Efficient and environmentally sustainable urban freight solutions
By 2050, 84 % of Europeans will live in cities, reflecting an urgent need for reorganising and upgrading urban freight transport. Many of the measures implemented by policymakers to address the challenges of urban freight transport have not yet had the desired impact. Against this backdrop, the EU-funded project 'Strategies and measures for smarter urban freight solutions' (STRAIGHTSOL) set out to develop new ways to assess measures applied to urban-interurban freight transport interfaces. Companies and municipal agencies demonstrated the use of seven different smart urban freight solutions across the continent, these field demonstrations showcased the latest developments in freight operating practices in Europe. Examples of the demonstrations and solutions include concentration of goods for urban distribution to improve efficiency, testing of a mobile depot trailer, rail tracking and improved warehouse management. The demonstrations also feature high-tech innovations such as remote monitoring technology, global positioning systems for warehouse management, and automatic data capturing/sharing for more predictable deliveries and shorter delivery times. The demonstrations were evaluated using new assessment methods developed specifically for this purpose. This impact assessment framework combined methodologies such as business models, cost-benefit analysis and multi actor multi-criteria analysis, which captures the role and interests of the different stakeholders involved in urban freight transport. Specific recommendations were made for future freight policies and operating practices based on the assessment. They targeted policymakers at local, regional, national and international levels, as well as industry stakeholders such as shippers, logistics service providers and receivers of goods. Lastly, implementation strategies and roadmaps were developed for shippers and logistics service providers to use the solutions. STRAIGHTSOL introduced, tried and tested solutions for better freight transport, as well as common information standards for more sustainable urban freight policies. Project outcomes will help reduce the impacts of congestion, pollution, noise and emissions, and also combat dependence on fossil fuels in the sector. View the project’s video.
Keywords
Urban freight, freight transport, logistics, cities