Publications

Summary:
In Spring 2023, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) was awarded a Stage-1 grant under the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program by the US DOT.

Summary:
Evaluating health equity impacts of freight emissions is crucial for developing a sustainable and just freight system. It is a complex process that requires interdisciplinary knowledge, including transportation, environment, and public health. Full-chain simulation is an important approach for forecasting freight planning outcomes. However, a systematic framework that integrates available models in full-chain and is specifically designed for the freight sector has not been developed.

Summary:
New research from the Urban Freight Lab outlines how U.S. cities can advance zero-emission freight goals despite legal and regulatory barriers that limit the use of formal Zero- and Low-Emission Zones. The paper presents a practical four-part toolkit that combines incentive-based “pull” strategies with regulatory “push” tools, supported by real-world examples from cities including Portland, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, and New York.

Summary:
As freight demand grows, so do its negative externalities, such as health and environmental impacts. This study integrates a reduced-complexity air quality model (RCM) with a multimodal traffic assignment model to analyze the scenario in which trucks minimize their public health costs. The study compares the least health-cost path (LHCP) with the shortest, fastest, and least-emissions paths.

Summary:
Globalized production and the expansion of e-commerce have intensified urban road freight demand, exacerbating environmental impacts of cities and potential equity concerns across cities. These challenges have hindered progress toward Sustainable Development Goals 3, 10 and 11, yet long-term spatial trends remain understudied.

Summary:
Inefficient curb space allocation increases congestion and emissions at airports. Variable message signs (VMS) can alleviate this issue, guiding vehicles from congested to underutilized curbs. However, VMS effectiveness hinges on the right activation and deactivation timing. Using a microsimulation model of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, we analyzed the impacts of implementing VMS and determined the best time to turn the sign on and off.