Charlotte, NC--SC Urbanized Area Congestion Report
In the line graphs below, FHWA uses Data Collection Year instead of Data Reporting Year to represent snapshot condition/performance at the time the data was collected. More information
The Charlotte, NC--SC Urbanized Area covers parts of North Carolina and South Carolina. Targets are agreed upon by several transportation agencies and apply to the entire area.
Annual Hours of Peak-Hour Excessive Delay (PHED) Per Capita
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Annual Hours of Peak-Hour Excessive Delay (PHED) Per Capita 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Condition/Performance 9.8 -- -- -- -- Targets -- -- 34.0 -- 34.0
Annual Hours of Peak-Hour Excessive Delay (PHED) Per Capita
- Basis for Targets
- 2-yr Progress
- Basis for 4-yr Target Adjustment
- 4-yr Planned Activities
- 4-yr Progress
(North Carolina) The agencies in the Charlotte UZA established 2023 and 2025 PHED targets at the same level as the 2021 target established for the previous performance period. For target setting purposes, the NPMRDS provides only three years of pre-pandemic data (2017-2019) to analyze PHED trendlines and performance. The pandemic-related travel impacts experienced in 2020 and 2021 skewed PHED performance in 2020 and 2021, making it difficult to discern the impacts of project improvements that were completed during that time period from the benefits of less travel. Going forward, the uncertainty surrounding travel behavior, commuting, work-from-home, economic conditions, and fuel prices makes trend analysis and projections difficult in the near term. Establishing the 2023 and 2025 targets at 34.0 hours accounts for potential performance challenges for PHED, as well as potential work zone impacts from continued roadway construction projects in the Charlotte UZA.
(South Carolina) The PHED targets are set by analyzing data in the National Performance Measures Research Dataset (NPMRDS), that covers the entire NHS and provides average travel times in five-minute time periods for each travel segment, measured continuously throughout the year. The primary data elements required are travel times on the NHS, vehicle type, average vehicle occupancy factors, speed limits and total UZA population. Average vehicle occupancy values were derived from the National Household Transportation Survey and National Transit Database. To address PHED trends were analyzed in the Charlotte UZA. In determining an appropriate target it is assumed that the influencing factors present over the previous four years will continue in the next four years. These factors include continued rapid population growth leading to further VMT increases as well as ongoing construction. In addition, the effects of the COVID pandemic and shift to work from home continues to be an unknown in how it will effect the next 4 years. Furthermore, the projects in the current STIP and TIPs of each MPO in the Metrolina regions are unlikely to substantially alter or reverse general PHED trends. The participating agencies will re-visit the unified target prior to developing the mid performance period biennial report.
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Data Sources:
2022 Biennial Performance Report
2022 HPMS Data Submittal
Non-Single Occupancy Vehicle (Non-SOV) Travel
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Non-Single Occupancy Vehicle (Non-SOV) Travel 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Condition/Performance 25.6 -- -- -- -- Targets -- -- 21.0 -- 21.0
Non-Single Occupancy Vehicle (Non-SOV) Travel
- Basis for Targets
- 2-yr Progress
- Basis for 4-yr Target Adjustment
- 4-yr Planned Activities
- 4-yr Progress
(North Carolina) The agencies in the Charlotte UZA established 2023 and 2025 Non-SOV Travel targets at 21.0%, the same level as the 2021 target established for the previous performance period. Non-SOV Travel in the UZA remained steady from 2013 to 2020, ranging between 21.5% and 21.9%. The percentage increased to 25.6% in 2021 due to a large increase in the number of residents reporting that they worked from home during the pandemic. The lasting effects of pandemic-related changes to commuting behavior are unknown. Going forward, the uncertainty surrounding travel behavior, commuting, work-from-home, economic conditions, and fuel prices makes trend analysis and projections difficult in the near term. Establishing the 2023 and 2025 targets at 21.0% accounts for potential performance challenges for Non-SOV Travel in the Charlotte UZA.
(South Carolina) As with the PHED target, the Non-SOV targets is set jointly with NCDOT and MPOs within the planning boundary. The Non-SOV travel trend was analyzed from ACS data over the last 4 years. In determining appropriate targets, it is assumed that the rapid population growth and resulting VMT increases experienced in the recent years will continue over the next four years. Furthermore, the projects in the current STIP and the TIPs of each MPO in the Metrolina region are unlikely to substantially alter or reverse the Non-SOV travel trends. While the Charlotte Area Transit System has opened new rail service and NCDOT is expected to open managed lanes in the future, the impacts of these on SOV travel behavior is unknown. Thus, the targets selected assume recent trends will continue potentially resulting in a decline. In addition, there continues to be lingering effects from the COVID pandemic with unknowns on how this will effect the targets over the next performance period. The unified target set jointly by the agencies in the Metrolina region, represent the lower range of potential Non-SOV travel over the four year period. NCDOT, SCDOT and the participating agencies in the Metrolina region will re-visit the unified four-year target prior to developing the mid performance period biennial report.
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Data Sources:
2022 Biennial Performance Report
2022 HPMS Data Submittal