Route choice and the impact of 'logistic routes'

Urban goods transport has emerged as a complex issue in increasingly congested urban areas. Vehicles are often trapped in congested streets where drivers also find it difficult to park and load or unload. Time-pressure becomes high, especially when a delivery vehicle is involved in a multidrop trip. In addition, regulation may restrict vehicle dimensions and weight, access to an area, stay time in the area and environmental burdens in terms of air pollution and noise, which additionally hinders using a vehicle in the most efficient way. In some cases route choice is not free. This paper investigates the route choice of truck and van drivers in selected Dutch cities, when they are affected by supply (infrastructure, regulation, etc.) and demand constraints. Such situations result in suboptimal route choice. Data from interviews and questionnaires among drivers, receivers of goods and persons living in the area where goods are loaded or unloaded are used. The use of real data instead of models is a relatively new approach, which sheds new light on the subject of urban goods distribution.