In the Media

The Urban Freight Lab at the University of Washington’s Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center in Seattle plans to expand a pilot program of shared automated locker systems in 2020, locating them in public and private load/unload spaces near transit stops.

Everyone vies for curb space: taxis, Ubers, delivery trucks, buses, bicycles, and residents. Seattle and the University of Washington have a research consortium—which includes Ford, GM, Nordstrom, PepsiCo, and others—dedicated to researching how to move goods “the final 50 feet” between the curb and a home or store.  

Helping commercial drivers find room to park and speed up their deliveries is more effective than handing out tickets for double-parking.

Can parcel lockers ease urban gridlock? Anne Goodchild blogs on the latest Urban Freight Lab research for ASCM.

By Linda Baker The Urban Freight Lab (UFL) is hosting its third annual Tech Day: Transforming the Final 50 Feet of Delivery, a pitch competition for innovators improving the last leg of the urban goods delivery system, also known as the final 50 feet. That stretch begins at the load/unload space located at the curb, in an alley or a private loading bay; and follows delivery operators as they maneuver sidewalks, intersections and security in buildings; and ends when the customer receives their goods. 

Anne Goodchild weighs in on the environmental impact of "absurdly fast shipping" for CNN Business.

“I have tried to take on differences in culture, priorities, and objectives, and build those perspectives into my research," said Anne Goodchild.

Geekwire reports on an Xinova rapid session with innovators—including our own Chelsea Greene—with the goal of fighting malaria through supply chain data.

Chelsea Greene’s passion lies in developing optimization models to support a coordinated effort in building sustainable and resilient critical infrastructure, supply chain and logistics systems. 

“On-demand delivery is all about the timing. This is the No. 1 differentiator of on-demand from last-mile delivery,” explains Barb Ivanov, director, Urban Freight Lab.

The multifaceted business plan is smart, says Anne Goodchild, who runs the Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center at the University of Washington. 

Pepsi Beverages is the latest company to join the Urban Freight Lab, a public-private partnership working to streamline the delivery process.

"Rethinking how to use the load/unload space is now necessary," says Barbara Ivanov.

In the past 10 years, the increase in e-commerce caused delivery truck traffic to double — there's currently one internet-based delivery a day per 25 Americans — and it's expected to double again in the next five years. A study by the University of Washington's Urban Freight Lab found that delivery trucks in downtown Seattle double-park, or otherwise park illegally, for about half of delivery stops. 

Barbara Ivanov, director of an urban-freight lab at the University of Washington, said delivery companies won’t be able to add enough trucks during peak hours in congested cities:“it’s impossible to fit them in.”