Emission Estimation of On-Demand Meal Delivery Services Using a Macroscopic Simulation

Area of Science:

• Urban planning
• Environmental science
• Transportation engineering

Background:

• Macroscopic traffic simulations are common for passenger vehicles.
• Integrating last mile delivery into these simulations for emission evaluation is rare.
• Existing last mile studies often neglect traffic flow impacts and overall emissions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fill the research gap by evaluating the emissions impact of on-demand meal delivery services within a macroscopic traffic simulation.
• To analyze the effects of last mile delivery on traffic flow, congestion, and emissions in New York City.

Main Methods:

• Utilized PTV VISUM for two macroscopic traffic simulations of New York City.
• Simulated on-demand meal delivery services, evaluating emissions per origin-destination (OD) pair (trip) and per network link (street).

Main Results:

• On-demand meal delivery services significantly increase travelled distance, leading to detours.
• Delivery services contribute to increased network-wide congestion.
• Emissions per kilometer are elevated for all vehicles, not solely delivery vehicles.

Conclusions:

• Last mile delivery services have a substantial, often overlooked, impact on urban traffic dynamics and emissions.
• Macroscopic simulations are crucial for understanding the full environmental consequences of delivery services.
• Future urban planning must account for delivery traffic to mitigate negative externalities.