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Introduction of city logistics / urban freight distribution

FACT SHEET NO.: Cat-No.6 / Subcat-No.6.5

General Information

Title

FACT SHEET NO.: Cat-No.6 / Subcat-No.6.5

Category

6. Transport planning

Subcategory

6.5 Urban mobility: urban logistics strategies

Transport policy measure (TPM)

Introduction of city logistics / urban freight distribution

Description of TPM

Urban mobility policies often lie in the responsibility of local and regional authorities. However, European urban transport policies provide a framework for decisions adopted on local level, which also other EU policies have to take into account. The traffic in cities throughout Europe is increasing and as a consequence congestion with its negative impacts as the loss of time and the increase of pollution is a fundamental problem, which costs about 1% of the EU's GDP per year.
Also freight logistics have an urban dimension COM (2009)490, because the distribution of goods to its final destination in the city often is a part of the supply chain and represents the interface to long-haul transport segment. There are several different concepts concerning city logistics - the most common one is the local distribution of goods by smaller, cleaner and efficient vehicles. The main target of urban freight distribution is to avoid traffic passing through cities and metropolitan areas by means of the implementation of technical and planning measures as urban consolidation centres / city logistics. "City logistics incorporates many activities (i.e. production, commerce and supply) between different actors, which appear in form of inner urban goods transport or distribution of interurban freight, fulfilling a substantial contribution to economy, city life and operations." ([4], p.5)

Implementation examples

- 'City Plus' Milan (IT): Urban platforms to group and load 'City Plus' Shuttles for goods distribution
- 'City Cargo' (pilot project) Amsterdam (NL): Distribution of goods in the city by means of the tram rail network, the usage of 'Crossdocks' as transfer points near the main highway and 'hubs', inner-city transfer points from tram to electrically powered vehicles (e-cars)
- RegLog - City logistic Regensburg (DE): Cooperation of logistics service providers concerning the bundling of daily consignments
- City logistics Bremen (DE): Consolidation system and logistics software
- Freight consolidation scheme Bristol (UK): Design to serve retailers in Bristol's core retail area by a consolidation centre
- 'SpediThun', Thun (CH): Bundling of city consignments to shops in a terminal outside the city
- 'Chronopost' Paris (FR): Last mile urban delivery of goods by electric vehicles
- CargoHopper Utrecht (NL): Bundling of retail goods and usage of (smaller) eletrified vehicles [4]

Objectives of TPM

Minimising the internal costs of transport, the external costs of transport and the social costs of the community as:
- Costs for investments, operation and storage
- Costs of time, accidents and damages
- Costs of air pollution, noise and space
- Reduction of (heavy) freight traffic in urban areas

Choice of transport mode / Multimodality

Possible change, dependent on applied concept - increasing demand of multimodal transport (due to concept) and use of lighter vehicles

Origin and/or destination of trip

No major change, except that terminals as part of logistics outside urban areas may serve as an intermediate origin or destination

Trip frequency

Reduction of vehicle-kilometres and trip frequency of heavy vehicles, dependent upon TPM increase of light duty vehicle kilometers and their trip frequency

Choice of route

Possible change, dependent on concept (but not main instrument)

Timing (day, hour)

Possible change, dependent on concept (but not main instrument)

Occupancy rate / Loading factor

Increase of loading factor (freight consignment) by reducing the number of unsuitable vehicles

Energy efficiency / Energy usage

Increase of energy efficiency by operation of energy efficient and light duty vehicles and reduction of energy usage

Main source

[1] European Commission (2009): Communication from the commission to the European parliament, the council, the European economic and social committee and the committee of regions; Action plan on Urban mobility. COM (2009)490 final, Brussels
[2] European Commission (2009): Communication from the commission, Freight transport logistics action plan. COM (2007) 607 final, Brussels
[3] European Commission (2007): Green paper - Towards a new culture for urban mobility. COM (2007) 551 final, Brussels
[4] BESTUFS II - Best Urban Freight Solutions (2006): Deliverable 5.2 - Quantification of urban freight transport effects II
[5] CIVITAS initiative: Diverse information. Retrieved from: www.civitas-initiative.eu
[6] European Commission (2007): Commission Staff Working Document - Freight transport Logistics Action Plan, Impact assessment. SEC(2007)1320
[7] BESTUFS II - Best Urban Freight Solutions (2005): Deliverable 1.1 - Policy and research recommendations I, Urban consolidation centres, Last mile solutions

Traffic Impacts

Passengers 

         

Transport operators 

           

Unassigned 

         

Travel or transport time

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Risk of congestion

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Vehicle mileage

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Service and comfort

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Overall impacts on social groups

Implementation phase

Operation phase

Summary / comments concerning the main impacts

- Reduction of travel and transport time for long distance haulage transport operators
- Less risk of congestion and less vehicle mileage for HGVs. Increase of LGVs might be expected.
- Improvement of volume / weight utilisation rates for vehicles from centre, fewer heavy goods vehicles required [7]
- Likely relief of urban freight transport will also positively impact passenger (road, public transport) traffic by decrease of transport time and less risk of congestion (Estimation)

Quantification of impacts

The sources concerning quantitative information of urban freight transport are not very numerous, because the problem of urban freight distribution is not considered as first priority project and national authorities often consider it as a local project.
- Reduction of 20% trucks in city centre (Spedithun); about 1-2 full loaded trucks replaced 7-8 partial loaded trucks, which delivered goods in the city (RegLog)
- Replacement of app. 2500 trucks in inner-city (CityCargo => AMS)
- Reduction of vehicle-km and 'stop-and-go' trips by 20%, because of tour organisation (RegLog) [all 4]

Economic Impacts

Passengers 

         

Transport operators 

           

Unassigned 

         

Transport costs

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Private income / commercial turn over

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Revenues in the transport sector

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sectoral competitiveness

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Spatial competitiveness

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Housing expenditures

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Insurance costs

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Health service costs

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Public authorities & adm. burdens on businesses

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Public income (e.g.: taxes, charges)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Third countries and international relations

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Overall impacts on social groups

Implementation phase

- Costs (Investments/adjustment of infrastructure): 150-200 mio. € (CityCargo), but lower costs of road maintenance [4]

Operation phase

- Lower costs of road maintenance (CityCargo) [4], higher operating costs due to additional step in supply chain.

Summary / comments concerning the main impacts

- Lower transportation costs of HGVs, some increase due to use of LGVs
- Increase of public income, due to the possibility to optimise personnel deployment, efficient planning and enhanced capacity (see quantification)
- Better freight vehicle usage (interurban/innerurban) (Spedithun) [4]; Better driver and vehicle utilisation [7]
- Additional logistical stage (additional handling) [7]
- Better logistical organisation, Reduction of delivery lead times and improving product availability [7]
- Possible appreciation of houses/propety in directly affected areas (positive due to less traffic); this leads to increasing rents; assuming the residents are not the owners and mostly the lower income group is living at the heavily loaded urban areas (by road freight transports) this measure leads to a displacements of residents (based on inccreasing rents) and decreasing social inclusion
- Increasing spatial / sectoral competitiveness of shopkeepers compared to an area not managed by city logistics. The shopkeepers and retailers are significantly influenced positively due to a higher predictability of their workflow. [EE]
- 3rd level impact: Accidents concerning road freight transport mostly occur within cities. Decreasing vehicle mileage within cities can reduce the number of accidents with HGVs which can lead to lower insurances for road freight operators. On the other hand an increase of the use of LGVs is expected.

Quantification of impacts

- No costs of investments necessary by public authorities and no subsidies to any commercial enterprise (RegLog) [4]
- Investment / Adjustment Costs: 150-200 mio. € (CityCargo) [4]
- Lower costs of road maintenance (CityCargo) [4]
- Increase of public income (city) by optimal deployment of personnel, efficient planning, increase of capacity (24/7), reduction of theft (CityCargo) [4]
- Possible costs of services (weight related) can be outweighted by time gains of transportation companies avoiding entering the inner city (SpediThun) [4]
- Decrease of veh.km by 75% [4], less costs by km/veh (e-vehicle) (Chronopost) [4]

Social Impacts
Environmental Impacts

Passengers 

         

Transport operators 

           

Unassigned 

         

Air pollutants

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Noise emissions

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Visual quality of the landscape

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Land use

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Climate

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Renewable or non-renewable resources

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Overall impacts on social groups

Residents and shops / offices in the served areas will primarily benefit from the new concepts

Implementation phase

Operation phase

Summary / comments concerning the main impacts

- Less air pollutants in city, due to possible utilisation of less polluting vehicles in urban areas (CityPlus) [4], unless an increase of LGVs is foreseen.
- Less noise emissions in city (Reduction of noise levels in the city due to possible replacement by other vehicles, for instance e-vehicles (trams - CityCargo [4]))
- Positive impacts on climate and resources
- Increase of urban attractiveness for residents and tourists (RegLog) [4]

Quantification of impacts

- Reduction of particulate (matter), CO2, NOx emissions up to 16% (CityCargo) [4]
- Decrease of air pollutants by 75% and noise (Chronopost) [4]

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