European Transport / Trasporti Europei (2013) 54

T his paper presents the main issues related to the financing of urban logistics solutions , m ore precise ly to the contribution of economic analysis on strategic decision support related for urban logistics financing , focusing on cost benefit analysis. First we present the main funding strategies in urban economics, mainly in the field of urban logistics . Second we address the contribution of cost benefit analysis by recalling the main methodology and adapting it to urban logistics. Third we apply the method to the example of deploying a delivery spac e booking network, and illustrate the application via a set of three examples containing different situations and scenarios, which are presented , assessed and discussed . From the different simulations, it is observed that the way the system is financed has strong impacts on both its individual cost (for potential users) and its attractiveness.

The city of Seville is currently developing a land - use reorganisation policy aimed at increasing the number of pedestrian spaces. This paper contains the microscopic simulation built to assess one of those pedestrianisation initiatives from the point of vi ew of its effects on traffic flows and, more specifically, freight deliveries. Two different alternatives are compared with the current scenario from the point of view of traffic congestion, parking space occupation and route times. Due to the complexity o f the freight delivery practices involved, the use of a standard traffic simulation package was not appropriate, and the simulations were carried out using the commercial package Arena, which enabled the representation of all that complexity with a spec ifi cally built simulation model .

Innovative logistics service providers are currently looking for possibilities to introduce electric vehicles for goods distribution. As electrical vehicles still suffer from a limited operation range, the logistical process faces important challenges. In this research we advise on the composition of the electrical vehicle fleet and on the configuration of the service network, to achieve a successful implementation of electric vehicl es in the innercity of Amsterdam. A d ditional question in our research is whether the CO2 emission reduces at all or might even increase due to an increase of tripkilometres as a consequence of mileage constraint s by the bat teries . The aim of the implementation of the research is to determine the ideal fleet to transport a known demand of cargo, located at a central depot , to a known set of recipients using vehicles of varying types. The problem can be classified as a Fleet S ize and Mix Vehicle Routing Problem (FSMVRP). In addition to the regular constraints that apply to the regular FSMVRP, in our case also time windows apply to the cargo that needs to be transported (FSMVRPTW). The operation range of the vehicles is constrai ned by the battery capacity. We suggest modifications to existing formulations of the FSMVRPTW to make it suitable for the application on cases with electrical vehicles. We apply the model to create an optimal fleet configuration and the service routes. I n our research case of the Cargohopper in Amsterdam, the performance of alternative fleet compositions is determined for a variety of scenarios, to assess their robustness. The main uncertainties addressed in the scenarios are the cargo composition, the op eration range of the vehicles and their operation speed. Based on our research findings in Amsterdam we conclude that the current generation of electric vehicles as a part of urban cons olidation concept have the ability to perform urban freight transport efficiently (19% reduction in vehicle kilomet res ) and meanwhile have the capability to improve air quality and reduce CO 2 - emissions by 90% , and reduce noise nuisance in the in ner cities of our (future) towns.

This research serves to evaluate the potential use of a system developed by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) for emission estimates. The data collection system developed by ODOT – Truck Road Use Electronics (TRUE) – includes a smart phone application with a Global Positioning System (GPS) device and microprocessor. Previous research with the TRUE data served to demonstrate its use for important ancillary applications such as highly accurate trip generation rates and m obility performance measures. In addition, it was shown that the TRUE data has strong potential use for safety, accessibility and connectivity, system condition and environmental stewardship performance measures. This new research builds on that past work and evaluates the potential use of the TRUE data for emissions estimates that take into account truck type details, truck weight and detailed speed profiles. A sensitivity analysis using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Motor Vehicle Emissi on Simulator 2010b (MOVES2010b) is performed in order to understand the level of error that might be encountered when such detailed data are not available. The impact of grade on emissions estimates is also considered. Results indicate that TRUE data in in tegration with Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) weight - mile tax (WMT) data will greatly improve the accuracy of emissions estimations at the project and regional level.

Urban goods movement modelling is a popular subject in urban lo gistics research. However, most models remain under - used because practitioners have difficulties to apply them to simulate urban policies and their impacts on transport flows, mainly when the assessed situations are different from the initial usage of the mode. This paper aims to answer to that issue by proposing a methodology of scenario construction and assessment using current models and tools. The methodological contribution of the paper arises on defining the main elements of a policy - based scenario an d on developing a procedure to build the inputs a model needs to simulate the impacts of policy - oriented strategies on urban goods transport flows. First, the main elements policy makers can take into account when defining middle term strategies are identi fied. Then, a scenario construction procedure is proposed, able to build reference scenarios and trend scenarios. An example for the urban area of Lyon is proposed. According to the reference scenario, it becomes possible to compare and understand urban go ods movement changes, by implementing the model introducing variations, such as activity relocation or urban distribution centre whose impacts concern not only the freight flows themselves but also the whole urban logistics organisation. In this way, the p roposed methodology is adapted to policy - oriented strategic and tactical planning, mainly for public stakeholders.