Dailycsr.com – 10 April 2019 – Thomas Madrecki of UPS (United Parcel Service) wrote:
“Most mornings, I try to fit in a pre-work spin on some of the hillier roads around Washington D.C.”
During this schedule, Madrecki, a “transportation policy advocate”, hangs around with a group of friends “pushing the pace”, clicking sunrise photos and sipping in coffee thereafter. This part of the routine seems to be his favourite, while it is also the time when he especially feels the need “to change things for the better”.
According to Madrecki, cycling is a means to get a “different perspective on the road”, as you are on “high alert” to avoid any “injury or worse”. As a result, you begin to observe closely “driver behavior, crumbling infrastructure, poor road design and the lack of inclusivity for all transportation modes”.
And Madrecki added:
“In the U.S., the world seems to revolve around cars, so using any other transportation alternative often seems foolhardy to say the least. At the same time — there’s nothing else like life from two wheels, and I can’t imagine giving it up”.
Furthermore, he insisted on finding out the common grounds, for example there is a notion in the “transportation policy” sector that “freight” and “active transportation” are not compatible. However, Thomas being a cyclist sees a different reality. To him the possibility of mutual policy goals in active and freight transportation is not a new concept, as he draws a parallel between a “trucking company’s city transportation advocate” being an “avid bike user”.
The growth of e-commerce on a worldwide scale has enabled one to receive “just about anything” as a doorstep delivery, whereby eliminating the use of cars. Looking at the most efficient delivery transportation integrating with e-commerce, as seen in UPS, there is an attempt to “replace personal vehicle trips and consolidate shipments”; thus, reducing congestion on the road.
However, in order to achieve this vision, one needs to make sure that delivery transports are not “double parked or blocking traffic”, while Thomas remarked that at present, most urban settlements “aren’t equipped to deal with this change in transportation demand and behaviours”. And the transportation network of the cities is more compatible to the use of personal vehicles.
The reason behind the failure in optimal functioning of “parking and driving environment” is that the system does not take into account e-commerce, walking, biking, and network transport companies, like Lyft and Uber, thinks Thomas.
Therefore, cities have to deal with issues like double parking. However, some of the freight and truck company executives attribute this malfunction to the increase in the number of bikes in the city. But to Thomas, the problem stems from the lack of sufficient curb space and the city planners as well as the decision makers need to start with “new curbside management strategies” to tackle the traffic issues.
UPS’s commitment as a “solutions provider to cities” has been tested through “cycle logistics and other new urban delivery innovations”. And Thomas said:
“One of the most promising curb solutions is the expanded use and piloting of ‘flex zones’ or ‘PUDOs’ (short for pickup and drop off), or simply adjusting the number of loading zones to more adequately address delivery demand in a particular area”.
Even through the political landscape of cities which affect its traffic and parking patterns, Thomas sees hope of integrated future. Moving towards “green freight” zones could be helpful in promoting sustainability and reducing environmental impact. As Thomas said:
“We have so much more to gain by working together than apart”.
References:
3blmedia.com
“Most mornings, I try to fit in a pre-work spin on some of the hillier roads around Washington D.C.”
During this schedule, Madrecki, a “transportation policy advocate”, hangs around with a group of friends “pushing the pace”, clicking sunrise photos and sipping in coffee thereafter. This part of the routine seems to be his favourite, while it is also the time when he especially feels the need “to change things for the better”.
According to Madrecki, cycling is a means to get a “different perspective on the road”, as you are on “high alert” to avoid any “injury or worse”. As a result, you begin to observe closely “driver behavior, crumbling infrastructure, poor road design and the lack of inclusivity for all transportation modes”.
And Madrecki added:
“In the U.S., the world seems to revolve around cars, so using any other transportation alternative often seems foolhardy to say the least. At the same time — there’s nothing else like life from two wheels, and I can’t imagine giving it up”.
Furthermore, he insisted on finding out the common grounds, for example there is a notion in the “transportation policy” sector that “freight” and “active transportation” are not compatible. However, Thomas being a cyclist sees a different reality. To him the possibility of mutual policy goals in active and freight transportation is not a new concept, as he draws a parallel between a “trucking company’s city transportation advocate” being an “avid bike user”.
The growth of e-commerce on a worldwide scale has enabled one to receive “just about anything” as a doorstep delivery, whereby eliminating the use of cars. Looking at the most efficient delivery transportation integrating with e-commerce, as seen in UPS, there is an attempt to “replace personal vehicle trips and consolidate shipments”; thus, reducing congestion on the road.
However, in order to achieve this vision, one needs to make sure that delivery transports are not “double parked or blocking traffic”, while Thomas remarked that at present, most urban settlements “aren’t equipped to deal with this change in transportation demand and behaviours”. And the transportation network of the cities is more compatible to the use of personal vehicles.
The reason behind the failure in optimal functioning of “parking and driving environment” is that the system does not take into account e-commerce, walking, biking, and network transport companies, like Lyft and Uber, thinks Thomas.
Therefore, cities have to deal with issues like double parking. However, some of the freight and truck company executives attribute this malfunction to the increase in the number of bikes in the city. But to Thomas, the problem stems from the lack of sufficient curb space and the city planners as well as the decision makers need to start with “new curbside management strategies” to tackle the traffic issues.
UPS’s commitment as a “solutions provider to cities” has been tested through “cycle logistics and other new urban delivery innovations”. And Thomas said:
“One of the most promising curb solutions is the expanded use and piloting of ‘flex zones’ or ‘PUDOs’ (short for pickup and drop off), or simply adjusting the number of loading zones to more adequately address delivery demand in a particular area”.
Even through the political landscape of cities which affect its traffic and parking patterns, Thomas sees hope of integrated future. Moving towards “green freight” zones could be helpful in promoting sustainability and reducing environmental impact. As Thomas said:
“We have so much more to gain by working together than apart”.
References:
3blmedia.com