MATS 2050 Freight Plan

Envisioning a vibrant future for the Macon region

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Introduction to the MATS 2050 Freight Plan

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.

Purpose and Background

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.

Process and Schedule

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.

Why Plan for Freight ?

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

Why Study Freight in Macon

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.

Moving Commodities through the MATS Region

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.

Current Conditions & Projections

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.

MATS Region

The MATS region is located in with Atlanta to the north-west and Savannah to the south-east.

Click on the link to zoom in for a closer view of the .

Transportation Network

Click below to view the Freight Related Transportation Infrastructure in the MATS region.

The MATS region is served by more than 2,000 miles of roads, including, but not limited to Interstate highways (I-15, I-75, and I-475), U.S. Highways (US 23, US 41, US 80, US 129), state routes (SR 11, SR 19, SR 49, SR 74, SR 57, SR 247), and hundreds of local roads. The overall freight network is comprised of several sets of designated networks, including the National Highway Freight Network, the Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET), and the State Freight Network.

The vast majority of freight - by tonnage and value - that is shipped into, out of, and within Georgia, is carried by truck; however, while air cargo represents a relatively small proportion of overall freight activity across the state, it is an important component of the freight and logistics system. Within the MATS region, there are two airports: the Macon Downtown Airport (MAC) and the Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN). MAC is a general aviation airport, and the MCN is a commercial service airport.

Robins Air Force Base (AFB) sits just south of the MATS MPO. It is the largest industrial complex in Georgia, covering more than 6900 acres of land and a 12,000-foot runway. It is home to the 78th Air Base Wing and dozens of partners, employing 24,000 civilians, contractors, and military members.

Georgia’s rail network is extensive. Macon’s central location between the Port of Savannah and the Atlanta consumer market makes it a prime location for freight movements. In addition to freight rail lines, the MATS region is also home to intermodal facilities, and direct access to a number of large coastal port facilities.

The MATS region includes both Class I (any carrier earning revenue greater than $900 million) and Class III (any carrier earning revenue less than $40.4 million) rail lines. Within the MATS region, Norfolk Southern operates 100% of all Class I rail lines (though CSX does lease access rights on some of the same lines).

Extending outwards from the historic central business district of Macon, Norfolk Southern maintains three lines to the north which connect to Atlanta, Dalton, and Ardmore, Georgia. The three lines to the south extend to Smithville and Brunswick, Georgia and to Jacksonville, Florida.

A lack of truck parking is a concern across the country and throughout Georgia. The MATS region has several truck parking locations (shown in orange) along I-75 in the southern portion of the region as well as along I-16 west of downtown Macon. Truck parking is also available off of I-475 at the Bibb County Rest Area #19. Several truck parking sites under development (shown in green) to meet the growing need. These are located in the central area of the region and north of the City of Macon along SR 129.

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.

Potential Changes in Level of Service (LOS)

Use the slider to view potential changes in Level of Service (LOS) from 2020 to 2050. The 2020 LOS map is on the left, and the potential future LOS map is on the right. Access the map Legend by clicking on the “list” icon located in the lower left corner of the map. Projected LOS for the year 2050 is also based on the regional travel demand model and represents what conditions may be like if no changes are made between now and then. Level of Service is closely related to traffic volume and is a qualitative measure of the roadway operational conditions based on speed, travel time, and delay. Generally, six categories are used (A-F) to represent driving conditions:

LOS A through C: Traffic is at or just below free-flow speed, and there is room for drivers to change lanes, merge, and maneuver as needed. LOS C is often the goal in urban areas or rural interstates.
LOS D: Traffic volume is higher than at LOS C, and drivers need to plan for lane changes farther in advance. Congestion is present and conditions may be stop-and-go.
LOS E: Traffic flow is irregular, and speeds are likely slow with stop-and-go conditions.
LOS F: Traffic congestion is heavy, and speeds are very slow.

At LOS E and F, travel times are much longer than expected and traffic is stop-and-go. Drivers are likely impacted in a serious manner.

Changes from 2015 to 2050 show a higher number of roads may operate at LOS E (dark orange) and LOS F (red), if no other roadway improvements are made. Portions of I-75 from the northern edge of Monroe County to the I-75/I-16 interchange are projected to change from LOS C – LOS E to primarily LOS E and LOS F.

Potential Changes in Truck Volumes

This map shows the potential change in the overall daily volume of heavy and medium-duty trucks.

The roads are color-coded to represent their Level of Service (LOS) while truck volume is depicted with varying line thicknesses, ranging from 0 to over 7400.

Use the slider to view the changes in truck volumes from 2020 to 2050. The 2020 Truck Percentages map is on the left, and the projected future Truck Volumes map is on the right. Access the map Legend by clicking on the “list” icon located in the lower left corner of the map. Projected truck volumes for the year 2050 are also based on the regional travel demand model and represent potential future conditions if no changes are made between now and then.

The change in truck volumes aligns with the possible expansion of industrial uses in the potential future land use map. The biggest change between the existing and future truck traffic percentages, potentially, is in the southern part of the region between I-75 and US 129.

Potential Changes in Traffic Volumes

To help understand recent traffic patterns and how they may change in the future, the project team used data from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) regional travel demand model. Recent ‘base-year’ (2020) daily traffic volumes and projected future volumes (2050) are shown on the right. The future-year data is a projection of what traffic could be like if no other changes are made to the road network between now and then. The roads are color-coded to represent their Level of Service (LOS) while traffic volume is depicted with varying line thicknesses, ranging from less than 230 to over 40,200.

Use the slider to view the changes daily traffic volume from 2020 to 2050. The 2020 traffic volume map is on the left, and the potential future traffic volume map is on the right. Access the map Legend by clicking on the “list” icon located in the lower left corner of the map.

While the model is not a precise tool for predicting future conditions, it can be a useful tool to measure relative change. Potential changes by the year 2050 may include increased volumes on I-75, I-16, and I-475 as well as on major roadways especially in the southern portion of the region and north of downtown Macon.

Zoning and Land Use

Existing Zoning and Land Uses There is a significant amount of agricultural/forestry land in the MATS region. These areas are concentrated in the , along with significant portions in Residential land uses are heavily concentrated in the, with some smaller concentrations in the western-central and southern parts of the region.

Industrial uses generate the majority of freight activity in the MATS region and are shown in purple on the map. Industrial uses are concentrated on the as well as between Macon and the Additionally, there are industrial uses concentrated near the

There are other smaller concentrations of industrial land uses near the northeastern MPO boundary in Jones County, in the between US-23 and US-80, and scattered throughout a few other spots near major roadways.

There are significant environmental areas located within the region, especially on the eastern side. The 100 year flood zones are shown on the map with a hatched pattern to indicate that while this area is identified as ‘Undeveloped/Vacant’ on the land use map, it is not well suited development.

Clusters of Freight Land Uses

The project team has identified nine freight clusters in the region which are located in the following areas: Adjacent to I-75, I-16, I-475, US 41 and US 129 These clusters include manufacturing, warehouses, and distribution centers. There are also some agricultural, auto dealerships, and other commercial property which generate freight activity.

2050 Potential Future Land Use

Based on visions developed as part of local comprehensive plans, over the next 25 years, new residential development is anticipated in the western portion of the region, as well as, surrounding industrial land uses between GA-361 and GA-11 in the southern portion of the region, west of the Middle Georgia Regional Airport, and south and east of the Downton Macon Airport along US-23 and US-80, respectively.

Industrial uses, however, are anticipated to remain a significant portion of land area in the year 2050, second only to residential uses in Macon-Bibb County. New industrial land use may expand adjacent to current industrial land use, particularly in/near the current vacant/undeveloped area between US-129 and I-16 in the southeastern portion of the MPO.

Likewise, the area between US-23 and US-80 is also envisioned as industrial in the future. Smaller pockets of industrial expansion can be seen near I-475 and GA-74, as well as south of US-80 and west of I-475. These tend to be surrounded by residential uses, indicating a need to look at the potential for conflicts or ways to mitigate negative impacts. The future land use map also shows expansion of industrial land to the south along, following the railroad tracks and US-129 toward the Middle Georgia Regional Airport and Robins AFB. However, the area just west of that is anticipated to remain residential and will be an area to look at more closely as part of the freight plan.

The 100 year flood zones are also depicted on this map with a hatched pattern. These areas are not well suited for development.

Economic Analysis

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

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Overview of Gross Regional Product (2010-2022)

Gross domestic product has increased in the MATS region since 2010 by 3.9% annually.

Freight-related industries account for 57% of total GRP in 2022- slightly less than the share in 2010 (60%). Key freight-related growth industries include Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction; Manufacturing; and Construction.

Non-freight GRP growth is primarily attributed to Finance and Insurance and Information industries.

Top Industrial Clusters in MATS Region Clusters are made up of many related industries and are analyzed for their total employment,, and annual job growth.

The largest industrial clusters in the MATS region are Hospitality and Tourism, followed by Insurance Services and Healthcare. The MATS region has high regional specialization for Insurance Services around the nation. The chart plots the performance of employment clusters in the MATS region based on two key metrics: Location Quotient (vertical axis) and Compound Annual Growth Rate (horizontal axis) of the Fross Regional Product. The size of the bubble is relative to the number of jobs generated.

Scroll to next slide to view the performance of freight-related clusters.

Top Freight-Related Clusters Freight-generating industries are defined by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) as Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing; Mining; Utilities; Construction; Manufacturing; Wholesale Trade; and Retail Trade, along with the freight-intensive sectors included in the Transportation and Warehousing industry. Together, these industries will be referred to as “freight-related industries”.

Distribution and e-commerce is the largest freight-related cluster in the region by employment, employing more than 3,300 people. However, with a Location Quotient (LQ) less than 1, the cluster having less concentration in the area compared to the national average. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for this cluster is at 1.2%

Manufacturing clusters, particularly Paper & Packaging, Vulcanized & Fired Materials, Recreational & Small Electric Goods, and Downstream Metal Products, contribute significantly to the Gross Regional Product (GRP) and have high regional specialization. Manufacturing overall accounts for around 18% of total GRP, which is the largest share of any single industry. This is driven primarily by the Paper and Packaging cluster.

Overall Employment

Employment in the Macon-Bibb County Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA - includes Macon-Bibb, Jones, Monroe, Twiggs, and Crawford Counties) is steadily increasing in the region but has not returned to pre-2020 levels. Between 2010 and 2019, the MSA added nearly 9,000 jobs, but the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic reduced total employment by 5% in 2020. Employment has stabilized since 2020 but has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Image: Employment Growth in MATS Region, 2010-2034

Inflow and Outflow of Jobs

The gain and retention of jobs in the region can be assessed through two inter-dependent questions:

1) What portion of the region's workforce commute into the region? 2) What portion of the region's residents work where they live?

50% of the workforce in Macon-Bibb MSA commute from outside into the region for employment. The rest of the workforce are residents in the area.

55% of residents in the Macon-Bibb MSA work in the region, which means the remaining 45% of the residents commute elsewhere.

Freight-Related Employment Trends

Freight-related job growth is largely driven by Transportation and Warehousing.
Employment in freight-related industries in the MATS Region is primarily driven by Retail Trade, Manufacturing, and Transportation and Warehousing.
Since 2010, employment in Transportation and Warehousing has nearly doubled.
Retail Trade jobs have been stable since 2010, despite accelerated shifts to online sales exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Freight Commodities

Across the years, daily freight trips both in and out of Macon shrink for mining commodities, and see growth for petroleum. Similar growth trends are observed commodities in "other" and "bulk/secondary" categories, indicating diversification in commodity types. Stone and paper maintain steady shares in both inbound and outbound flows. For inbound commodities, wood is replaced by chemicals as a significant category by 2050. Click on the bullets below to visualize the comparison through pie charts:

Industrial Real Estate

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.

Manufacturing facility built in 2019 700,000 square feet

Distribution facility built in 2000 11+ acres

Manufacturing facility built in 1955 35+ acres

Warehouse facility built in 2018 95+ acres

Manufacturing facility built in 2016 130+ acres

and Quarries Jones County

Project Recommendations

Project Contact

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

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