Modeling the ecological and economic footprint of last-mile parcel deliveries using open data: A case study for Lyon

Abstract

International audienceThe amount of parcels delivered in the urban space is steadily increasing and is often expected to double by 2030. At the same time rising energy prices and policies towards sustainable development affect the business models and distribution schemes in the sector. The present study uses open data to approximate today’s parcel volumes for the specific case of Lyon and estimated how those parcels are delivered in terms of used vehicles, covered distances and ecological impacts. The first part describes our data collection process which hypothesizes market shares and cost structures of the parcel operators. In the second part, we solve Heterogeneous Vehicle Routing Problems to uncover the likely distribution schemes. This way, the study provides rough estimates on the total daily emissions and energy used for parcel deliveries outlined pathways for future modeling efforts and data collection