Rescuing Cities Fraught with Freight Conflicts

"Big freight trucks are incompatible with cities in many ways, bringing danger, pollution, noise, and traffic congestion. They park in bike lanes and have shockingly big blind spots, putting everyone around them at risk," observes Tanya Snyder. "And yet, most cities haven’t found a way to reconcile the need to move goods with all their other priorities."

According to Snyder, "the interplay between urban freight transportation and smart growth" is receiving scant attention from a Freight Advisory Committee convened as part of the MAP-21 transportation bill. But that may not be a significant loss, argues Genevieve Giuliano, a member of the national Freight Advisory Committee, because freight management is best handled at the local level.

For those cities willing to take a more active role in managing their freight conflicts, Snyder details four potential solutions:

• Smaller trucks
• Off-peak delivery times
• Load consolidation
• Cargo bikes