In the Media

The University of Washington’s e-bike powered mail delivery program is reducing climate pollution and saving money, making it a model for college and corporate campuses nationwide.

E-commerce consumers “are much more attached to the logistical process,” said Travis Fried, a researcher at the University of Washington’s Urban Freight Lab. “We have much more control and much more power on those logistical decisions.”

In some urban areas, the majority of drivers' time is spent outside of vehicles, including searching for the right apartment, says Anne Goodchild, founding director of the Urban Freight Lab, which does research on urban freight and logistics issues at the University of Washington.

Giacomo Dalla Chiara, lead researcher at the Urban Freight Lab, says that about 28% of drivers' time during delivery is used searching for spots. In a project sponsored by the Energy Department, the lab deployed curb sensors in a Seattle neighborhood, transmitting real-time information about available parking spaces. Combining machine learning and sensor information, the system can predict when the spaces will be available—and direct drivers toward spots that are opening up while drivers are in transit.

Partnerships like the Urban Freight Lab are working collaboratively to fast-track last-mile solutions previously impossible due to mechanical and design constraints, revolutionizing the form factor of the bicycle and adapting vehicles to streets unfit for cars.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and the University of Washington’s Urban Freight Lab helped us celebrate the Pedaling Relief Project during a news conference at the University District Food Bank in October.

A recent Urban Freight Lab study found neighborhoods within two miles of Amazon's last-mile facilities experience double the traffic from delivery vehicles and trucks than other parts of the Seattle metro area. Author Travis Fried suggests these facilities should serve a more dynamic role beyond just storage spaces for goods — incorporating amenities like tennis courts, rooftop urban farms, or even data centers, transforming them into part of the urban landscape.

A new Urban Freight Lab white paper explores the transformative potential of electric cargo (e-cargo) bikes in revolutionizing urban freight systems across the U.S. and provides actionable recommendations, aiming to accelerate the development of local bike infrastructure, an essential factor for the widespread adoption of e-cargo bikes.

In a first-of-its-kind research project, Urban Freight Lab researchers studied the impact of pollution from delivering packages. They focused on Amazon 'last-mile' delivery stations in the Seattle metro area, the last stops before a package hits your doorstep, and found that people who live within 2 miles of these hubs are exposed to more delivery-related air pollution than people in outlying areas.

Urban Freight Lab study found that people who live within 2 miles of an Amazon last-mile delivery station are exposed to more delivery-related air pollution despite ordering fewer packages.

Seattle-area neighborhoods closer to Amazon delivery stations are subject to double the amount of truck traffic, according to this Urban Freight Lab study.

The Urban Freight Lab has recently published “Biking the Goods: How North American Cities Can Prepare for and Promote Large-Scale Adoption of E-Cargo Bikes,” which could be a helpful document for many of the key stakeholders in both the public and private sector.

According to the University of Washington's Urban Freight Lab and nonprofit People for Bikes, cargo bikes could play a major role in greening the delivery sector, which is responsible for a staggering 28% of greenhouse gas emissions in cities worldwide.

Discover how cities can enhance freight planning, reduce environmental impact, and harness the potential of innovative strategies like cargo bikes. Dr. Anne Goodchild shares insights from Seattle, explores global applicability, and discusses the crucial role of data in shaping the future of urban logistics in the U.S., as well as Europe.

Here’s what we’re doing to manage limited public space for deliveries Vehicle load zones: We at SDOT manage and install vehicle load zones throughout Seattle. These are important spaces along the curbs to allow people reliable access to load and unload and also allow freight and commercial vehicles to deliver their goods in a safe and timely way. With Seattle’s growth in recent years, demand for these spaces has increased, and we’re working hard to make these spaces work efficiently...