How E-Commerce Growth and Delivery Vehicles are Impacting Cities
Ordering goods from online offers an easier, quicker solution to traveling to stores in order to buy goods. Consumers enjoy the convenience of shopping online and the options that e-commerce provides such as faster delivery, setting delivery times, and ordering a variety of goods across one site. However, though e-commerce was made to lessen travel, traffic, and make shopping easier, its growth has led to a flood of delivery vehicles to the streets. Urban areas are seeing an increase in congestion, traffic, and harsh emissions from these delivery vehicles, negatively impacting the livability of cities as a result.
E-Commerce Growth
It is predicted that US e-commerce sales will cross $1 trillion for the first time in the year 2022.
E-commerce allows customers to shop from the comfort of their home, without having to get on the road to obtain their goods. E-commerce offers a large range of flexibility, from delivering groceries straight to your front door or obtaining supplies for businesses. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, US e-commerce sales in 2020 increased more than 30% from 2019 (US Department of Commerce). The pandemic also accelerated growth in e-commerce sales for the following years. It is predicted that US e-commerce sales will cross $1 trillion for the first time in the year 2022. Demand for e-commerce is getting stronger, and the effects are being seen largely in urban areas.
Cities depend on e-commerce
The economic health of urban cities depends on being able to efficiently accommodate the growing urban goods movement system and support the trends in e-commerce sales growth. According to the US Census Bureau, 80.7% of the US population is living in urban areas, and the number of urban residents is expected to increase 1.5 times by 2045. Additionally, consumers are choosing shorter delivery times, opting to receive their goods same-day or overnight. According to a 2021 survey by McKinsey, over 30% of consumers stated that they would expect same-day delivery to be the baseline delivery speed. The same survey indicated that in order to satisfy customers’ demands, 42% of retailers are aiming to offer same-day delivery by 2022.
As a result of urbanization and the growing customer market for e-commerce, the demand for last-mile delivery is expected to increase by 78% globally by 2030 (WEF). Much of this demand will be from urban areas. In order to meet these desires, the percentage of delivery vehicles in the top 100 cities globally is expected to increase by 36% until 2030 (WEF).
Goods are essential to everyday life. The economy, as well as the functionality of cities, will be impacted if urban cities do not meet the growing demand for e-commerce. Many individuals and businesses rely on e-commerce for their necessities. So, despite the negative impacts of e-commerce, urban communities will have to adapt to its growth and create more efficient solutions.
Cities Are Not Designed for E-commerce
The increase in e-commerce has also increased the need for loading zones and space for delivery vehicles. However, cities are not designed for this purpose. Traffic congestion, narrow travel lanes, dedicated lanes for buses and bikes, and many other typical characteristics of urban streets make it more difficult for trucks to deliver goods. Limited and inefficient curb space in urban areas is also an issue for delivery vehicles, leading to increased driving, parking cruising, and double parking.
According to a study from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington, vehicles prefer to pull over and park on the curb-side, which requires parking search and cruising, a preference that accounts for 28% of total trip time. Delivery vehicles are often forced to park in unauthorized spots or double park on busy streets. Studies show that a majority of delivery vehicle citations were for unauthorized curb-side parking. Delivery vehicles that are parked improperly— for example, a delivery vehicle that is sitting at the curb for an extended time while completing a delivery— can run bikers off their paths and block the sidewalk for passersby.
Additionally, urban citizens are advocating for the livability of their cities. People want city streets to be accessible to everyone; for roads, curbs, and sidewalks to serve automobiles, pedestrians, cyclists, surface transit and parked vehicles. Pedestrians and bicyclists require narrow roads that are protected, while delivery vehicles require wide clearances and room to unload. Consumers want to remain uninterrupted by the surge in delivery vehicles that result from the growing e-commerce trend. Urban freight must be accommodated in the process of making cities livable for everybody in order to prevent safety incidents, congestion, and other issues.
Safety Concerns
40% of pedestrian fatalities in the US are associated with light trucks.
E-commerce leads to more delivery vehicles on the road, and traffic comes with that increase. This issue stems not just from consumer demand, but also from inefficient transportation planning, traffic rules that are not always followed, and inadequate delivery infrastructure. Between 2009 and 2018, urban freight traffic due to e-commerce doubled. According to the latest Urban Mobility Scorecard from the Texas University A&M Transportation Institute, trucks contribute to 28% of the nation’s congestion— this will rise by over 21% by 2030. Due to this congestion, it is predicted that by 2030, deliveries will add 11 minutes to each passenger’s commute time in the world’s top 100 cities (WEF).
Traffic and congestion also poses a direct threat to the health and safety of individuals. According to an article in the British Medical Journal, about 40% of pedestrian fatalities in the US are associated with light trucks. Accidents occur due to confusion, congestion, inefficient routes, pressure to fulfill deliveries, and fatigued drivers. The increase in delivery vehicles on the road also has serious environmental impacts which threaten the wellbeing of urban cities and their residents.
Environmental Concerns
The transportation sector is the largest source of climate pollution in the nation. Without proper management, delivery vehicle traffic could increase emissions by 32% in the world’s top 100 cities by 2030 (WEF). Delivery vehicles emit nearly half of the nation’s nitrogen oxide emissions and are a major source of fine particulate matter, accounting for 60% of fine particulate matter from all vehicles (EPA). Particulate matter is a mixture of particles so small that it can enter the bloodstream or lungs. Particulate matter can cause serious health issues such as heart problems, decreased lung function, increased respiratory issues, and even death. It is estimated that there will be up to 18,000 deaths per year caused by particulate matter and ozone by 2025 (EPA).
It is important to consider that these emissions do not impact communities equally. Communities living in urban areas near roadways suffer the greatest harm. These communities are largely made up of low-income people of color and other marginalized groups.
In 2020, one in six Americans lived in areas with more than 100 days of elevated air pollution. A study from the Union of Concerned Scientists showed that Asian American, Black, and Latino American residents in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region of the US breathe in an average of 66% more air pollution from cars and trucks than white residents.
Studies of pollution-related mortality nationwide show that lower income is associated with the increased risk of premature death from fine particulate pollution. Without solutions, the increase in delivery vehicles on the road will continue to disproportionately harm these disadvantaged communities.
Delivery vehicles are also a psychological nuisance. Idling of diesel truck engines are major sources of noise pollution, and this limits abilities to shift deliveries to overnight periods. Exposure to loud noise can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep interruptions, and stress.
These environmental impacts push residents to work towards making cities more livable, which means accommodating delivery trucks with pedestrians and regular residents.
Cities will need to address these issues and accommodate the urban goods movement system into their infrastructure. In future posts, we will be reviewing some of the actions that cities and communities are taking to mitigate these issues, as well as addressing the technological urban logistics solutions that have emerged to combat these challenges.