Research Theme Analysis Report Urban Mobility

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R e s e a r c h T h e m e A n a l y s i s R e p o r t U r b a n M o b i l i t y
The urban freight transport research environment has
undergone significant changes over recent years. More projects
are now targeted at fully integrating freight distribution in the
overall urban mobility strategy, with emphasis on the practical
implementation of innovative urban distribution concepts
and with the involvement of major players from the express
delivery industry.
The evolution of urban freight transport clearly benefits from
research activities in the mobility sector, such as:
• introducing cleaner/more efficient engines;
• using lighter materials and innovative components for trucks
and vans;
• developing cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS)
and data-sharing experiences;
• using radio frequency identification (RFID) applications for
picking goods (as in the ‘Container Handling in Intermodal
Nodes – Optimal and Secure’ project (CHINOS, 2006-2010)).
It is important to note that, more than simply taking advantage
of research advancements in generalised freight and logistics
or vehicle technology, urban freight transport research projects
have themselves produced impacts on the overall research
environment.
An example is the PIEK project (PIEK, n.d.) 2 . This was developed
by the Dutch Administration following the introduction in 1998
of standards for noise emission during loading and unloading in
retail trade and craft businesses. In 2004, the PIEK certification
scheme was introduced for vehicles and equipment operating
under 60 dB (A), suitable for night-time deliveries without
causing noise disturbance. Vehicle adaptations were also
tested during the CIVITAS ‘Multi-Initiative for Rationalised
Accessibility and Clean Liveable Environments’ (MIRACLES)
project in Barcelona (Eltis, 2003). The broader Sixth Framework
Programme (FP6) project ‘Quieter Surface Transport’ (SILENCE,
2005-2008) further developed an integrated system of
methodologies and technologies for an efficient reduction of
urban traffic noise.
The policy environment has also changed over recent years. The
inclusion of specific policy targets for city logistics at the EU
level provided a clear policy framework under which research
priorities can be more effectively addressed.
• The ‘Conference on Urban Freight Transport and Logistics’
organised by the European Commission and the Belgian
presidency in 2010 (EC Europa, 2010) brought together highlevel
representatives from the European institutions and
from key stakeholder associations to debate on sustainable
solutions to urban freight in Europe’s cities. The conference
produced a list of requested EU actions that were more or
less transposed into policy intervention (e.g. use of inland
ports for urban distribution, best practice and guidance
in urban freight planning, data-sharing and cooperative
schemes).
• The European Commission’s 2011 Transport White Paper
‘Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area – Towards
a competitive and resource efficient transport system’
(European Commission, 2011) set the ambitious targets of
achieving logistics that are essentially free of carbon dioxide
(CO 2
) in major urban centres by 2030 and phasing out the
use of conventionally fuelled vehicles in urban areas by
2050. The Transport White Paper strengthened the need to
organise a more efficient interface between long-distance
and last-mile freight transport, to use cleaner trucks and ITS,
to limit individual deliveries to the shortest possible route
and to reduce delivery times and congestion (e.g. with night
deliveries). Initiative 33 of the Transport White Paper defined
the strategy for near ‘zero-emission urban logistics’ (ZEL)
around three main pillars:
1. producing best practice guidelines;
2. integrating aspects of land planning, intermodality,
business practices and vehicle technology;
3. joint procurement for low-emission vehicles in commercial
fleets.
• The 2013 Urban Mobility Package ‘Together towards
competitive and resource-efficient urban mobility’ (European
Commission, 2013b) further describes the set of supporting
actions and funding opportunities focusing on the following
key areas:
--
manage urban logistic demand through land-use planning,
the widespread use of ‘service and delivery plans’ and
actions for bundling shipments together or shifting some
deliveries to off-peak periods;
--
shift certain flows to other modes, such as bicycles or
boats, while creating the right framework conditions for
ensuring economic viability to alternative modes (e.g.
dedicated space, enforcement, privileged access, planning
conditions and free parking);
--
improve efficiency by a better selection of modes,
improving loading/unloading facilities; or increasing the
load factors and the use of ITS solutions to optimise
routes, improve services and reduce costs and impacts;
--
use improved vehicles and fuels that can make urban
logistics quieter, safer, cleaner and more efficient.
• The 2013 Urban Mobility Package also linked the strategy for
achieving near ‘zero-emission urban logistics’ to two other
initiatives outlined in the Transport White Paper:
--
the widespread development and adoption of Sustainable
Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) in EU cities;
--
the development of a package for urban road-user
charging and access-restriction schemes.
• The Commission’s Communication on e-commerce
‘Stimulating growth and employment: an action plan for
doubling the volume of e-commerce in Europe by 2015’
2 The PIEK-standard has been adopted in several countries such as the UK, France, Germany and Belgium.