Multimodal strategies for mitigating congestion from urban parcel delivery

The explosive growth in e-commerce, the increasing urgency of de-carbonization, the rapid advances in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) technology, and the continuous disruptive development of the gig economy create needs and opportunities for dramatic improvements in urban package delivery. E-commerce may greatly increase the demand for such deliveries, traditionally made by truck and van, as urban residents substitute purchases made over the Internet for those acquired in brick-and-mortar stores. To mitigate the congestion impact from truck and van traffic, as well as reduce costs and travel times, last-mile delivery should in many cases be shifted toward non-motorized modes (e.g., walkers and bicyclists) and UAV. While there is literature on how to optimally configure urban delivery systems composed of these modes, most of the research in this area does not consider these problems in the context of urban congestion. In addition, the familiar issues of urban street congestion, in the future we may also see congestion above the city from UAV traffic, as use of these vehicles for urban package delivery and other purposes intensifies. In this project, the research team proposes to develop a suite of multimodal, congestion-sensitive strategies for urban delivery, by integrating traditional motorized vehicles, non-motorized modes, and UAV. Building on prior research for modelling and managing urban road congestion as well as logistics studies for UAV route optimization and scheduling, the team will develop new models that combine UAV with other modes for integrated and coordinated urban package delivery. The impacts of the new multimodal strategies on roadway operations and safety will be evaluated.

Language

  • English

Project

  • Status: Active
  • Funding: $246509
  • Contract Numbers:

    69A3551947136

    79075-00-C

  • Sponsor Organizations:

    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

    University Transportation Centers Program
    Department of Transportation
    Washington, DC  United States  20590

    National Institute for Congestion Reduction

    University of South Florida
    Tampa, FL  United States  33620
  • Managing Organizations:

    National Institute for Congestion Reduction

    University of South Florida
    Tampa, FL  United States  33620
  • Project Managers:

    Li, Xiaopeng

  • Performing Organizations:

    University of California, Berkeley

    444 Davis Hall
    Berkeley, CA  United States  94720

    National Institute for Congestion Reduction

    University of South Florida
    Tampa, FL  United States  33620
  • Principal Investigators:

    Hansen, Mark

    Walker, Joan

    Lin, Pei-Sung

  • Start Date: 20210801
  • Expected Completion Date: 20221130
  • Actual Completion Date: 0
  • USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01784705
  • Record Type: Research project
  • Source Agency: National Institute for Congestion Reduction
  • Contract Numbers: 69A3551947136, 79075-00-C
  • Files: UTC, RIP
  • Created Date: Oct 14 2021 12:26PM