Blog

Goods Movement 2030: What Have We Done and What is Next?

URL: https://www.goodsmovement2030.com/post/goods-movement-2030-so-what-have-we-done-here-and-whats-next

Publication: Goods Movement 2030: An Urban Freight Blog

Publication Date: 2023

Summary:

A year and a half ago, our members decided to dig into four topics for the Goods Movement 2030 project (Electrification, Digital Transformation, Planning Streets for People and Goods, and Microfreight). They all — public and private sector alike — saw these areas as transformative. And they identified six priorities around which we hope to see improved outcomes for 2030 (Reducing CO2 Emissions, Reducing Congestion, Reducing Roadway Fatalities, Increasing and Improving Protected Spaces for Vulnerable Users, Making Transparent the Cost of Delivery, and Improving Equity).

From myriad lively discussions, debates, and expert-led learning over the last 18 months, this much is clear: Each of the four topics we’ve explored together cries out for deep and broad collaboration between the public and private sectors if we’re going to move the needle on our consensus priorities.

And the good news? Our members have already shown that they’re willing and able to approach that needed collaboration with curious minds and radical transparency (not to mention their demonstrated commitment to innovating and having tough conversations.) All of this bodes well for both the present — and the future we’ve all been working to imagine and shape.

While all six priorities surfaced throughout this project, it’s decarbonization that came up in virtually every discussion on every topic. On equity, we had to grapple early on with what that even means in urban freight.

This blog presents a Cliffs Notes recap of big-picture project takeaways.

Authors: Urban Freight Lab

Recommended Citation:
“Goods Movement 2030: What Have We Done and What Is Next?” Goods Movement 2030 (blog). Urban Freight Lab, October 24, 2023. https://www.goodsmovement2030.com/post/goods-movement-2030-so-what-have-we-done-here-and-whats-next.

White Paper

Biking the Goods: How North American Cities Can Prepare for and Promote Large-Scale Adoption of E-Cargo Bikes

Download PDF (1.79 MB)

URL: https://doi.org/10.6069/REXD-W642

Publication Date: 2023

Summary:

The distribution of goods and services in North American cities has conventionally relied on diesel-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Recent developments in electromobility have provided an opportunity to reduce some of the negative externalities generated by urban logistics systems.

Cargo e-bikes — electric cycles specially designed for cargo transportation — represent an alternative environmentally friendly and safer mode for delivering goods and services in urban areas. However, lack of infrastructure, legal uncertainties, and a cultural and economic attachment to motorized vehicles has hindered their adoption. Cities play a crucial role in reducing these barriers and creating a leveled playing field where cargo e-bikes can be essential to urban logistics systems.

This paper aims to inform urban planners about what cargo e-bikes are, how they have been successfully deployed in North America to replace ICE vehicles, and identify actionable strategies cities can take to encourage their adoption while guaranteeing safety for all road users.

Gathering data and opinions from key public and private sector stakeholders and building on the expertise of the Urban Freight Lab, this paper identifies nine recommendations and 21 actions for urban planners across the following four main thematic areas:

Infrastructure: cycling, parking infrastructure, and urban logistics hubs
Policy and Regulation: e-bike law, safety regulation, and policies de-prioritizing vehicles
Incentives: rebates and business subsidies
Culture and Education: labor force training, educational programs, and community-driven adoption

Acknowledgements

The Urban Freight Lab acknowledges the following co-sponsors for financially supporting this research: Bosch eBike Systems, Fleet Cycles, Gazelle USA, Michelin North America, Inc., Net Zero Logistics, Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) Region 10, Seattle Department of Transportation, and Urban Arrow.

Technical contributions and guidance: Amazon, B-Line (Franklin Jones), Cascade Bicycle Club, Coaster Cycles, City of Boston, City of Portland, Downtown Seattle Business Association (Steve Walls), New York City Department of Transportation, People for Bikes (Ash Lovell), Portland Bureau of Transportation, University of Washington Mailing Services (Douglas Stevens), UPS,

Authors: Dr. Giacomo Dalla ChiaraRishi VermaKelly RulaDr. Anne Goodchild

Recommended Citation:
Dalla Chiara, G., Verma, R., Rula, K., Goodchild, A. (2023). Biking the Goods: How North American Cities Can Prepare for and Promote Large-Scale Adoption of Cargo e-Bikes. Urban Freight Lab, University of Washington.

Chapter

Overview on Stakeholder Engagement

URL: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800370173.00026

Publication: Handbook on City Logistics and Urban Freight

Publication Date: 2023

Summary:

Until recently, urban transport authorities often overlooked freight, concentrating their attention on the movement of people. Even when motivated to tackle urban freight, many city authorities find it difficult to mobilize their own resources, and address the complex set of differing views of a large variety of stakeholders.

Historically, the role of city authorities, or local authorities within cities, has been confined largely to one of regulation as opposed to collaborative planning. Correspondingly, until recently there has been limited engagement of private companies in the local-authority transport-planning process.

Engaging stakeholders is very important as without their involvement it is very difficult to motivate changes in the urban freight and logistics system or design policies that might be mutually beneficial; successful implementation of effective urban logistics initiatives demands a solid understanding of both freight activity and the supply chains serving the urban area.

This chapter examines these issues and addresses how cities can more effectively engage with stakeholders. There is a strong need to identify obstacles, propose solutions and define implementation paths that consider the concerns of all stakeholders involved. This sounds rather straightforward but in practice there are many conflicts among and within public and private-interest groups and these often result in obstacles to success.

This chapter will address the range of complex issues involved and establish a framework for understanding the options related to stakeholder engagement to improve urban freight sustainability.

Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Michael Browne (University of Gothenburg)

Recommended Citation:
Michael Browne & Anne Goodchild, 2023. "Overview on stakeholder engagement," Chapter in: Edoardo Marcucci & Valerio Gatta & Michela Le Pira (ed.), Handbook on City Logistics and Urban Freight, chapter 15, pages 311-326, Edward Elgar Publishing.

Urban Freight in 2030

There are many questions to answer about the future of urban delivery. How changes and developments in the industry will ultimately play out cannot really be predicted, but the Urban Freight Lab, a group of experienced professionals with deep and up-to-date knowledge of their subject, representing a broad range of urban freight stakeholders is best suited to envision the future. The Urban Freight in 2030 project will explore emerging urban freight trends, their impacts on local and global sustainable development, and propose Urban Freight Lab’s future course of action.

Objective: This project proposes to use the expertise of the Urban Freight Lab members and partners, supported by up-to-date research and subject specialists, to create a shared vision of the future of urban delivery in 2030. The work will produce vision documents to be shared publicly, outlining and detailing the Urban Freight Lab’s vision of the future of urban freight.

Summary of Project Tasks:

Task 1: Generate a candidate list of influential variables.

Task 2: UFL members provide feedback and democratically select four variables for future discussion.

Task 3: Schedule one category of variables discussion at each Urban Freight Lab quarterly meeting.

Task 4: Based on the discussions described in Task 3, UFL staff draft a number of public-facing documents that lay out our shared vision for Urban Freight 2030. The format of these products will be discussed during the course of the project.

Task 5: UFL members will review and revise the vision documents. When all members agree, it will be distributed publicly as a joint publication of the UFL research team and membership.

Paper

Defining Urban Freight Microhubs: A Case Study Analysis

Download PDF (3.20 MB)

URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010532

Publication: Sustainability

Volume: 14 (1), 532

Publication Date: 2021

Summary:

Urban freight distribution has confronted several challenges, including negative environmental, social, and economic impacts. Many city logistics initiatives that use the concept of Urban Consolidation Centers (UCCs) have failed.

The failure of many UCCs does not mean that the idea of additional terminals or microhubs should be rejected. There is limited knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of using microhubs, requiring further exploration of this concept.

To expand this knowledge, this research combines 17 empirical cases from Europe and North America to develop a framework for classifying different microhubs typologies. This research presents an integrated view of the cases and develops a common language for understanding microhub typologies and definitions. The research proposes microhubs as an important opportunity to improve urban freight sustainability and efficiency and one possible step to manage the challenge of multi-sector collaboration.

Authors: Şeyma GüneşTravis FriedDr. Anne Goodchild, Konstantina Katsela (University of Gothenburg), Michael Browne (University of Gothenburg)

Recommended Citation:
Katsela, Konstantina, Şeyma Güneş, Travis Fried, Anne Goodchild, and Michael Browne. 2022. "Defining Urban Freight Microhubs: A Case Study Analysis" Sustainability 14, no. 1: 532. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010532

Chapter

Comparison of Vehicle Miles Traveled and Pollution from Three Goods Movement Strategies

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/S2044-994120140000006003

Publication: Sustainable Logistics: Transport and Sustainability (Emerald Group Publishing Limited)

Volume: Volume 6

Pages: 63-82

Publication Date: 2014

Summary:

This chapter provides additional insight into the role of warehouse location in achieving sustainability targets and provides a novel comparison between delivery and personal travel for criteria pollutants.

Purpose: To provide insight into the role and design of delivery services to address CO2, NO x , and PM10 emissions from passenger travel.Methodology/approach: A simulated North American data sample is served with three transportation structures: last-mile personal vehicles, local-depot-based truck delivery, and regional warehouse-based truck delivery. CO2, NO x , and PM10 emissions are modeled using values from the US EPA’s MOVES model and are added to an ArcGIS optimization scheme.Findings: Local-depot-based truck delivery requires the lowest amount of vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and last-mile passenger travel generates the lowest levels of CO2, NO x , and PM10. While last-mile passenger travel requires the highest amount of VMT, the efficiency gains of the delivery services are not large enough to offset the higher pollution rate of the delivery vehicle as compared to personal vehicles.

Practical implications: This research illustrates the clear role delivery structure and logistics have in impacting the CO2, NO x , and PM10 emissions of goods transportation in North America.

Social implications: This research illustrates the tension between goals to reduce congestion (via VMT reduction) and CO2, NO x , and PM10 emissions.

Originality/value: This chapter provides additional insight into the role of warehouse location in achieving sustainability targets and provides a novel comparison between delivery and personal travel for criteria pollutants.

Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Erica Wygonik

Recommended Citation:
Wygonik, Erica, and Anne Goodchild. "Comparison of vehicle miles traveled and pollution from three goods movement strategies." Sustainable Logistics, pp. 63-82. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2014.

Generating Opportunity for All (GOAL): Microfreight Hubs Feasibility in North Fort Smith, Arkansas

(This project is part of the Urban Freight Lab’s Technical Assistance Program, where UFL contributes to the project by providing 1:1 match funds in terms of staff and/or research assistants to complete project tasks.)

This project seeks to examine how microfreight hubs can increase equity to services, benefit historically marginalized communities, and be joined to share micromobility options, social service agencies, and minority businesses in North Fort Smith, Arkansas.

The Urban Freight Lab will assist Frontier MPO and the City of Fort Smith by sharing knowledge and providing feedback as they develop a cohesive strategy to develop a microfreight hub pilot project that leverages community resources.

The proposed goal is to create a cohesive strategy to develop a sound planning process, grow collaborative relationships, produce a sustainable business model, and implement a microfreight hub pilot project that leverages community resources.

Summary of Project Phases and Associated Tasks:

Assessment Phase
- Task 1: Gather and review background information regarding the plans, policies, codes, and data related to establishing and implementing microfreight hubs within North Fort Smith.
- Task 2: Conduct literature review on microfreight hub operations and business model.
- Task 3: Gather, review, and provide feedback on existing partnerships and stakeholders.
- Task 4: Identify and review potential microfreight hub locations particularly locations that will enhance accessibility to vulnerable groups
Outreach and Learning Phase
- Task 1: Deliver virtual interactive coaching session on establishing and building collaborative relationships and pilot lessons learned.
- Task 2: Convene community champions, partners, freight carriers, and other stakeholders to develop clear understanding of community and stakeholder needs, concerns, and challenges.
- Task 3: Develop next steps and any action plans for moving a microfreight hub forward.

Partner Organization: Frontier Metropolitan Planning Organization, City of Fort Smith, Arkansas

The Urban Freight Lab awarded Technical assistance to the Frontier Metropolitan Planning Organization (FMPO) in Fort Smith, West Arkansas.

Article

Urban Freight Innovation: Leading-Edge Strategies for Smart Cities

Download PDF (1.12 MB)

URL: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/Proceedings%20Magazine/Archive/2021/Vol78_No2_Fall21.pdf

Publication: Coast Guard Journal of Safety & Security at Sea, Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council

Volume: 78:02:00

Publication Date: 2021

Summary:

Competition throughout the urban freight supply chain is steadily growing. Companies need to devise innovative methods for the transportation of goods from raw materials all the way to the final consumer. From concept to practice, it can be challenging to identify affordable solutions. This article highlights recent research conducted by the University of Washington’s Urban Freight Lab and its partners to explore new methods to reduce transportation costs, improve the customer experience, reduce carbon footprint, and reduce urban congestion after goods leave the shipping docks.

Authors: Dr. Anne GoodchildBill KeoughDr. Giacomo Dalla Chiara

Recommended Citation:
Bill Keough, Anne Goodchild, & Giacomo Dalla Chiara. (2021). Urban Freight Innovation: Leading-Edge Strategies for Smart Cities. Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council, 78(2).

Paper

The Relative Contribution of Transportation to Supply Chain Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Case Study of American Wheat

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2009.05.003

Publication: Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment

Volume: 14 (7)

Pages: 487-92

Publication Date: 2009

Summary:

This life cycle assessment case study puts the supply chain contribution of transportation to greenhouse gas emissions in context with other contributors using American wheat grain as a representative product. Multiple locations, species and routes to market are investigated. Transportation contributes 39–56% of the supply chain emissions, whereas there is a 101% intra-species and 62% inter-species variation in greenhouse gas emissions from production, demonstrating that transportation is both of smaller magnitude, and less sensitive than other factors, in particular, field sequestration.

Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Brendan O'Donnell, Joyce Cooper, and Toshi Ozawa

Recommended Citation:
O’Donnell, Brendan. Anne Goodchild, Joyce Cooper, and Toshi Ozawa. "The Relative Contribution of Transportation to Supply Chain Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Case Study of American Wheat." Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 14, no. 7 (2009): 487-492.

NYC Zero-Emission Freight and Green Loading Zone Market Research

(This project is being conducted under the Urban Freight Lab’s (UFL) Technical Assistance Program, where UFL contributes to the project by providing 1:1 match funds in terms of staff and/or research assistants to complete project tasks.)

This project is focused on conducting targeted freight industry market research to identify strategies that can support charting a pathway to zero-emission freight strategies for New York City by 2050 and identify the associated roadblocks/barriers to entry.

Partner Organization: New York City Department of Transportation

Project Goals:

Understand the interests and concerns of freight industry and private sector stakeholders to enable collaboration and inform the development of NYC DOT’s Green Loading Zone pilot
Actively engage NYC freight stakeholders to identify the greatest likelihood of accelerating the uptake and greater efficiency for zero-emission trucks.
Improve NYC DOT’s understanding of the obstacles and roadblocks that impact progress towards achieving zero emissions urban freight in NYC.

Summary of Project Tasks:

Task 1: Research Scan

Review national and international best practices on zero-emission urban freight, and identify new and existing strategies that support achieving zero-emission freight in NYC, with a particular focus on loading zone and curb management.

Task 2: Market Research Survey Design

Develop a short survey for stakeholders (freight industry, consumer brands and parcel carriers, etc. serving NYC area) to better understand the potential scale, siting, and contextual implementation of the Green Load Zone (GLZ) pilot. The survey will collect data on:

current trends and future estimations about the use of “green” vehicle fleet
barriers and opportunities with prevailing market conditions
key drivers and constraints for stakeholders
needs, motivation and role of each stakeholder involved

Task 3: Freight Industry Market Research and Stakeholder Engagement

Distribute the survey, and summarize and synthesize survey findings. Findings will help NYCDOT:

understand the interests and concerns of freight industry and other private stakeholders around the use of GLZs
identify potential GLZ users and accelerate the uptake of it
make informed decisions about implementation of the GLZ pilot
chart a pathway to achieving zero-emission freight in NYC

Task 4: Final Report

Provide a final report to NYCDOT.