4c4d urban freight transportation, challenges, failures and successes positioning paper

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Urban Freight Transportation: Challenges, Failures and Successes Goos Kant Tilburg University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, the Netherlands g.kant@uvt.nl Hans Quak TU Delft, Transport and Logistics, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, the Netherlands, and TNO, Mobility, P.O. Box 49, 2600 AA Delft, the Netherlands h.j.quak@tudelft.nl, and hans.quak@tno.nl RenĂŠ Peeters Tilburg University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, the Netherlands m.j.p.peeters@uvt.nl Tom van Woensel TU Eindhoven, Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, the Netherlands T.v.Woensel@tue.nl

Abstract In this paper; we present the challenges, failures and successes, leading to lessons learned and our vision on urban freight transportation. This positioning paper is partially based on earlier work of Quak (2008), in which he analyzed 106 unique urban freight transport initiatives, undertaken between 1998 and 2006. This review is extended with all known more recent material. We identify the different involved stakeholders with their interests. The evaluation of projects and lessons learned are distinguished in policy, logistics and technology initiatives. Based on this we present a vision for urban freight transportation. 1. Introduction The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Working Group on Urban Freight Logistics [35] defines urban goods transport as the delivery of goods in urban areas, including the reverse flow of waste. Freight transportation of goods (both forward flows and reverse flows) is therefore a key activity within urban areas. Many large cities face significant challenges related to the congestion and pollution generated by the number of vehicles that need to travel within urban areas. These vehicles are one of the main causes of undesired environmental side-effects but their role is fundamental to the efficient functioning of cities as they satisfy many of the transportation needs that occur on a day-today basis. Urban transportation includes not only the transportation of goods. A significant proportion is attributed to the transportation of people. These latter are not only residents and shoppers, but also service and other vehicle trips for commercial purposes, which are essential to the urban functioning. Within the European Community, all large (and many small) cities have managed the transportation of people by developing public transportation networks that are generally integrated (but could still be improved). Freight transportation is completely different and is very immature. By comparison, the urban transportation of 1


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