OVERVIEW

This study seeks to cultivate interest in policy and practice, which promote/support the use of non-motorized cargo cycles as an innovative strategy to freight-induced congestion, pollution and noise problems in urban centers. By building empirical evidence for benefits gleaned from replacing freight vehicles with cargo cycles, we are making a contribution to building a culture of health that prioritizes interventions that improve health of city residents. If evidence supports the hypothesis that the use of cargo cycles in last leg delivery trips instead of freight vehicles leads to tangible benefits, policy recommendations and practices in support of use of non-motorized cargo cycles will follow.

The study has 2 objectives as follows:

Objective 1: To test the impact of cargo cycles use from a public policy perspective. The study will evaluate and assesses the impacts of replacing freight trucks with cargo cycles on mobility, traffic efficiency, and public health (air pollution, noise pollution and road safety).

Objective 2: Under what conditions, when and how can cargo cycles replace freight trucks, and how can private commercial businesses change their packaging/delivery practices to achieve policy goals of sustainability, mobility, improved environmental and public health outcomes?

KEY TASKS

The research involves eight steps:

Task 1A: Conduct a literature review on national and international efforts to utilize cargo cycles for freight delivery.

Task 1B: Develop relationships with Oakland community, including Oakland Caltrans contacts, community leaders, and local business leaders.

Task 2: Collect community level data to examine the nature and extent of the problem of noise and air pollutions produced by freight vehicles in the selected community.

Task 3: Analyze the problem of noise and air pollution produced by freight.

Task 4: Collect data required for model development.

Task 5: Conduct model analysis.

Task 6: Implement data analysis plan.

Task 7: Analyze policy implications and develop conceptual framework for policy integrations.

Task 8: Produce draft and final reports and disseminate research findings.

KEY FINDINGS:

Results of the traffic simulations suggest that implementation of cargo cycles for the preferred transfer hub location with the most likely set of inputs can potentially reduce over 400 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per day. Sensitivity of estimated reductions based on different model inputs ranged between 164 to 2,620 fewer VMTs per day. Using the most optimistic scenario, these reductions are equivalent to decreases in emissions of taking approximately 1000 Class 4 box trucks off the roads of West Oakland every day.

POLICY/PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS:

Recommendations include: (a) create protected cargo bike lanes; (b) establish parking facilities/spaces for cargo cycles to ensure safety and avoid illegal parking; (c) provide cargo cycle operator trainings; (d) use physical traffic management schemas; (e) leverage safe street schemas to incentivize cargo cycles; (f) outreach to businesses/residents and the local community to activate demand for cargo cycle services; (g) incentivize business to use cargo cycle and offset human cost of running cargo cycle business; (h) limit speed for motorized vehicles and provide improved police enforcement to increase safety for cargo cycles; (i) make cargo cycle operator jobs accessible to community members; and (j) address safety for cargo cycle.

KEY PRODUCTS:

Downloadable Products:

• Final Report
• Research Brief

For more details about the study, visit: transweb.sjsu.edu/research/1952

ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS:

Technology Transfer and publications are in progress.

CONTRIBUTING TEAM MEMBERS: 

• Xiaokun (Cara) Wang
• O.A. Elrahman (Sam)
• Jennifer Hartle
• Dan Rodriguez