The actual environmental effects for city logistics: a scenario analysis

Purpose
City logistics projects often include urban consolidation centres (UCCs) to reduce the environmental impact of transportation by consolidating the goods flow in cities. However, there is limited knowledge about the actual environmental effects of such consolidation, e.g. in terms of number of vehicles in a city and the congestion, nuisances and emissions. The purpose of the paper is to measure the number of the vehicles and to estimate how this affects the transport-related externalities. Design/methodology/approach
Based on a modelling framework build on a six-month pilot implementation of a city logistics concept, four alternative scenarios were examined. Data regarding all goods delivered within the city centre of a large Nordic city were observed and captured for a duration of 24 hours (e.g. fill rate in trucks and number of packages delivered to different stores). Through analysis of the scenarios, the efficient terminal handling and the load factors of the vehicles are obtained.
Findings
The results highlight the positive changes in terms of fewer vehicle movements in the city centre, sharply reduced vehicle metrics for delivery traffic in city centre, as well as provide potential for reductions in both air and noise emissions.
Research limitations/implications
The specific insights from the scenarios provide a picture of a complex system of consolidating goods flows in the city centre. Practical implications Other city logistics initiatives get insights in developing environmental sustainable city logistics supply system. Another implication is a need to focus in the efforts of the policy makers to reduce the negative impacts of urban freight transport.
Original/value
This study is trying to shed light in areas somewhat uncharted such as consolidating the goods flow in cities in terms of number of vehicles and efficient terminal handling.