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Integration Technologies for Sustainable Urban Goods Movement

Integration 
Technologies 
for Sustainable 
Urban Goods 
Movement 

Report to Transport Canada's 
Program of Energy Research and Development (PERD) 
and the Urban Intermodal and Motor Carrier Branch 

Prepared by Moving the Economy 

(Appendix Three prepared by the Canadian Urban Institute) 

2004 

Writing, Interviews, and Advisory Coordination: Sue Zielinski, Moving the Economy 
Research and Interview Coordination: Marty Collier, Moving the Economy 
Appendix Three (Freight Stakeholder Partnerships) Research and Writing: Glenn Miller, Susanna Klopfer, Canadian Urban Institute 

French translation provided by Transport Canada 

Design and production by City of Toronto Urban Development Services Communications, August 2004 
04-054 (100) 

Table of Contents 

 

INTRODUCTION 

PROLOGUE: About Urban Goods Movement - A Brief State of the Industry 

The fact that the Chilean grapes you served at your dinner party last night probably travelled by refrigerated container across the Panama Canal before taking a Caribbean cruise, getting onto a train, then a truck, then to the food terminal and your local grocery store, before joining you for "the last mile" in your SUV or on your bike, is somewhat of a logistical miracle that happens thousands of times every day all over the world. The fact that if you go to the pharmacy after your dinner party there is a 99% chance they will have what you need is also impressive, if one takes the time to think about it.

The reality is that goods movement, and particularly urban goods movement, is for the most part so effectively organized along every link in the supply chain that we seldom think about it unless it breaks down. This is both its strength and its weakness. 

On the one hand, urban goods movement is responsible for keeping our economy going and keeping us moving as a society - it gets us the "stuff" we want when we want it. An efficient goods movement system or lack thereof can make or break a person's or a business' decision to locate in a particular region. Goods movement, along with communication, is the silent underpinning to just about every physical need met and every business transaction made on the planet. As the glue that holds so much together, it is highly for Sustainable Urban Goods Movement efficient and getting more so every year, responding to ever increasing competitive pressures to improve efficiency and reduce transportation costs, and benefiting from everemerging innovations in systems, technologies, policies and partnerships. 

On the other hand, with fast growing, sprawling, congesting and polluting populations, coupled with fast shrinking infrastructure capacity (especially in urban areas) goods movement in Canadian cities and in North America as a whole is at a critical juncture. Following in the steps of European and Asian forebears whose denser urban cores and higher fuel prices have led to some hard thinking and smart innovating in this realm, urban goods movement is now on the radar in Canadian cities. And despite its relative door-todoor efficiency (especially relative to people movement), there are growing challenges to overcome if our Canadian cities are to remain both competitive and livable. While quite often goods movement efficiencies translate into both bottom line and ecological benefits, there is still some way to go before we experience a seamless, multimodal, efficient, clean and green urban goods movement network in our cities.

One of the challenges is that the public perception of goods movement often summons up noisy trucks on highways; rail, marine, and other logistics activities disturbing the daily lives of people in new residential developments built near logistics hubs or transfer points; and vehicles of all sizes and descriptions stopping up local traffic and spewing diesel fuel while they load and unload their wares - even more wares in the wave of small and frequent e-commerce and just-in-time deliveries.

Described as a "beam me up, Scottie" attitude, "people want the goods and not the bads". So despite its noble and usually silent role, urban goods movement can be perceived as at best an afterthought and at worst a blight on the urban transportation landscape.

The overarching challenge is sheer diversity and complexity, eluding silver bullet solutions and requiring thoughtful, whole systems thinking and some major collaborative effort across just about every sector. While having been traditionally left to market forces and the private sector alone to "make it work" there is an emerging realization of a very important public sector role for supporting coordinated, efficient, sustainable urban goods movement in Canadian cities.

About this Report

Transport Canada has identified the movement of goods within urban regions as a key emerging issue in Canada. While traditionally playing a very strong role in inter-urban freight movement through ongoing research and programs, Transport Canada and the federal government in general have just recently begun to take a keener interest and become more involved in the movement of goods in cities.

In general, public policy and R & D related to urban transportation has focussed primarily on the movement of people. However in cities in Canada and around the world, goods movement is growing apace with increasing populations and people movement. As a result, urban goods movement is increasingly an issue of concern related to impacts on Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, air quality, congestion, and quality of life. Even though overall freight impacts are less than passenger impacts, freight transportation was responsible for almost 2/3 of the growth of GHG in Canada's transport sector between 1990 and 2000, and currently accounts for approximately 41% of our transport-related GHG emissions.

On a positive note, new and innovative technologies and systems are emerging around the world that enhance urban goods movement efficiencies. Many of these solutions can be applied on an individual basis and achieve some reductions in GHG emissions, however as experienced elsewhere, integrating these technologies and systems for coordinated urban goods movement can achieve much greater results.

To date, there has been limited knowledge and information sharing on integrating technologies and systems that could contribute towards coordinated urban goods movement in Canada. In addition, knowledge of case studies and best practices that could be relevant to Canadian city regions is sparse and fragmented. Other challenges include the lack of integrated goods movement as part of urban transportation planning.

As an initial step towards understanding urban goods movement and related potential R & D directions, Transport Canada's PERD (the Program of Energy Research and Development) and the Urban Intermodal and Motor Carrier branch engaged Moving The Economy to undertake this scoping report on R & D directions related to urban goods movement in Canada. This initiative contributes to an overall aim of increasing the efficiency of movement of goods within Canadian urban centres and to reduce GHG emissions through the development of technologies and research and development.

This project links to the following federal government roles: 

• building capacities within Canada to develop and deploy more efficient transportation systems, with responsible energy use; 
• supporting the deployment of emerging knowledge, concepts, and technologies across all modes; across urban and rural areas; on inter-city and international corridors; and across the many jurisdictions; 
• remaining abreast of and contributing to international R & D in efficient transportation systems (including best practices and international expertise). 

It should be noted that in addition to Transport Canada, a range of federal departments deal with issues related to urban goods movement, including but not limited to Industry Canada (industrial efficiency, border crossings, and more), Environment Canada (climate change issues related to transportation and goods movement), Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Social Development Canada (labour and employment issues related to urban goods movement), Tourism (freight effects on tourism, and industrial tourism opportunities), Heritage (planning around ports and more), CIDA (exportable innovations), and DFAIT (border and other international freight issues).

As this is an initial scoping study, it is premature to specifically identify potential benefits that might result from integrated urban goods movement. However, the ultimate intent of this effort would be to map out a systematic approach to incorporate research and innovation into a broader urban freight framework on integrated movement of goods. It would include the application of state of the art technologies and systems innovation, research needs, urban freight pilot studies, urban freight data collection, and incorporation of coordinated freight planning into urban centres.

In this context, this exercise went well beyond what would be traditionally understood as R & D to gather information on a much broader range of issues and concerns related to urban goods movement. The rationale for this was based on the fact that urban goods movement is complex and multifaceted and not well understood, and in order to understand the full range of R & D needs it is essential to gain a good working knowledge of the range of general issues and needs first.

As such, the scoping took the form of 40 telephone interviews with key players in urban goods movement across Canada (as well as some international experts - see list, Appendix One). They represented the public sector at all levels of government, the private sector and industry associations in a range of industry sectors, the academic community, and labour.

Responses to the interview questions were generally enthusiastic and very supportive of better coordination of urban goods movement in Canadian cities. Respondents were very much in favour of increased collaboration both through Urban Freight Stakeholder Partnerships and through the development of a wider network of urban goods movement players across Canada. Overall responses pointed to the need to do work:

• to gather better information on the state of urban goods movement in Canadian cities (we know very little); 
• to establish a better profile for the importance of urban goods movement to our economy and quality of life; 
• to identify a wider range of Canadian urban goods movement players across sectors and to support their individual and joint efforts related to sustainable, efficient urban goods movement;
• to build on and connect existing Canadian successes in urban goods movement;
• to gain knowledge about, borrow, and adapt and implement successful approaches from around the world;
• to develop policies, legislation, and funding and financing mechanisms (both comprehensive and specific) to support coordinated urban goods movement in Canada;
• to identify and support innovation and export potential for Canadian urban goods movement innovations and successes.

It was generally noted based on experience elsewhere that the federal government could play a strong and positive role in the development of sustainable, efficient urban goods movement in Canada. Suggested roles included but are not limited to:

• communication and partnerships with urban goods movement players across Canada, to support a higher profile for urban goods movement, and to facilitate joint research and action that build on and connect local and international successes;
• development of policies, legislation, and guidelines to support coordinated, efficient, sustainable urban goods movement;
• working with other levels of government to better coordinate policies & legislation related to coordinated, efficient, sustainable urban goods movement;
• facilitation of the development of a common framework for coordinated urban goods movement in Canada;
• funding key urban goods movement research and action and participating in public private partnerships for pilots and ongoing urban goods movement activities;
• providing human resources and expertise to support urban goods movement networks and action;
• supporting and networking Urban Freight stakeholder partnerships, as well as the development of a broader urban goods movement network across Canada. 

Based on interview responses, this report outlines key barriers to coordinated urban goods movement in Canadian cities as well as key drivers for success. General R & D needs are outlined but not weighted or prioritized. This could be the focus of future work by urban goods partnerships. Appendix Three, prepared by the Canadian Urban Institute, outlines the benefits of Urban Freight Stakeholder Partnerships in planning for and achieving coordinated, efficient, sustainable urban goods movement, and Appendix Four offers a preliminary list of sources for case studies and reports related to urban goods movement.

METHODOLOGY

Based on previous urban goods movement work, Moving the Economy (www.movingtheeconomy.ca) was engaged by Transport Canada to carry out this initial R & D scoping report. A small advisory committee with cross-Canada representation was then established to support the work. 

The advisory included: 
Vittoria Battista - Transport Canada 
Nicole Charron - Transport Canada 
Julius Gorys - Ontario Ministry of Transportation 
David McCusker - City of Halifax 
Murray McLeod - Region of Peel 
Glenn Miller - Canadian Urban Institute 
Brian Plant - Transport Canada
Bill Raney - Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Guy Raynault - Comité interrégional pour le transport des marchandises (CITM)
Justin Terry - Transport Canada
Mireille Trent - Transport Canada 
Jim Wang - TransLink - Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority 

Additional Reviewer: 
Pierre Tremblay - Ministere des Transports du Quebec 

The advisory met regularly over 6 weekly conference calls, identified interviewees and key resources, provided overall advice and direction, and reviewed documents, including this report. The Canadian Urban Institute compiled and wrote Appendix Three, outlining key advantages of Freight Stakeholder Partnerships and summarizing selected Freight Partnerships both local and international.

Since this initial effort is intended as a high level scoping effort, and in light of the tight timeline for the project, advisors recommended that an interview approach replace the initial intent to host an event. Forty key urban goods for Sustainable Urban Goods Movement movement players from across Canada were interviewed, with some representation by international urban goods movement experts.

Interviewees (see Appendix One for complete list) were selected according to the following criteria:

• knowledge of / experience in / leadership related to urban goods movement (both specific and general, for all aspects);
• key policy role affecting urban goods movement;
• key stake in coordinated, efficient, sustainable urban goods movement;
• cross-Canada and international knowledge of Urban Goods Movement issues and options;
• knowledge of climate change and other environmental issues and options related to urban goods movement;
• availability in a short time frame.

Questions (see Appendix Two) were developed with the following aims:

• to get a general high level sense of issues and options related to R & D for urban goods movement;
• to get a sense of both immediate and long term issues and options;
• to get a sense of common R & D needs and issues as well as region-specific and sector-specific ones;
• to get a sense of how best to deliver / implement urban goods movement solutions.

KEY FINDINGS 

This section summarizes responses by interviewees to questions on key barriers to and drivers of coordinated, efficient, sustainable urban goods movement. It also lists a "menu" of key R & D needs and options for further exploration.

While the summaries and lists have not been prioritized per se, they appear somewhat according to frequency and emphasis of mention by broad category. It should also be noted that while not expressed as R & D needs and options, the barriers and drivers listed can be a rich source for identifying further R & D needs and options.

Barriers to Integrated, Sustainable Urban Goods Movement

Lack of Awareness, Understanding and Overall Vision related to Urban Goods Movement

• and its key importance to a region's (and the country's) economy and competitiveness, environment, safety, quality of life;
• as an issue of increasing urgency / importance and rapid growth;
• as a major source of congestion and pollution and related enormous costs (billions in congestion generally, and substantial cost to individual businesses) - although it should be noted less congestion and pollution are contributed by goods movement than by people movement;
• as a multifaceted, complex, and interconnected issue involving many players;
• as an area for innovation (thinking outside the box) and for integrated solution building and sharing (home grown innovations that could be exported).

Lack of information and Information Flow

• Lack of detailed data on where goods are coming from and going as well as what goods movement means to our economy (GDP) and quality of life;
  - related to lack of awareness of issues and options, competition / proprietary concerns, feared lack of confidentiality and trust regarding its appropriate use;
  - related to major costs and complexities of data collection of this nature;
  - related to lack of coordinating systems and processes for gathering information;
  - related to lack of mandate and resources
• lack of understanding of the actual data problem, and the related need to get base lines for information gathering;
• lack of information on possible solutions and best practices - local and international.

Fragmentation

• of issues (transport, economic, urban planning, environment, social, etc.);
• of players, solutions, jurisdictions û "silo-ing" of responsibilities (magnitude of the issue leads towards desire to fragment / chunk thinking and responsibility);
• of policies and legislation, especially across different municipalities, provinces, and Canada/US;
• of goods movement vs. people movement û the need to share space / infrastructure (there are fewer alternatives for goods movement in congested areas than for people movement);
• lack of coordination and no understanding of / mandate for / capacity for the linking role (at all government levels and within the private sector);
• of goals - environmental vs. economic, shipper needs vs. public needs vs. user needs;
• many different "languages" spoken related to urban goods movement by sector and by activity;
• some "position research" raises barriers to dialogue rather than enhancing cooperation.

Inertia

• public sector inertia related to: 
  - lack of awareness of the importance and urgency of the issue and the available solutions 
  - lack of capacity to address the issue (knowledge, skills, human resources) 
  - low priority for voting public (lower profile than people movement) and long time frame for goods movement solutions and benefits to be realized 
  - goods movement is considered a private sector domain 
      - that "industry will make it happen"; 
  - fragmented responsibility for various levels of government and lack of coordination on urban goods movement 
  - red tape
• private sector inertia related to: 
  - day to day time and business pressures and focus on bottom line (relentless competition for efficiency) 
  - rather than seek a collective solution, private sector will often go around a problem to save time and resources 
  - lack of knowledge of solutions that could affect bottom line (and networks to support this) 
  - general resistance to change (cultural) without the external competition to motivate 
  - fragmentation

Funding and Financing Mechanisms

• R & D needs funding - Canada has not experienced the levels of the EU in Europe or T 21/ SAFE-T in the US;
• lack of infrastructure investment across all modes affects goods movement;
• lack of leadership in public and private sector in this domain; 
• tax structures can be restrictive related to development of goods movement properties in cities;
• funding potential is fragmented across various levels of government responsible for urban goods movement.

Skills, Knowledge, Training, Human Resource Gaps

• not enough people going into many urban goods related fields (not sexy enough, not well enough paid / supported - e.g., it's hard to find truckers and walking couriers);
• not enough cross disciplinary offerings to support the kind of knowledge and skills needed for innovation and application of urban goods movement;  
• lack of adequate training for current and emerging urban goods-related areas;
• day-to-day pressures mean little time for training and upgrading even if it's made available.

Pace

• timing, scheduling, are becoming more demanding (globalization, faster marketplace, relentless competition, e-commerce);
• the lifespan of goods is getting shorter (in turn incurring environmental and sustainability impacts).

Canadian Geography and Climate

• different needs in different parts of the country and in different sized cities;
• climate restricts marine and some other movement seasonally;
• large centres with lengths of sparseness in between pose particular challenges;
• predominance of north south movement (with the exception of "the land bridge") means Canada is very much affected by US policies and practices;
• there are 4 to 5 vs. 45 (US) key goods movement regions in Canada, all spread apart (hence no fallback networks in the case of one faltering).

Culture

• Canadian: innovative yet risk averse;
• Culture of transportation industry based on secure investment;
• Canadian: less sense of duty or responsibility for data collection and reporting (than in US);
• North American reticence for taxation solutions;
• North Americanized predilection for SUVs and big box.

KEY FINDINGS

Drivers of Integrated, Sustainable Urban Goods Movement 

Economic - Private Sector

• financial returns related to increased efficiency (so that transportation becomes a smaller proportion of the overall cost of producing and distributing a good)
• better ease of movement and less time lost in traffic (e.g., Boeing relocation)
• more efficient systems resulting in better productivity / competitiveness
• payback schemes to incent initial investments
• government investment ("nothing motivates like seed money")
• government incentives, tax breaks, and / or funding
• financial penalties for less efficient / desirable / clean practices

Economic - Public Sector

• improved regional and national economy and competitiveness related to efficient goods and people movement (and conversely if people can't take goods to market, that resonates)
• decreased congestion costs, health costs, environmental cleanup costs
• labour market improvements / efficiencies û (including ease of getting to work related to reduced congestion)
• environmental benefits including improved air quality and reduced GHGs

Competition and Buyer Demand

• introduction by competitors of new approaches and technologies into marketplace
• buyers demanding new approaches from suppliers (e.g., Wal-Mart and RFID tags)

Governance

• overall vision of coordinated urban / regional goods movement network (wide ranging strategy / guidelines based on in-depth widely represented dialogue and understanding, not an externally imposed masterplan or blueprint or fragmented legislation). While private market factors play a major role in urban goods movement practices, principles and actions to guide coordination are necessary.
• facilitation of partnerships across all urban goods movement- related sectors (to engender a sense of ownership, trust and transparency)
• political leadership and commitment
• commitment of investment (financial, human, and other resources)
• (consistent) legislation and policy to support coordinated urban goods movement (mandate for urban goods movement - "teeth")
• incentives and restrictions related to: 
  - product and technology development 
  - service delivery 
  - innovation 
  - financing
• coordination amongst all levels of government

Commitment, Leadership, Profile

• individuals within the company or department who are committed to innovation, environment, and integration can inspire long term organizational culture shift (e.g., the Bay, Transport Canada)
• improved profile related to integrated urban goods movement

Safety

• and related cost savings / profile, both public and private

Livability (Social / Environmental)

• public sector - attract and keep people and businesses in the region
• private sector - attract and keep skilled, healthy, productive workers

R & D MENU OF OPTIONS

1. SECURING DATA 
2. CASE STUDIES AND BEST PRACTICES 
3. ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS 
4. INTERMODAL AND SUPPLY CHAIN EFFICIENCIES INCLUDING BORDER CROSSINGS 
5. TECHNOLOGY: ITS,TELEMATICS AND INTERNET SOLUTIONS 
6. URBAN, LAND USE AND TRAFFIC PLANNING SOLUTIONS 
7. FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC SOLUTIONS 
8. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EMPLOYMENT 
9. POLICIES AND LEGISLATION 
10. PARTNERSHIPS FOR ACTION 

1. SECURING DATA 

Support the Collection, Analysis, (GIS) Mapping, Integrated Modeling, and Dissemination of Data and Information Relevant to Achieving Integrated, Efficient, Sustainable Urban Goods Movement

In addressing the major lack of urban goods movement data in Canada, respondents emphasized the need to first establish key relevant data needs (in order to avoid duplication of efforts or the collection of irrelevant data) and to determine approaches and methodologies for collecting data that build trust and transcend proprietary limitations.

Data needs first emphasized were the characteristics of what, where, and how goods are currently being moved in city regions, such as:

• origins and destinations by mode (rail, marine, air, truck, taxi, personal automobile, bicycle and foot courier) 
• types of goods
• value of goods
• vehicle counts
• vehicle weight
• axle configuration
• types and sizes of loads and configuration of vehicles used
• composition of fleets and turnovers including mix and age of vehicles
• delivery times and peak and off-peak hours
• goods movement patterns / characteristics, for example: 
  - locational demands and changing patterns of demand 
  - identifying end destination vs. through-traffic in regions 
  - traffic generated by intermodal hubs 
  - general modelling of bottle-necks and delays 
  - vehicle speeds and travel times over road / corridor segments
• border crossing data
• current Transportation Capacity (asset base)

Data needs also included understanding the effects and impacts of goods movement (both positive and negative):

• on the economy (by mode and across modes) and on regional competitiveness; 
• on the relationship of urban goods movement with economic production, trade, and trade surplus; 
• on the environment and air quality (by mode and across modes); 
• on infrastructure (e.g., heavy trucks and pavement impact); 
• on passenger movement and resulting productivity and quality of life factors; 
• on noise incidence and impacts; 
• on public health; on safety and security; 
• on general social factors, quality of life, and employment; 
• effects of e-commerce, Just-In-Time, sole-sourcing (greater distances between production facilities) warehouse consolidation, inventory reduction, globalization (e.g., increasing number of products being shipped from great distances) and other emerging trends and practices on goods volume and flow and related congestion and pollution. 

Finally, there was a need for integrated analysis and forecasting, including:

• Forecasting future urban goods movement demand and assessing its economic impact (to support rationalization and prioritization of major transportation infrastructure decisions); 
• Forecasting flows on networks to assess and evaluate the opportunity of specific infrastructure project or policy implementation (including TDM); 
• Analysis of the optimal balance between modes, types of goods, types and times of delivery, across the entire supply chain and across passenger and goods movement, to balance economic, environmental, and social factors (based on common assumptions across modes and systems). For example: 
  - full cost accounting by mode and optimal mode for purpose 
  - long haul vs. short haul and the relative efficiency of getting long haul closer to the user 
  - which activities require Just-In-Time 
  - how rail and marine could better meet user needs 
  - options for non-traditional cargo by mode 
  - considerations of weather / climate for all modes and by specific mode e.g., marine's limitations for 3 months of the year 
  - conflict points and balancing points between movement of people and goods 
  - time series data to relate current and future goods movement trends

2. CASE STUDIES AND BEST PRACTICES

Supporting dissemination of case studies and reports was identified as very important to better understanding urban goods movement issues and options. 

In particular, case studies were seen as useful:

• to illustrate that solutions exist (inspire hope); 
• to provide lessons learned - good and bad, not solely "best" practices; 
• to avoid duplication of efforts and to build on what has been done in Europe, the US, Asia, and elsewhere - "a glimpse of the future"; 
• to understand how to implement / adapt these options (how things really work); 
• to inspire transfer of innovation / solutions from one sector to another; 
• to provide benchmarks for achieving integrated urban goods movement; to promote communication amongst urban goods movement players. 

Case studies are different from best practices which are closer to standards and operating practices. Case studies do not have to be "best" but rather can communicate lessons learned, both positive and negative.

It was noted that the case studies and reports are very dispersed among sources and sectors, and that a clearing house of searchable, annotated information links related to urban goods movement would be very useful.

A number of specific case studies were sited over the course of the interviews. Extensive case study research and writing was not within the scope of this very time-limited exercise however Appendix Four includes a listing of some key sources for urban goods movement-related case studies and reports.

Support the Collection and Dissemination of Case Studies and Best Practices from around the world. These case studies should apply to both the demand side and the supply side of urban goods movement, including:

• data collection approaches including aggregate (nonproprietary) collection and distribution of proprietary data;
• emerging systems, technologies and approaches related to sustainable, integrated urban goods movement;
• financing mechanisms and solutions and economic approaches;
• knowledge development, education, skills training and employment, and career support;
• supportive and integrative policies and legislation;
• partnership, governance and institutional approaches;
• measurement tools (including emissions measurement) and indicators.

3. ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS 

Interviewees generally made a strong connection between efficiency, reduced environmental and social impacts, and improved bottom line, meaning sustainable, coordinated urban goods movement can be and often is win-win-win. Added benefits include improved corporate profile and community relations. However, it was noted that the initial high cost of increased environmental efficiency could often only be born by the larger companies, and that providing financial and tax and other incentives to greening efforts would allow a wider segment of the industry to reap the paybacks over time. 

Support environmental innovations and applications such as alternative fuels, efficient vehicles, and greening, including: 

• a range of current and emerging alternative fuel options (including biodiesel and natural gas); 
• posted speed limits to 100 km/h for goods carriers to support fuel efficiency; 
• driver training for CO2 reduction;  
• electric vehicles for a range of purposes (including municipal garbage fleets); 
• exploration of optimal vehicle sizes û smaller for more efficient urban movement, and larger for CO2 reduction for larger loads; 
• efficient vehicle and engine design (including hybrid railway engines); 
• human powered delivery including foot and cycle couriers and urban core deliveries by cargo bike; 
• sustainable mobility / passenger movement to support efficient urban goods movement; 
• greening of transportation hubs / interchanges, freight campuses, and ground airport facilities and connections; 
• life cycle analysis and Natural Step for both individual companies and for the entire the supply chain; 
• financial and tax incentives for greening initiatives; 
• environmental measurement approaches, such as the US EPA's SmartWay. 

4. INTERMODAL AND SUPPLY CHAIN EFFICIENCIES INCLUDING BORDER CROSSINGS 

Goods movement's supply chain approach generally surpasses efforts and successes in integrating passenger movement. Yet even better and more efficient movement across the supply chain, especially in urban areas, was seen as key. Such integration can be facilitated by improved communication, technologies, systems, and partnerships. 

Support the development and application of integration approaches and technologies that bridge modes, sectors, and jurisdictions, and make better use of and build on existing assets, including: 

• intermodal systems and technologies that better link any or all of: truck, train, marine, air, bicycle, foot (and explore current truck-air trend); 
• physical consolidation 
  - freight campuses, logistics centres and reload centres (including servicing by rail) - understand pre-requisites for peak efficiency, and options for avoiding throughtraffic related to logistics centres and resulting impacts in major urban centres. Explore airport drop-off facilities. 
  - retail consolidation - suppliers and buyers clustered, e.g., hospitals, food terminals 
• research "invisible" components of urban goods supply chain including taxi, personal automobile, and foot and cycle couriers to support greater efficiencies and links, especially related to "the last mile" of the supply chain; 
• explore and support the development of new enterprises that link systems (for example at BCE Place in Toronto there is a package drop off desk that services the whole building and saves time and hassle for couriers, as well as congestion and pollution effects of waiting in traffic); 
• explore design solutions to maximize efficiencies across the supply chain including product design and reduced packaging, integrated system design, and urban design (see also urban solutions section); 
• Information management to support seamlessness and timeliness of transfers; 
• ITS applications that link modes, services, enterprises and institutions, as well as passenger and goods movement functions (see ITS section); 
• cross-utilization of existing metropolitan passenger networks for urban goods movement (including rail, subway, marine); 
• communication / partnerships / human interaction to support integration across the supply chain e.g., enhanced supplier / buyer relationships / communication; 
• policy, legislative and institutional approaches to support integration, as well as integration / rationalization of the policies themselves. 

5.TECHNOLOGY: ITS, TELEMATICS AND INTERNET SOLUTIONS 

ITS is already a key enhancer for goods movement in general and could have an increasing role in urban goods movement. Canada has pioneered a range of ITS and telecommunications applications that relate to urban goods movement however much remains to be explored and developed in this area. Most large companies develop and employ sophisticated ITS applications to make their operations more efficient, however, there is great potential for ITS to address sparse and fragmented information and coordination of smaller movements, as well as coordination between all urban goods players. 

Some ITS applications that relate to urban goods movement include telematics, trucking communications, GPS / satellite positioning and real time traffic data, transponders, cell phones, AVM (automated vehicle monitoring), scheduling, and much more. 

Support the development and application of ITS, telematics, and modeling systems and technologies: 

• to support greater efficiency by mode / sector; 
• to link modes, services, enterprises and institutions; 
• for route optimization and load optimization of all individual modes and across modes and services, and to enable virtual trans-shipment schemes, such as Freight Traders in Europe where loads are auctioned on the internet; 
• to support supply chain efficiencies, inventory control, and information control (e.g., Walmart's RFID); 
• to support efficient border crossings (e.g., pre-clearance, information gathering, electronic seals and transponders, weight in motion, displaying delays or length of queues, etc.); 
• to enable aggregate information gathering of proprietary urban goods movement information; 
• to provide advanced traveller information including weather information (and to employ vehicles as important traveller information sources); 
• to support information about and coordination of smaller urban goods movements / "the last mile"; 
• system modelling and activity modelling to support planning; 
• to support greater integration of / balance between passenger and urban goods movement; 
• to support more efficient passenger movement such as congestion pricing applications, smart cards, traveler information, and more. 

6. URBAN, LAND USE AND TRAFFIC PLANNING SOLUTIONS 

One of the key R & D needs cited focused on how to facilitate and plan for the movement of goods into and around urban areas. While the Europeans and Asians with their denser urban cores and narrower streets have had to face the challenge earlier, Canadian cities are just now beginning to see urban goods movement as an increasingly important part of urban / land use planning and traffic planning. A few reasons have been suggested for this gap to date: 

• only now are we running out of infrastructure capacity, necessitating "smarter" solutions; 
• goods movement has traditionally been seen as a private sector activity, to be addressed by economic development planners if anything, and traditionally not transportation planners; 
• when faced with a challenge in urban goods movement, private sector players tend to find ways around it rather than to organize a collective or planning / policy solution; 
• the multi-faceted nature of urban goods movements, especially the smaller ones, obscures their significant cumulative effects (and the hope of satisfying solutions) with the result that the urgency of goods movement planning is obscured by the seemingly more pressing need for people movement planning; 
• there is insufficient information on the many smaller and sometimes "invisible" goods movements in the city, for example, smaller trucks, taxi cabs, cycle and walking couriers, and private automobiles. For example, 20% of the car trips in Toronto are for transporting food. There are thousands of bike and foot deliveries per day in most major cities. 

The tide seems to be turning in Canada for urban and regional planning related to urban goods movement, as evidenced by the number of suggested areas of exploration listed below, and by the emergence of Freight Stakeholder Partnerships and other urban and regional efforts across Canada. 

Support and explore the following urban planning approaches to urban goods movement: 

• Land Use and Urban Design 
• Demand Management 
• Coordination of Smaller (Capillary) Movements 
• Local Production and Distribution 

Land Use and Urban Design 

• develop a better understanding of the relationship between land use and urban goods movement and make better links between urban goods movement and urbanism in general 
• promote development of overall municipal and regional land use policies (and long term plans) that are supportive of coordinated urban goods movement, and introduce urban goods movement that is balanced with passenger movement into smart growth / growth management strategies as a policy priority 
• explore a range of planning related issues including: 
  - locations of industrial parks and the effects of transportation (and accessibility issues) on decisions to locate businesses 
  - the development of freight as well as passenger corridors 
  - implications and solutions related to power centres / big box stores 
  - preferential zoning for urban goods movement purposes 
  - level crossings, grade separations, and overpasses 
  - proximity guidelines to address urban encroachment on railyards, marine hubs and logistics centres 
  - industrial tourism uses for urban goods movement hubs 

Demand Management 

• night-time and off-peak hour deliveries, possibly supported by unattended delivery systems; 
• planning of loading and unloading areas, lanes and back alleyways, and bays; 
• optimal parking configurations; 
• demand management around logistics / intermodal hubs; 
• demand management of urban goods through traffic (i.e., where goods pass from origin, through a city, to a destination elsewhere); 
• signalization to prioritize goods movement; 
• HOV, reserved lanes where warranted, delivery lanes, and priorities / segregation for urban goods carriers (possibly sharing with bus lanes); 
• for highways within regions: 
  - on-ramp and off-ramp planning for greater efficiency (especially around airports) 
  - hub and spoke configurations to reduce congestion and increase efficiencies 
• demand management for passenger vehicles to relieve congestion (including congestion pricing for passenger vehicles as well as tolling); 
• restriction of trucking on certain roads during peak periods. 

Coordination of Smaller (Capillary) Movements 

• better understand the benefits and options related to smaller "invisible" urban goods movements including smaller trucks, cabs, foot and cycling couriers, cargo bicycle and hand cart deliveries, "special purpose vehicles" and goods-related personal automobile trips; 
• support / enhance smaller movements that increase efficiency and reduce CO2, in particular human powered deliveries and courier systems (this could be supported by by-laws and financial incentives); 
• explore opportunities for integration of smaller vehicles and movements into the fabric of the city with design considerations to accommodate and coordinate this. This is currently an afterthought; 
• explore warehousing / distribution centre opportunities for small deliveries; 
• link the smaller vehicles and systems with the larger integrated system; 
• employ ITS technology and modeling to gather and analyse information and coordinate links with the smaller movements. 

Local Production and Distribution to Reduce the Need for Transport of Goods, including: 

• incentives for locally produced and distributed goods; 
• bulk purchasing opportunities to bring together and support local producers (including Community Shared Agriculture); 
• food production in the city, including roof-top gardens and food production buildings as in Holland. 

7. FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC SOLUTIONS 

While there are many benefits to coordinated urban goods movement, R & D costs money, as does the implementation of its results. The barrier to investments in increased urban goods movement efficiency needs to be addressed through a variety of existing and innovative funding and financing mechanisms. 

Explore improved and innovative financing and funding mechanisms, including: 

• implications and applications of: 
  - taxation and alternative tax structures, such as: 
      - emissions taxes and rebates 
      - carbon tax 
      - relieving property taxes on goods movement properties 
  - user pay / road tolls on new construction 
• public-private partnerships; 
• public and private funding for R & D and pilots that support integration and GHG reduction related to urban goods movement; free trade zones to provide employment opportunities and tax advantages to corporations (assuming appropriate social and employment policies). 

8. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS,AND EMPLOYMENT 

Support skills development, training, knowledge networks, and labour research related to urban goods movement: 

• explore / research skills and knowledge gaps and needs related to urban goods movement; 
• support training (both academic and professional) for urban goods movement-related knowledge and skills development using both public and private sector delivery mechanisms. This should include knowledge of whole systems as well as specific skills such as better knowledge of how to more optimally use existing technologies that are already in place. 
• explore labour-related issues including job stress, hours of work and work loads, wage and benefits issues (especially for truckers and foot and bike couriers) and labour force transitions related to urban goods movement; 
• explore job creation opportunities related to urban goods movement, as well as better marketing and communication around urban goods movement jobs and careers. 

9. POLICIES AND LEGISLATION 

Throughout the interviews policy and legislation and the ways in which they play out for urban goods movement were cited and are included within other sections of this report, however suggestions were by no means exhaustive. This was expressed as an area in need of further and more focused exploration. A review of current policies and policy players affecting and affected by urban goods movement, as well as enabling policies from elsewhere, would be a useful resource. 

Support policies and legislation that encourage coordinated, efficient, sustainable urban goods movement. 

R & D related to policies and legislation can support a number of urban goods movement goals, including: 

• improving understanding of the many and various policies and legislation related to urban goods movement; 
• removing barriers to coordinated, sustainable urban goods movement; 
• providing incentives towards coordinated, sustainable urban goods movement (including the relationship with passenger movement); 
• harmonizing policies and legislation across levels of government and jurisdictions; 
• communicating the importance of urban goods movement and providing a focus for a coordinated urban goods movement framework in Canada; 
• illuminating areas for public investment in urban goods movement; 
• supporting urban goods movement partnerships including a Canada-wide network, and urban / regional Freight Stakeholder Partnerships. 

10. PARTNERSHIPS FOR ACTION 

Support development of Freight Stakeholder Councils and a wider Urban Goods Movement Network for Canada. 

Appendix Three, prepared by the Canadian Urban Institute, outlines the benefits of regional Freight Stakeholder Partnerships (FSP's) for identifying and undertaking coordinated R & D and action on urban goods movement within specific regions. It outlines various approaches to FSP's citing selected examples from Canada and elsewhere. 

More broadly, there was great interest regarding the development of a multi-sectoral network of urban goods movement players in Canada. The network would be supported with up-to-date, relevant information, resources, and events. If done well, it was seen as a mechanism for information sharing, building trust, establishing ongoing buy-in, and collectively establishing a higher profile for sustainable urban goods movement in Canada. It was noted that industry associations can be a good first step for information dissemination that is distilled to meet specific industry needs. 

Building on the evolving urban goods movement network to date, the following activities were considered useful for the network: 

• establishment of regular electronic communication with urban goods movement players across Canada to share relevant trends, case study profiles, and reports on urban goods movement; 
• organization of a cross-Canada conference on urban goods movement, with the potential for evolution to an annual or bi-annual conference and industry-specific events; 
• development of key resources to support urban goods movement players across sectors; 
• working groups addressing R & D, and a Canada-wide urban goods movement framework, as well as a number of specific topics; 
• links with international agencies and activities related to urban goods movement; 
• communication and research links amongst existing Canadian freight stakeholder partnerships and support for the establishment of new freight stakeholder partnerships in regions where they are needed (see Freight Stakeholder Council Summary with case studies, Appendix Three) 

When asked which industries / areas to include in this network beyond those currently represented by the interviews and advisors, respondents suggested: chambers of commerce and boards of trade; heritage groups and community preservation groups around ports; Mayors; municipal planners; psychologists and sociologists; and tourism representatives (for both effects on tourism and for industrial tourism opportunities). 

CONCLUSIONS 

Based on interviews with 40 key urban goods movement players from Canada and elsewhere, this report focused on the emerging importance of Urban Goods Movement to the competitiveness and livability of Canadian city regions. 

It outlined key barriers to coordinated urban goods movement as well as key drivers for success. General R & D needs were outlined but not prioritized. 

This could be the focus of future work by evolving urban goods partnerships. Appendix Three, prepared by the Canadian Urban Institute, outlined the benefits of Urban Freight Stakeholder Partnerships in planning for and achieving coordinated, efficient, sustainable urban goods movement, and Appendix Four offered a preliminary list of sources for case studies and reports related to urban goods movement. 

Responses to the interview questions were generally enthusiastic and very supportive of better coordination of urban goods movement in Canadian cities. Respondents were very much in favour of increased collaboration both through Urban Freight Stakeholder Partnerships and through the development of a wider network of urban goods movement players across Canada. Overall responses pointed to the need to do work: 

• to gather better information on the state of urban goods movement in Canadian cities (we know very little); 
• to establish a better profile for the importance of urban goods movement to our economy and quality of life; 
• to identify a wider range of Canadian urban goods movement players across sectors and to support their individual and joint efforts related to sustainable, efficient urban goods movement; 
• to build on and connect existing Canadian successes in urban goods movement; 
• to gain knowledge about, borrow, and adapt and implement successful approaches from around the world; 
• to develop policies, legislation, and funding and financing mechanisms (both comprehensive and specific) to support coordinated urban goods movement in Canada; 
• to identify and support innovation and export potential for Canadian urban goods movement innovations and successes.

 It was generally noted, based on experience elsewhere, that the public sector and in particular, the federal government, could play a strong and positive role in the development of sustainable, efficient urban goods movement in Canada. Suggested roles included but are not limited to: 

• communication and partnerships with urban goods movement players across Canada, to support a higher profile for urban goods movement, and to facilitate joint research and action that build on and connect local and international successes; 
• development of policies, legislation and guidelines to support coordinated, efficient, sustainable urban goods movement; 
• working with other levels of government to better coordinate policies and legislation related to coordinated, efficient, sustainable urban goods movement; 
• facilitation of the development of a common framework for coordinated urban goods movement in Canada; 
• funding key urban goods movement research and action and participating in public private partnerships for pilots and ongoing urban goods movement activities; 
• providing human resources and expertise to support urban goods movement networks and action; 
• supporting and networking Urban Freight stakeholder partnerships as well as the development of a broader urban goods movement network across Canada.

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Date modified:

2010-03-15

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