FHWA grant will reduce waiting times at Port of Virginia

Truckers hauling loads out of the Port of Virginia may experience reduced waiting times in the not-too-distant future. The Federal Highway Administration has awarded the Virginia Port Authority a $1.5 million grant for a truck reservation system.

The Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment grant will be used “for a state-of-the-art truck reservation system that will save time for freight shippers,” according to a news release.

Truck reservation systems to be built by the Virginia Port Authority will take a page from the Port of New York/New Jersey’s success with its reservation system for access to container terminals. FHWA claims this grant “will reduce delay for truck operators entering the terminals and create an efficient and reliable process for moving containers in and out of the port.”

The technology deployment grants are awarded for the purpose of implementing technologies that will enhance existing traffic capacity for commuters and businesses. Approximately $54 million in the grants have been awarded to 10 projects this year. Projects include real-time traveler information for drivers, public transit riders and freight shippers, vehicle-to-infrastructure communications that will enhance safety and pave the way for autonomous vehicles, and congestion-relieving traffic management systems.

“Technology is the future of U.S. transportation,” Acting Federal Highway Administrator Brandye Hendrickson said in a news release. “With innovation such as this, we are making it easier for state and local officials to address the growing congestion problems of our nation’s highway system.”