AMBAG presents Central Coast freight study; freight to grow 38% by weight by 2050, study highlights bottlenecks and safety concerns

Paul Earling of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments presented the 2024 Central Coast Freight Study to the SBCAG board on April 16, summarizing regional freight growth, key commodities, congestion and safety findings and potential strategies.

Key findings presented included: the mega‑region moved roughly 117 million tons of freight valued at $146 billion in 2022, projected to reach 161 million tons valued at $239 billion by 2050 (an increase of about 38% by weight and 64% by value). In Santa Barbara County the study identified approximately 4,700 businesses and 93,000 employees in freight‑dependent industries contributing roughly $8.5 billion in gross regional product.

Earling highlighted truck congestion metrics (hours of delay per mile) and mapped freight bottlenecks near Santa Maria and Nipomo and along key east–west corridors. Safety data in the study showed an average of 850–900 truck‑involved collisions per year in the Central Coast mega‑region, with about 13 fatalities annually, and identified specific road segments in the county (including parts of SR‑135) with elevated collision rates.

The presentation noted Santa Maria Valley Railroad as an important intermodal asset unique to the region, capable of shifting some freight off highways if rail‑side infrastructure is upgraded (undercrossing clearances and sidings). Earling and board members discussed that many undercrossings currently lack the vertical clearance (roughly 20–23 feet preferred) needed for double‑stack containers, and several rail bridges and culverts are vulnerable to climate impacts and flooding.

Board members asked questions about whether specific bottlenecks were tied to proposed projects (for example, Ortega Siding) and about potential incentives to encourage off‑peak truck operations. Earling said the study provides high‑level strategies and a menu of project types — not implementation‑ready plans — for local jurisdictions and Caltrans to pursue.

What’s next: The study is intended to inform local project planning and potential grant applications; SBCAG staff and member jurisdictions can pursue targeted infrastructure upgrades, freight parking solutions and resiliency projects raised in the presentation.