In the Media
It’s a common complaint: Uber and Lyft drivers in some of the most congested parts of Seattle stop in the middle of the road to pick up or drop off passengers, slowing traffic even further. A new University of Washington study explored is increasing curbside passenger loading zones where drivers could pull in, drop off or pick up riders, and take off — saving time and reducing aggravation on the road.
Keeping traffic flowing in Seattle is not an easy feat, especially when you factor in the stop-and-go maneuvering of ride-hailing vehicles such as those run by Uber and Lyft. Urbam Freight Lab researchers tested a way to ease the congestion.
By getting more people out of their personal cars and into more efficient modes — bikes, scooters, shared rides, and public transit — we believe we can help cities make more productive use out of their limited urban space. That’s why we’re proud to have supported recent research conducted by the University of Washington’s Urban Freight Lab and Sustainable Transportation Lab in cooperation with the Seattle Department of Transportation on how to improve traffic flow in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood.
According to Anne Goodchild, a professor and the founding director of the Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics program at the University of Washington, large trucks make sense in an older supply chain model, where you build large warehouses far outside cities and then truck packages in. This cute cargo e-bike is the latest experiment from delivery companies to utilize the air, the sidewalk, and the bike lane—anything but the street itself—to get packages to you faster.
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.