Regional Freight Analysis

Study Overview & Timeline

This study examines freight movement and infrastructure across the Sarasota/Manatee region to better understand existing conditions and future needs. Insights from analysis and stakeholder input will guide strategies to improve efficiency, reliability, and long-term system performance.

The study is generally broken into the following phases:

• Analysis of Existing Conditions | January 2026 - July 2026
  • This phase will focus on establishing a comprehensive, region-wide profile of existing freight infrastructure and goods movement. The phase will document the current freight network, available truck parking, and rest facilities, as well as regional freight volumes and flows. The results will serve as a baseline for identifying system gaps and opportunities for improvement in subsequent phases.
    
    
• Freight Activity Center Analysis | March 2026 - September 2026 
  • This phase focuses on a detailed evaluation of existing and emerging Freight Activity Centers (FAC) in the region. Each FAC will be assessed for its operational role, first/last mile connectivity, surrounding land uses, and resilience to disruptions. The analysis will identify opportunities to protect, expand, and improve these freight hubs in alignment with economic development and mobility goals.
    
    
• Stakeholder Engagement | March 2026 - September 2026
  • This phase will engage key public and private freight stakeholders to gather firsthand and expert insights into operational needs, infrastructure gaps, and the overall state of the industry as it exists today and where they see it going into the future. Outreach will focus on major freight and logistics companies, transportation providers, and agencies directly involved in freight planning and operations such as Seaport Manatee, FDOT, and SRQ. Stakeholder input will help validate technical findings, identify issues not captured in available data, and ensure recommendations are grounded in real-world priorities by those in the industry.
    
    
• Freight Mobility Analysis | March 2026 - December 2026
  • This phase will evaluate freight mobility within the region undertaking a focused analysis of truck traffic volumes, origin-destination patterns, and locations where freight is delayed by congestion or infrastructure constraints. The analysis will identify high-priority freight corridors, bottlenecks, and operational challenges to guide targeted improvements for freight movement.

• Emerging Trends and Future Needs | July 2026 - December 2026
  • This phase will assess how emerging trends, technological advancements, and projected economic growth will shape freight demand in the Sarasota/Manatee region. The analysis will use socioeconomic forecasts and industry data to project future freight travel patterns, evaluate infrastructure readiness, and identify opportunities to adapt the freight network for long-term resilience and competitiveness.

• Recommendations and Project Identification | September 2026 - February 2027
  • This phase will synthesize findings from all previous tasks to develop a set of targeted projects, policy recommendations, and strategic actions to enhance freight mobility, support Freight Activity Centers, and strengthen the regional economy. Recommendations will address infrastructure improvements, operational enhancements, land use coordination, and resilience strategies. A prioritization framework will be applied to help guide implementation and identify responsible parties.

• Final Report and Executive Summary | November 2026 - April 2027
  • This phase will bring together all the the previous work into a Final Report and Executive Summary that will be brought through the Committee Cycle for MPO Board Adoption and the findings will inform future MPO project prioritization and planning.