobs and taxes. Over time, population growth, development, the rise of e- commerce, and increasing competition for public space have created challenges for freight and other commercial vehicles. A freight plan can identify solutions and strategies that enable freight to move more safely and efficiently while sustaining and enhancing quality of life throughout the MATS region.

• Planning for freight can help MATS:
  • Ensure goods can get to businesses and consumers
  • Address the growing demand for e-commerce and home delivery
  • Improve safety in the transportation system
  • Identify and address potential conflicts between neighborhoods and freight traffic
  • Attract and retain businesses that contribute to the local economy
  • Provide and sustain good paying jobs
  • Respond to broader changes in shipping and logistics
  • Be prepared to take advantage of future federal and state funding opportunities

The purpose of a freight plan is to address transportation, traffic operations, and planning needs and opportunities related to the movement of goods within an area, and to identify recommended projects and policy changes to address those needs. A freight study focuses on comprehensively analyzing, assessing, and improving the transportation system in a way that can sustain an area’s economic competitiveness and also minimize the negative impacts of freight on communities.

Macon is the hub city of Middle Georgia with numerous jobs in retail trade, manufacturing, and transportation and warehousing. Although the top three industries in the region are Health Care and Social Assistance, Public Administration, and Retail Trade, employment growth in the past 10+ years has been driven largely by Transportation and Warehousing, Accommodation and Food Services, Manufacturing, and Finance and Insurance. The strong performance in transportation and warehousing is likely due to Macon’s central location in Georgia. Located just over 80 miles south of Atlanta along I-75 and roughly 160 miles west of Savannah along I-16, Macon is in a key location for freight transportation.

The MATS region is a complex and changing area – it includes a mix of residential, industrial, and commercial uses crisscrossed by highways, railroads, and local roads serving a variety of regional and local traffic. As of the 2020 Census, Macon-Bibb County was home to roughly 157,000 people representing a diverse mix of races, ethnicities, and cultures. Employment is steadily increasing but has not yet (as of 2024) returned to pre-2020 levels, when the global COVID-19 pandemic reduced total employment in the region by roughly 5%. Furthermore, while roughly 55% of the regional labor force lives and works in the region, a significant portion of the workforce commutes into the MATS region from elsewhere.

In developing the 2050 Freight Plan, MATS seeks to analyze current and future freight handling capabilities, forecast future freight activity through the year 2050, assess freight network needs, understand the economic development market for freight-related industries, and identify potential improvements, strategies, and solutions.

The following section includes interactive maps showing the location of the  MATS region  as well as the existing  transportation infrastructure ,  land use , and  economic characteristics . Below is a summary of the existing conditions:

• Freight is an important component of the MATS region – in terms of transportation, land use, and economic development. Most freight moving through the MATS region is carried on trucks, utilizing interstates, U.S. Highways, and state routes.
• Freight-related industries make up a significant portion of MATS region GRP (57%) and employment (31%)​.
• The MPO has a significant amount of Undeveloped/Vacant (67,473 acres), Agriculture/Forestry (62,700 acres), and Residential (46,591 acres) land. There are just over 9,000 acres of land classified for industrial uses. While some industrial uses may change to mixed-use in the future, the Future Land Use map suggests an overall increase in the amount of land intended for industrial uses by the year 2050.
• The highest concentrations of freight clusters are in Macon and Macon-Bibb County, primarily south of the I-75 and I-16 interstates. The largest clusters of freight activity follow the Broadway/US 129/US 41/US 80 corridor east of I-75 near Brosnan Yard​.
• Consistent with national trends, employment in the Transportation and Warehouse industry has grown substantially since 2010​. Distribution and e-commerce is the largest freight-related cluster in the region by employment. Manufacturing overall accounts for around 18% of total GRP, which is the largest share of any single industry. Specific industries within Manufacturing show high regional specialization and compound annual growth.
• Existing freight-related real estate inventory is dominated by Warehouse, but most new investment in recent years has been related to custom facilities for large manufacturers.

The next three maps provide a visual comparison of the potential changes in  Traffic Volumes ,  Level of Service , and  Truck Volumes  between 2020 and 2050.

This section explores the economic market of the MATS region through two indicators:

• Industry-specific contribution to the Gross Regional Product
• Employment trends and regional workforce retention

Existing industrial stock is dominated by Warehouse, but new investment favors Manufacturing facilities. Within the region, 16 industrial buildings have been constructed since 2015, totaling more than 3.6M square feet. Product built since 2015 is much larger than the existing stock, averaging 225,000 square feet compared to 41,000 square feet. And investments by manufacturers Irving Consumer Products and Kumho Tire account for 42% of the industrial space built since 2015.

The map below shows six of the largest manufacturing, warehouse, distribution facilities and quarry sites in the MATS region. Scroll down and click a facility name for a more detailed view and/or a link to their website.

.

To learn more about the MATS 2050 Freight Plan, visit the project  website .

To learn more about MATS, visit the MPO's  website .