Paper

Do Commercial Vehicles Cruise for Parking? Empirical Evidence from Seattle

URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.06.013

Publication: Transport Policy

Volume: 97

Pages: 26-36

Publication Date: 2020

Summary:

Parking cruising is a well-known phenomenon in passenger transportation, and a significant source of congestion and pollution in urban areas. While urban commercial vehicles are known to travel longer distances and to stop more frequently than passenger vehicles, little is known about their parking cruising behavior, nor how parking infrastructure affect such behavior.

In this study we propose a simple method to quantitatively explore the parking cruising behavior of commercial vehicle drivers in urban areas using widely available GPS data, and how urban transport infrastructure impacts parking cruising times.

We apply the method to a sample of 2900 trips performed by a fleet of commercial vehicles, delivering and picking up parcels in Seattle downtown. We obtain an average estimated parking cruising time of 2.3 minutes per trip, contributing on average for 28 percent of total trip time. We also found that cruising for parking decreased as more curb-space was allocated to commercial vehicles load zones and paid parking and as more off-street parking areas were available at trip destinations, whereas it increased as more curb space was allocated to bus zone.

Authors: Dr. Anne GoodchildDr. Giacomo Dalla Chiara

Recommended Citation:
Dalla Chiara, Giacomo, & Goodchild, Anne. (2020) Do Commercial Vehicles Cruise for Parking? Empirical Evidence from Seattle. Transport Policy, 97, 26-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.06.013

Paper

Changing University Student Perceptions of Freight Transportation

URL: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EI.1943-5541.0000182

Publication: Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice (American Society of Civil Engineers)

Volume: 140

Publication Date: 2013

Summary:

This study examines civil engineering students’ perceptions of freight transportation and its impacts on the environment and society. Research and anecdotal evidence suggests students enter into the field of transportation because they want to improve systems that impact the environment and/or society, and despite freight transportation’s increasing momentum as an emerging industry and research path, freight is often perceived as counter to sustainability, focused solely on profitability, and thus not as appealing to transportation students. This paper investigates whether increased exposure to and knowledge of freight transportation can change students’ perceptions of the field by either illustrating the potential for future environmental and sustainability gains within freight transportation or by illustrating the relationships between freight transportation and other contemporary transportation issues. Perceptions of students who took introductory freight transportation classes at several universities were measured using precourse and postcourse surveys to help better understand the influence of increased knowledge in freight transportation. Results indicate that after students have taken an introductory freight class, they more strongly agreed that there are sustainability improvements and gains to be had within freight transportation. Additionally, students made stronger connections between freight transportation and contemporary freight transportation issues after taking a freight class. These findings indicate that introductory freight transportation courses are useful in helping students understand the importance of and develop an interest in freight transportation.

Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Kelly Pitera

Recommended Citation:
Pitera, K., & Goodchild, A. (2013). Changing university student perceptions of freight transportation. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 140(1), 04013009.

Paper

Land Use Policies and Transport Emissions: Modeling the Impact of Trip Speed, Vehicle Characteristics and Residential Location

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URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2013.10.011

Publication: Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment

Volume: 26

Pages: 47-51

Publication Date: 2014

Summary:

This study employs a multilevel model to compare the influence of land use on transportation emissions in urban and suburban areas when considering trip speed and vehicle characteristics. In the existing literature, transportation emissions are calculated with aggregate travel activity and emissions factors, however, emissions factors are sensitive to trip speed and vehicle characteristics, implying that considering those factors can change transportation emissions as well as the estimated effects of the built environment. Our results show that indeed this true.

Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Jinhyun Honga

Recommended Citation:
Hong, Jinhyun, and Anne Goodchild. "Land use policies and transport emissions: Modeling the impact of trip speed, vehicle characteristics and residential location." Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 26 (2014): 47-51.

Paper

A Methodology for Forecasting Freeway Travel Time Reliability Using GPS Data

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URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2017.05.461

Publication: Transportation Research Procedia

Volume: 25

Pages: 842-852

Publication Date: 2017

Summary:

The objective of this paper is to develop a methodology for forecasting freeway vehicle travel time reliability for transportation planning using probe GPS data. Travel time reliability is measured using the coefficient of variation of the GPS spot (instantaneous) speed distribution. The proposed approach establishes relationships between travel time reliability and roadway traffic density in order to forecast reliability given future traffic conditions. The travel time reliability and traffic density datasets are segmented into different homogenous groups using the K-means cluster algorithm and the corresponding reliability-density relationship of each cluster is fitted by minimizing squared errors. This paper employs a truck probe GPS dataset as an example to demonstrate the proposed approach. The approach can be applied with any GPS datasets for forecasting reliability.

Authors: Dr. Anne GoodchildDr. Ed McCormack, Zun Wang

Recommended Citation:
Wang, Zun, Anne Goodchild, and Edward McCormack. A Methodology for Forecasting Freeway Travel Time Reliability Using GPS Data. Transportation Research Procedia, (25) 842–852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2017.05.461

Paper

GPS Data Analysis of the Impact of Tolling on Truck Speed and Routing: A Case Study in Seattle, WA

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URL: https://doi.org/10.3141/2411-14

Publication: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

Volume: 2411:01:00

Pages: 112-119

Publication Date: 2014

Summary:

Roadway tolls are designed to raise revenue to fund transportation investments and manage travel demand and as such may affect transportation system performance and route choice. Yet, limited research has quantified the impact of tolling on truck speed and route choice because of the lack of truck-specific movement data. Most existing tolling impact studies rely on surveys in which drivers are given several alternative routes and their performance characteristics and asked to estimate route choices. The limitations of such an approach are that the results may not reflect actual truck route choices and the surveys are costly to collect. The research described in this paper used truck GPS data to observe empirical responses to tolling, following the implementation of a toll on the State Route 520 (SR-520) bridge in Seattle, Washington. Truck GPS data were used to evaluate route choice and travel speed along SR-520 and the alternate toll-free Route I-90. It was found that truck travel speed on SR-520 improved after tolling, although travel speed on the alternative toll-free Route I-90 decreased during the peak period. A set of logit models was developed to determine the influential factors in truck routing. The results indicated that travel time, travel time reliability, and toll rate were all influential factors during peak and off-peak periods. The values of truck travel time during various time periods were estimated, and it was found that the values varied with the definition of peak and off-peak periods.

Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Zun Wang

Recommended Citation:
Wang, Zun, and Anne V. Goodchild. “GPS Data Analysis of the Impact of Tolling on Truck Speed and Routing.” Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, vol. 2411, no. 1, 2014, pp. 112–119., doi:10.3141/2411-14.

Paper

The Impact of Truck Arrival Information on System Efficiency at Container Terminals

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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/2162-03

Publication: Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

Volume: 2162

Pages: 17-24

Publication Date: 2010

Summary:

This paper quantifies the benefits to drayage trucks and container terminals from a data-sharing strategy designed to improve operations at the drayage truck-container terminal interface. This paper proposes a simple rule for using truck information to reduce container rehandling work and suggests a method for evaluating yard crane productivity and truck transaction time. Various scenarios with different levels of information quality are considered to explore how information quality affects system efficiency (i.e., truck wait time and yard crane productivity). Different block configurations and truck arrival rates are also investigated to evaluate the effectiveness of truck information under various system configurations. The research demonstrates that a small amount of truck information can significantly improve crane productivity and reduce truck delay, especially for those terminals operating near capacity or using intensive container stacking, and that complete truck arrival sequence information is not necessary for system improvement.

Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Wenjuan Zhao

Recommended Citation:
Zhao, Wenjuan, and Anne V. Goodchild. “Impact of Truck Arrival Information on System Efficiency at Container Terminals.” Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, vol. 2162, no. 1, 2010, pp. 17–24., doi:10.3141/2162-03.

Paper

How to Improve Urban Delivery Routes’ Efficiency Considering Cruising for Parking Delays

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URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4183322

Publication Date: 2022

Summary:

This paper explores the value of providing parking availability data in urban environments for commercial vehicle deliveries. The research investigated how historic cruising and parking delay data can be leveraged to improve the routes of carriers in urban environments to increase cost efficiency. To do so, the research developed a methodology consisting of a travel time prediction model and a routing model to account for parking delay estimates. The method was applied both to a real-world case study to show its immediate application potential and to a synthetic data set to identify environments and route characteristics that would most benefit from considering this information.

Results from the real-world data set showed a mean total drive time savings of 1.5 percent. The synthetic data set showed a potential mean total drive time savings of 21.6 percent, with routes with fewer stops, a homogeneous spatial distribution, and a higher cruising time standard deviation showing the largest savings potential at up to 62.3 percent. The results demonstrated that higher visibility of curb activity for commercial vehicles can reduce time per vehicle spent in urban environments, which can decrease the impact on congestion and space use in cities.

Authors: Fiete KruteinDr. Giacomo Dalla ChiaraDr. Anne Goodchild, Todor Dimitrov (University of Washington Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering)

Recommended Citation:
Krutein, Klaas Fiete and Dalla Chiara, Giacomo and Dimitrov, Todor and Goodchild, Anne, How to Improve Urban Delivery Routes' Efficiency Considering Cruising for Parking Delays. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4183322

Paper

An Agent-Based Simulation Assessment Of Freight Parking Demand Management Strategies For Large Urban Freight Generators

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URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2022.100804

Publication: Research in Transportation Business & Management

Volume: 42

Publication Date: 2022

Summary:

A growing body of research looks specifically at freight vehicle parking choices for purposes of deliveries to street retail, and choice impacts on travel time/uncertainty, congestion, and emissions. However, little attention was given to large urban freight traffic generators, e.g., shopping malls and commercial buildings with offices and retail. These pose different challenges to manage freight vehicle parking demand, due to the limited parking options. To study these, we propose an agent-based simulation approach which integrates data-driven parking-choice models and a demand/supply simulation model. A case study compares demand management strategies (DMS), influencing parking choices, and their impact in reducing freight vehicle parking externalities, such as traffic congestion. DMS include changes to parking capacity, availability, and pricing as well as services (centralized receiving) and technology-based solutions (directed parking). The case study for a commercial region in Singapore shows DMS can improve travel time, parking costs, emission levels and reducing the queuing. This study contributes with a generalizable method, and to local understanding of technology and policy potential. The latter can be of value for managers of large traffic generators and public authorities as a way to understand to select suitable DMS.

Authors: Dr. Giacomo Dalla Chiara, Andre Alho, Simon Oh, Ravi Seshadri, Wen Han Chong, Takanori Sakai, Lynette Cheah, Moshe Ben-Akiva

Recommended Citation:
Alho, A., Oh, S., Seshadri, R., Dalla Chiara, G., Chong, W. H., Sakai, T., Cheah, L., & Ben-Akiva, M. (2022). An agent-based simulation assessment of freight parking demand management strategies for large urban freight generators. Research in Transportation Business & Management, 42, 100804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2022.100804

Paper

Exploring Benefits of Cargo-Cycles Versus Trucks for Urban Parcel Delivery Under Different Demand Scenarios

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URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198120917162

Publication: Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

Publication Date: 2020

Summary:

Urban deliveries are traditionally carried out with vans or trucks. These vehicles tend to face parking difficulties in dense urban areas, leading to traffic congestion. Smaller and nimbler vehicles by design, such as cargo-cycles, struggle to compete in distance range and carrying capacity. However, a system of cargo-cycles complemented with strategically located cargo-storing hubs can overcome some limitations of the cargo-cycles. Past research provides a limited perspective on how demand characteristics and parking conditions in urban areas are related to potential benefits of this system. To fill this gap, we propose a model to simulate the performance of different operational scenarios—a truck-only scenario and a cargo-cycle with mobile hubs scenario—under different delivery demand and parking conditions. We apply the model to a case study using data synthesized from observed freight-carrier demand in Singapore. The exploration of alternative demand scenarios informs how demand characteristics influence the viability of the solution. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis clarifies the contributing factors to the demonstrated results. The combination of cargo-cycles and hubs can achieve progressive reductions in kilometers-traveled and hours-traveled up to around densities of 150 deliveries/km ² , beyond which savings taper off. Whereas the reduction in kilometers-traveled is influenced by the the carrying capacity of the cargo-cycle, the reduction in hours-traveled is related to to the cargo-cycle ability to effectively decrease the parking dwell time by reducing, for instance, the time spent searching for parking and the time spent walking to a delivery destination.

Authors: Dr. Giacomo Dalla Chiara, André Romano Alho, Cheng Cheng, Moshe Ben-Akiva, Lynette Cheah

Recommended Citation:
Dalla Chiara, Giacomo and Alho, André Romano and Cheng Cheng, Moshe Ben-Akiva and Cheah, Lynette. “Exploring Benefits of Cargo-Cycles versus Trucks for Urban Parcel Delivery under Different Demand Scenarios.” Transportation Research Record, (May 2020). doi:10.1177/0361198120917162.

Paper

Understanding the Use of the Curb Space and Alley for Unloading and Loading Operations: A Seattle Case Study

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Publication: VREF: Current Issues Influencing Urban Freight Research

Publication Date: 2018

Summary:

Purpose: The increasing growth of e-commerce has been putting pressure on local governments to rethink how they manage street curb parking and alley operations for trucks and other delivery vehicles. Many studies state that the competition for space among road users and the lack of adequate infrastructure force delivery drivers to either search for vacant spaces or park in unsuitable areas; which negatively impacts road capacity and causes inconvenience to other users of the road (Butrina et al. (2017); Dablanc & Beziat (2015); Aiura & Taniguchi (2005)).

However, local governments often lack data about the current usage of the parking infrastructure, which is necessary to make well-informed decisions regarding freight planning, especially in dense, constrained urban areas.

For these reasons, the purpose of this research is to address the lack of information regarding the usage of the infrastructure at the public right of way used for freight and parcel load and unload operations.

Research Approach: The approach of this research is quantitative. The SCTL research team developed two independent data collection replicable methods to quantify the usage of (i) curb spaces and (ii) alleys in selected areas of Seattle’s One Center City.

Findings and Originality: This research presents two case studies for selected areas in Seattle’s One Center City area. The first one documents and analyzes the duration and types of curb spaces used by delivery vehicles in the surrounding area of five prototype buildings. We also considered all vehicles occupying on-street commercial vehicle load zones located in the study area. The second case study conducts an alley occupancy survey, looking into all parking activities (including trucks, vans, garbage collection vehicles, and passenger vehicles) in seven alleys. A total of twelve survey locations were monitored during 2-3 weekdays and 4-8 hours per day.

Research Impact: This research provides practical step-by-step methods to conduct occupancy studies of public parking for loading and loading operations, which helps to understand the current usage of a key piece of the infrastructure network. The results provide critical information to make well informed decisions regarding urban freight planning especially in dense, constrained urban areas.

Practical Impact :This research describes the steps required to develop an efficient and systematic data collection method to build a database that will provide evidence-based learning to Seattle local officials. By applying these quantitative methods, we provided decision support to pilot-test and potentially adopt solutions to improve the freight parking infrastructure performance.

Authors: Dr. Anne GoodchildJosé Luis Machado LeónGabriela Girón-Valderrama

Recommended Citation:
Giron-Valderrama, G., Machado-León, J. L., & Goodchild, A. Understanding the use of the curb space and alley for unloading and loading operations: A Seattle Case Study. VREF: Current Issues Influencing Urban Freight Research, 37.