Enabling Factors and Durations Data Analytics for Dynamic Freight Parking Limits

Freight parking operations occur amid conflicting conditions of public space scarcity, competition with other users, and the inefficient management of loading zones (LZ) at cities’ curbside. The dynamic nature of freight operations, and the static LZ provision and regulation, accentuate these conflicting conditions at specific peak times. This generates supply–demand mismatches of parking infrastructure. These mismatches have motivated the development of Smart LZ that bring together technology, parking infrastructure, and data analytics to allocate space and define dynamic duration limits based on users’ needs. Although the dynamic duration limits unlock the possibility of a responsive LZ management, there is a narrow understanding of factors and analytical tools that support their definition. Therefore, the aim of this paper is twofold. Firstly, to identify factors for enabling dynamic parking durations policies. Secondly, to assess data analytics tools that estimate freight parking durations and LZ occupation levels based on operational and locational features. Semi-structured interviews and focus group analyses showed that public space use assessment, parking demand estimation, enforcement capabilities, and data sharing strategies are the most relevant factors when defining dynamic parking limits. This paper used quantitative models to assess different analytical tools that study LZ occupation and parking durations using tracked freight parking data from the City of Vic (Spain). CatBoost outperformed other machine learning (ML) algorithms and queuing models in estimating LZ occupation and parking durations. This paper contributes to the freight parking field by understanding how data analytics support dynamic parking limits definition, enabling responsive curbside management

Using digitalisation for data-driven freight curbside management. A perspective from urban transport planning

Given trends in urbanisation, e-commerce, active mobility and modal shifts, streets have sprung up as scenes of conflict where competing demands for curbside space have increased. Because public space is limited, urban transport planners are called to solve public space conflicts by defining how much space is allocated to specific users as a means to achieve sustainable cities. In the allocation of curbside space, freight parking operations are sometimes overlooked compared to other curbside uses such as private vehicles parking. However, limited space for freight deliveries generates negative impacts on urban traffic (e.g. due to double parking), as well as on emissions and companies’ efficiency (e.g. due to the need to cruise for parking). This thesis aims to contribute to current understandings of the need for and uses of data to inform curbside management decision-making for freight parking from the perspective of urban transport planning. To that end, a case study was conducted to collect and analyse data about freight curbside operations using quantitative and qualitative methods, and a cross-sectional research design facilitated the exploration of the impacts of curbside interventions on cities’ sustainability worldwide

Performance evaluation of stochastic systems with dedicated delivery bays and general on-street parking

As freight deliveries in cities increase due to retail fragmentation and e-commerce, parking is becoming a more and more relevant part of transportation. In fact, many freight vehicles in cities spend more time parked than they are moving. Moreover, part of the public parking space is shared with passenger vehicles, especially cars. Both arrival processes and parking and delivery processes are stochastic in nature. In order to develop a framework for analysis, we propose a queueing model for an urban parking system consisting of delivery bays and general on-street parking spaces. Freight vehicles may park both in the dedicated bays and in general on-street parking, while passenger vehicles only make use of general on-street parking. Our model allows us to create parsimonious insights into the behavior of a delivery bay parking stretch as part of a limited length of curbside. We are able to find explicit expressions for the relevant performance measures, and formally prove a number of monotonicity results. We further conduct a series of numerical experiments to show more intricate properties that cannot be shown analytically. The model helps us shed light onto the effects of allocating scarce urban curb space to dedicated unloading bays at the expense of general on-street parking. In particular, we show that allocating more space to dedicated delivery bays can also make passenger cars better off

Forces generated in the parking brake of the pallet locking system

Automatic parking systems are parking structures with a computer-controlled automated vehicle loading and unloading process using sophisticated technological equipment. The paper describes a construction design for a pallet locking system, which is used to lock parking pallets with or without a vehicle, at a particular location and floor, that is, in a rack cell. This is one of the basic design concept variants of "Multi-Tower" automatic parking systems. This concept makes it possible to store cars stacked in rack cells. Cars on pallets are guided to the vertical cells of the parking system, stacked above each other on pallets, by an electric freight traction elevator. Pallets are stacked into the horizontal cells, on either or both sides, on a given floor of the parking system by means of a chain transfer device. After the pallet has been guided to a particular position, the pallet must be fixed in this position by the pallet locking system so that when the vehicle needs to be retrieved, the chain transfer device can again latch onto it and move it to the traction lift cage without any problems. The locking system also functions as a brake for the pallet carrying the parked vehicle. The paper also presents the theoretical calculations of the pallet brake, which is a crucial element of the pallet locking system of the conceptual variant of the "MULTI TOWER" automatic parking system.Web of Science13418718

Commercial Vehicles, Fatigue, Parking and Safety

For commercial drivers, operator fatigue and parking in undesignated areas can result in dangerous collisions. Exacerbating this issue is a lack of freight truck parking, making it difficult for truck operators to find a safe spot when in need of rest. For bicyclists and pedestrians, loading and unloading commercial vehicles in downtowns also present hazards. Increasing the availability of legal truck parking could improve safety for all road users

MAASTO Regional Truck Parking Information Management System (TPIMS)

TPIMS uses technology to collect and broadcast real-time parking availability in an eight-state region with dynamic signs for high-freight corridors. Join us to learn about this information management system

Joint modeling of arrivals and parking durations for freight loading zones: Potential applications to improving urban logistics

This paper analyzes truck parking patterns in urban freight loading zones by jointly modeling the vehicle arrival rates and the parking durations. Three models were explored: 1) Count data (Negative Binomial) for vehicle arrivals, 2) Survival (Weibull) model for parking duration and 3) A joint model for arrivals and duration. The count data model estimates the parking demand i.e., the rate of truck arrival, while the survival model estimates the probability that a truck is parked for one more minute. The joint model is compared with separate models for predictability and performance. The dataset used in this research is obtained using a mobile phone parking application, at eight loading zones in the city Vic, Spain over an 18-month period from July 2018 to December 2019, comprised of vehicle parking durations, date, time of arrival and departure, professional activity, and vehicle type (weight). The parking activity data are complemented with built in environment variables of the loading zones, such as the number of establishments in a certain radius, the average walking distance to establishments, the presence of pedestrian pavement, the number of traffic lanes, among others. The joint model outperforms the models estimating the arrival rates and durations separately in goodness of fit and predictability. The model results showed that truck arrival rates vary significantly across days of the week, months, and arrival times. The parking durations are highly dependent on professional activity, vehicle type, and size. Tuesdays and Wednesdays have higher arrival rates compared to other days of a week (except Sundays). Among activities, the transport and parcels require longer parking durations. Among the vehicle types, trucks with gross weight larger than 3.5 tons park longer. This paper concludes by explaining the potential of these modeling approaches in improving urban freight operations, evaluation of various policy implications, limitations, and future research

Under which conditions is carrier cooperation possible? A case study in a Seville marketplace

The high volume of traffic originates two well-known problems in many cities: congestion and pollution. In recent years, a social phenomenon is emerging cooperation. This work is aimed at evaluating the circumstances under which transport cooperation is possible between different stakeholders operating in the same geographical area. To this end, a double survey process was conducted in a marketplace situated in the Seville City (Spain) centre. The first survey was designed to know the characteristics of the retailers and their preferences with respect to cooperation and regulations. A relational analysis between retailer features and their willingness to cooperate was carried out. After analysing the motivations for non-cooperation, a mixed proposal was designed and surveyed. Although the research was limited to a marketplace, the relevant data gathered from this double survey process highlights some implications: (a) the importance of personal relations in retailer cooperation; (b) a high volume of freight and the use of vans as on-street warehouses appear as significant motivations for non-cooperation; (c) forcing changes in the statu quo encourages cooperation.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España) TEC2013-47286-C3-3-

Instruments of Transport Policy.

The material in this Working Paper was generated as input to DETR's Guidance on the Methodology for Multi Modal Studies (GOMMMS). DETR subsequently decided only to provide summary information on transport policy measures, and to leave the consultants involved in individual multi modal studies to make their own assessment of individual policy measures in the context of specific study areas. It has been decided to make this fuller document available as a reference source. The purpose of the review of policy measures was to provide summary information on the range of policy measures available, experience of their use and, based on past studies, their potential contribution to the range of policy objectives specified for GOMMMS. The review was based on an earlier one included in the Institution of Highways and Transportation's Guidelines on Developing Urban Transport Strategies (1996). This material was updated using references published since 1996 and expanded to cover policy measures relevant in inter-urban areas. It had been intended to circulate it for comment before publishing a revised version. However, DETR decided to use an abridged version before this consultation was complete. It should be borne in mind that this document has not, therefore, undergone the peer assessment which had been intended. To avoid unnecessary further work, the material is presented as it had been drafted for the GOMMMS Guidance document. The only modifications have been to change the chapter and paragraph numbers, and to remove the cross references to other parts of the Guidance document