Measure Description

Travel Time and Reliability for Goods and Services Movement measures how long it takes for a truck to travel along the inner ring road and highway connectors under typical driving conditions and peak driving conditions (see the transportation system map on the next page). This measure represents the system as a whole; a system that has many routes with different characteristics, such as speed limits, number of lanes and access.

The median and 85th percentile travel times are calculated for a 10 km trip between 6 am and 6 pm on weekdays, excluding holidays. The dataset is purchased from TomTom*, which relies on data collected from GPS navigation systems. To determine a single representative value for a year, the travel times are scaled based on truck volumes. The City determines truck volumes by using monitoring devices on the roads.

The median travel time represents typical driving conditions where half the observed trucks will travel in less than the median time and half will take longer. The 85th percentile travel time represents the reliability for goods and services movement (85% of truck vehicles take less than that time and 15% take more).

*TomTom is a company that produces traffic, navigation, and mapping products. One of their services is to collect anonymous travel time data, accumulated by users of TomTom devices, and than to produce traffic related reports.

Measure Importance

The movement of goods and delivery of services are key to Edmonton’s economic vitality. Maintaining travel times on these corridors means businesses in Edmonton and the region have access to an effective and reliable transportation network.

Historical Data

Explanation of Performance

The 2017 Travel Time and Reliability for Goods and Services Movement met the TWA target. The current Travel Time and Reliability for Goods and Services Movement result is 10:09 minutes for 50 percent of the truck travel time, and 13:35 minutes for 85 percent of the truck travel time. The trend over the years for both median and 85th percentile travel times indicates an acceptable travel time and reliability for goods and services movement and has been maintained over time as the City grows.

The primary factors for the travel time and reliability for goods and services movement results in 2017 were:
• A decline in economic activity leading to slower economic growth for Edmonton, which may have resulted in decreased overall truck volume travel on goods and services corridors.
• Roadway improvements that may have affected travel patterns of goods movement throughout the city.
• Roadway improvements that may have reduced the overall truck volume on a particular roadway or redistributed the movement of goods and services.

Useful Links

For information about the City's strategic plan, The Way Ahead: http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_vision_and_strategic_plan/the-way-ahead.aspx