Speaker
Description
The movement of goods is integral to the daily lives of households and the operations of businesses, influencing the development of cities. In high-density urban areas such as Shanghai, China, trucks serve as the primary agents of goods transportation, yet they confront strict constraints. Studying the behavior patterns of urban freight car flows can reduce costs and enhance efficiency within the freight transportation industry, thus promoting sustainable economic development. Moreover, it is an inevitable requirement for refining urban traffic management, improving road network operation efficiency, and constructing sustainable urban traffic models. In recent years, the availability of high-frequency tracking data for trucks has greatly improved, facilitating the study of truck flow laws and the excavation of truck activity patterns from a microscopic perspective. There is room for continuous improvement in the methodological system for processing and analyzing truck activity data, as well as in the construction of flow patterns and models.
Based on high-frequency GPS tracking data of heavy trucks in Shanghai, this study explores and identifies different patterns of urban freight flow, and proposes freight-friendly policies and planning suggestions for an inclusive, efficient, and sustainable urban transport system, aiming to build an inclusive, sustainable, and innovative freight-friendly urban transport system. Initially, the basic travel information of heavy trucks is accurately obtained by preprocessing the GPS data of a large number, which includes stop point identification and map matching. Subsequently, the temporal and spatial characteristics of truck travel are described in terms of duration, frequency, spatial distance, scope, and infrastructure usage. By integrating data on land use, enterprise registration points of interest (POIs), transportation hub areas of interest (AOIs), etc., the activity purposes of trucks are inferred, variable sets are established, and these variable sets are subjected to two-step clustering to conclude typical truck activity patterns.
According to the clustering results, the patterns can be classified into two main categories and five sub-categories: wholesale and retail goods transportation (intra-city short-distance wholesale and retail mode, inter-city short-distance wholesale and retail mode); and inter-city and short-haul freight (inter-city and short-haul transit mode, inter-city long-distance heavy industry mode, mixed short-haul logistics mode). These different modes exhibit significant differences in terms of various characteristics in time and space. Based on these findings, this study proposes targeted management suggestions. For instance, more detailed traffic requirements are suggested for short-distance wholesale and retail trucks within the city. Real-time monitoring of peak hours and areas prone to traffic congestion, combined with big data, is recommended, along with flexible traffic restrictions. To promote inclusiveness, appropriate toll subsidies should be provided for trucks with a mixed medium and short-distance logistics mode that are highly dependent on expressways.
The value of this study lies in the innovative use of freight-related data to explore freight mobility rules from a micro perspective. It points out the shortcomings of the current urban "one-size-fits-all" policy and the lack of consideration for the characteristics of different modes and needs in different periods within macro and general management and control. The research provides a scientific basis for the refined management of urban freight mobility and the construction of freight-friendly and sustainable urban transportation systems. In the future, urban mobility policies related to freight transport can be formulated and managed according to different freight modes, and an innovative, diversified and inclusive urban freight transport system can be built according to local conditions, promoting freight mobility to reduce costs, and fostering sustainable social and economic development. Additionally, the research integrates perspectives and thinking from urban planning, transportation, economic management, politics and other disciplines, providing referential ideas and methods for interdisciplinary and similar research and practice in other cities.
| Keywords | Freight mobility modes; Inclusive policies; Sustainable mobility systems |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
