CE 457: Transportation Engineering V: Urban

Transportation Planning and Management

2.00 credit, 2 hrs/week
Topic: The Freight/Goods Movement
Lack of Attention toward UGM

Urban goods movement (UGM) is an essential aspect of urban

transportation, yet transportation planners and traffic engineers in
many cases are not concerned and aware about UGM problems.
Lack of Attention toward UGM
There are several reasons for this lack of attention toward UGM:

• Planning guidelines and requirements issued by government agencies with regard to UGM
have not been strong and specific.

• The private sector, which bears many of the consequences of UGM problems, has not been
vocal. Some executives of the trucking industry are even highly skeptical of transportation
planners becoming involved with their problems due to the fear that public agencies might
create additional complications.
Lack of Attention toward UGM
There are several reasons for this lack of attention toward UGM:

• Citizens or consumers do not press planners/or politicians for solutions to UGM or problems
because they are not fully aware that the economic costs of these problems are eventually
borne by them in the form of increased prices.

• Transportation planners and traffic engineers working for local agencies carry heavy work
loads and are too busy to spend time on UGM issues and problems, especially when there is
no pressure or outcry from any group for their involvement.

• Transportation engineering/planning curricula in universities do not cover the subject of

urban goods movement adequately.
Urban Goods Movement Characteristics
Characteristics of Freight and Vehicles
• The basic units of UGM are commodities, and a variety of these are shipped in urban
areas. A list of these commodities may include food, petroleum and coal, stone, waste
and scrap materials, basic textiles, apparel and related products, beverages, chemicals
and allied products, fabricated metal products, farm products, furniture and fixtures,
lumber and wood products, machinery, mail and parcel post, transportation equipment,
sand and gravel, etc.
Urban Goods Movement Characteristics
Characteristics of Freight and Vehicles
• The current state of the art focuses on the movement of freight vehicles and the types of
land use that generate such trips. In the case of the movement of goods into and out of
urban areas, several modes of transportation may play important roles depending on the
location and size of urban area, and these modes include trucks, rail, air, and water. The
internal distribution of freight in urban areas relies almost solely on trucking. Because of
the involvement of trucks in a variety of issues and problems, transportation planners
and engineers should be familiar with characteristics of these vehicles.
Urban Goods Movement Characteristics
Patterns of Truck Movements

• Based on the origin and destination of trips, truck travel may be classified as internal and
external. The proportions of these categories of trips depend on the size of an urban area.

• Most of the internal truck trips are made by single-unit vehicles. The use of large combination (i.e.
tractor-trailer) trucks for internal movement (within an urban area) is usually limited to trips
between large manufacturing and wholesale establishments and transportation terminals, and
also transfers between the terminals themselves.
Urban Goods Movement Characteristics
Patterns of Truck Movements

• A large proportion of external truck trips is made by heavy combination trucks. The external
movement of trucks has two components – “through” movement and “external-internal”
movement. Although the “through” movement does not have any significant relation to the
economic activities of the urban area in question, it can have significant environmental and
safety-related consequences.

• For examples, in the absence of adequate bypass route, “through” trucks move along highways
going through developed areas and can cause serous noise and safety problems. The movement
of trucks carrying hazardous materials through urban areas causes safety related concerns.
Urban Goods Movement Characteristics
Patterns of Truck Movements

• The external-internal movement of freight closely related to the economic activities in an urban
area.

• Although all modes of transportation- truck, rail, water, air, pipeline- participate in external-
internal (i.e. intercity) freight movement, the majority of freight in most cases by truck and rail.

• A major component of intercity freight movement includes freight (terminals) such as truck
terminals, rail terminals, airports and ports. The location of these terminals and their interfaces
with the local road system deserve the attention of transportation and land-use planners.
Views of Different Parties Involved in UGM
Process
There are several parties who play distinctive roles with respect to UGM. These parties include both
private and public sectors.

Private sector: Public sector:

• Shippers and Receivers • Car Drivers
• Freight Companies • Pedestrians
• Truck drivers • Residents
• Highway Agencies
• Transportation/urban planners and engineers
• Elected public officials
UGM Parties and Their Concerns
UGM Parties and Their Concerns
 Typical Issues and Problem related to UGM
UGM Issues and problems

Planning Oriented Traffic Engineering and Design Oriented

1. Land use planning and control for 1. Routing of large trucks through urban areas
future locations of truck terminals 2. Routing of trucks carrying hazardous materials through
2. Site impact analysis of proposed urban areas
locations for truck terminals 3. Curb space management for truck loading and unloading.
3. Zoning policies for off-street loading 4. Design of off-street loading docks and access apron and
space in the CBD and the suburbs ramps
4. Economic and safety related 5. Design of intersection with heavy truck
regulations
Problems Related to Movement of Trucks
Problems related to movement of trucks in a community can be viewed from the
perspectives of truck drivers as well as the residents of the community.

A few selected problems related to movement of trucks are discussed as follows:

• Turning of Trucks at Intersections

• Obstacles along Routes

• Damage to Pavements

• Environmental and Safety Related Impacts

• Routing of Hazardous Materials

Loading and Unloading of Trucks
• A common problem of urban goods movement involves the pickup and delivery of goods,
which is an essential requirement for the operation of businesses and industries.

• This problem increases with the increase in size of an urban area, and its solution usually
requires the cooperation of both the public and private sectors.

• However, there seems to be a lack of understanding among the public about the
consequences of delay experienced by freight delivery and pickup vehicles.

• General public is more concerned with the problem of automobile parking.

Truck Loading/Unloading in the CBD
The commonly encountered issues involving loading/unloading in a CBD are:
• Lack of off-street loading space

• Lack of curbside loading zones

• Misuse of loading spaces

• Time restrictions for trucks

Truck Loading/Unloading in the CBD
There are several strategies that may be useful to solve these problems:

• Long-range strategies usually strive to increase the supply of off-street loading spaces
with appropriate requirements in the zoning ordinance. New constructions and major
reconstructions can be required to provide an adequate number of off-street loading
docks or space in keeping with the nature of businesses.

• Shared facilities can also be provided instead of private loading docks. Similarly,
centralized and consolidated freight receiving stations in large building with multiple
tenants can reduce the time of delivery and pickup substantially.
Truck Loading/Unloading in the CBD
There are several strategies that may be useful to solve these problems:
• Short-range strategies basically allocate the limited curb space among its competing
users in a rational manner.

• Pricing strategies such as metered loading space may be used to encourage a rapid
turnover.

• One of the most important requirements and issues related to curb space management
is enforcement for preventing the misuse of designated loading zones by private
automobile and service vehicles.
Truck Loading/Unloading in Non-CBD
Locations
• The layout and design of shopping centers and office/business complexes in non-CBD
locations often show a lack of concern and care for the requirements of urban goods
movement.

• In some cases there are physical obstructions on the path of trucks approaching loading
docks, and these prevent drivers from coming near the actual pickup and delivery
locations.

• Cities should review and revise their zoning ordinance, building codes and other similar
instruments in order to guide developers of suburban commercial and industrial
complexes in the layout and design of their facilities for accommodating trucks.
• The cooperation of private sector also is needed.
Terminals and Stops
Truck Terminals

• Truck terminals usually involve one mode of operation, and in most cases handle two different

categories of trucks: Large/road combination trucks and smaller single unit trucks used for the

pickup and delivery of goods within urban areas.

• Truck terminals generate considerable truck traffic on roads leading to the sites resulting in

various types of adverse impacts in their vicinity which include traffic congestion, safety hazards,

pavement deterioration, adverse visual and psychological effects, noise and air pollution.
Terminals and Stops
Truck Terminals

• Furthermore, they tend to attract other commercial activities and truck-oriented operation such

as truck repair shops and supply stores.

• The location of truck terminals is a major issue and source of controversy. Truck terminals are not

considered desirable “neighbors” of residential development. Suitable locations for truck

terminals can be identified by land-use planners and civil engineers.

Terminals and Stops
Truck Terminals

• Industrial parks are suitable sites for truck terminals.

• A transportation park may be developed to accommodate a cluster of terminals and if its located

near a major truck route, then unnecessary travel of large-trucks on internal local roads can be

eliminated.

• A transportation park would provide an opportunity and justification for special design features

and treatments such as exclusive access roads and buffer strips around the sites.
Terminals and Stops
Truck Stops
• Truck stops are quite different from truck terminals with respect to their
operation.
• Whereas truck terminals involve the handling and transfer of freight and attract
both large and small trucks. Truck stops usually cater to large trucks.
• Truck drivers utilize these stops for their own rest, and the refueling and servicing
of trucks.
• These stops are located along major truck routes and near major intersections.
• The issues and problems related to truck stops are somewhat similar to those of
truck terminals.
Intermodal Terminals
• Intermodal freight movements usually involve the following combinations of different
modes:
1. Truck and rail

2. Ship/barge and truck or rail (ports and containers)

3. Pipeline/ship/barge and truck (petroleum distribution)

4. Truck and air (air cargo at airports)

• Intermodal terminals by nature are land intensive, and they generate movements of
large heavy combinations of trucks.
Intermodal Terminals
• Access roads leading to these facilities and also storage space for trucks inside the
terminals are important elements of the overall operation, and deficiencies in these
elements would cause adverse effects on other road users by creating traffic congestion.

• The design of intermodal terminals in many cases failed to provide for the needs of all
the modes involved. For example, the design of airports emphasizes the need for
passenger access and tends to overlook airfreight. Seaports and rail terminals also have
developed without adequate access and storage facilities for trucks.
Thanks!