1. Goederenvervoer in Utrecht
Logistics, the cities’ perspective Frits Lintmeijer Deputy-Mayor for Mobility in the city of Utrecht Vice-Chair of the EUROCITIES Mobility Forum
EuroCommerce event on sustainable EU freight transport policy 29 January 2014
Outline of the intervention:
Introduction on EUROCITIES and Utrecht
EU policies on urban logistics: the cities perspective
Retailers and wholesalers  city goals
Co-operation? Yes please!
Gemeente Utrecht

2. EUROCITIES and Utrecht: an introduction
Goederenvervoer in Utrecht
EUROCITIES and Utrecht: an introduction
Gemeente Utrecht

3. Goederenvervoer in Utrecht
EUROCITIES
The network of major European cities
Over 130 of Europe's largest cities
40 partner cities
130 million citizens across 35 countries.
Six thematic forums, including mobility
EUROCITIES is the network of major European cities.
Today, we bring together the local governments of over 130 of Europe's largest cities and 40 partner cities, that between them govern 130 million citizens across 35 countries.
Through six thematic forums - including mobility- , working groups, projects, activities and events, we offer members a platform for sharing knowledge and exchanging ideas.
We influence and work with the EU institutions to respond to common issues that affect the day-to-day lives of Europeans.
Gemeente Utrecht

4. Utrecht: leading city in freight transport
Winner first (and only) Dutch City Distribution Award
Winner of CIVITAS Award 2011
Success factors:
Practical approach
Private partners ( CABU)
Utrecht is the 4th largest city in The Netherlands, inhabitants
In the heart of road, rail and waterway networks
Utrecht region = most competitive region in Europe in 2013
Freight transport: area where we are working on already for a number of years, and with success:
in 2009 we have won the first ever Dutch Urban Freight Distributon Award.
In 2011 we won two CIVITAS awards, one of them especially for our freight transport projects
Success factors are:
Practical approach: start with simple, directly visible measures like road signage and loading/unloading zones). This shows you really care and creates goodwill among businesses.
Co-operation with private partners: use their knowledge while making freight policies; and bear in mind that in the end, the private sector transports the goods.
A regional approach: even more than personal traffic, freight transport operates on a regional level. We co-operate with the surrounding municipalities and the regio and province. And with the G4 cities we work on common freight transport solutions.
And finally we are innovative: two examples are beer boat and Cargohopper.
Regional approach
Innovation 4

5. EU policy on urban logitics: the cities’ perspective
Goederenvervoer in Utrecht
EU policy on urban logitics: the cities’ perspective
In its recommendations, EuroCommerce has stated a few thing about EU policy. I would like to add the cities’view to this discussion.
Gemeente Utrecht

6. Urban Mobility Package: SUMPs and access regulations
Goederenvervoer in Utrecht
Urban Mobility Package: SUMPs and access regulations
EUROCITIES position:
Just as EuroCommerce is right saying there is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ logistics operation for the commerce sector, EUROCITIES say: THE city does not exist, see for example the difference between the small medieval streets of Utrecht and the broad streets of modern Rotterdam. Therefore, there is not a mandatory ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution for urban mobility planning and for urban access regulations.
SUMP’s (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans): EUROCITIES fully support the concept of a SUMP and believes every major city should have one. However: creating a SUMP often is a result of a local process: some cities have a weaker starting point and start smaller than others. And sometimes one issue is “hotter” than another and deserves extra attention or even a special approach. For example: Utrecht now focuses on the relation between mobility and public space, as a main factor of urban quality. Having to follow strict rules for setting up a plan, would have hampered us getting where we are now.
Access restriction schemes and road user charging: Instead of a legal framework, we would prefer EU guidance and improved information to users. Since cities differ so much in size, street width, environmental problems etc, a harmoization of regulations does not do justice to a city’s uniqueness. We want the possibility to choose the best solutions for our city!
Thus, EUROCITIES is happy that the final EU Urban Mobility Package does not contain mandatory plans and regulations, but only recommendations.
Of course, regulations and schemes should be reasonable. Some differences are hard to explain. But: if the EU provides a toolkit that is easy to use and offers flexibility – for example pick-and-choose some standard forms of regulations – cities would be stupid not to make use of them! The harmonisation arises in a natural way.
Although EU wide harmonisation makes little sense in our opinion, regional harmonisation might, especially concerning engines, vehicle size and weight, since many operators have a regional/national fleet operation.
The Dutch covenant for environmental zones is a great example: since NL is a small country, national government, cities and logistics organisations signed a covenant setting the standards for the zones in NL; and also creating a common approach for the introduction of the zone AND extra compensating measures. Also we have taken over some Swiss soot filter regulations, in order to avoid unexplainable differences. Now, every environmental zone in NL has the same regulation. This works well and it is enough: no need to have exact the same rules as in Italy.
However, for other rules like the height of a congestion charge and even time windows, we see less value in harmonisation, even not regionally. Equal prcies and equal times don’t guarantee higher efficiency.
Finally, we would be happy to establish a dialogue with EU institutions and other relevant stakeholders to resolve any issues arising from the establishment of access restriction zones, as EuroCommerce asks for!
Gemeente Utrecht

7. Weights & dimensions directive
Goederenvervoer in Utrecht
Weights & dimensions directive
Another regulation that catches our attention: the EU weights & dimensions directive
Now includes proposals to make it possible to implement aerodynamic, safety etc assets exceeding the nowadays allowed dimensions of trucks. This picture is still a conventional solution, the new directive would make it possible to add curved fronts, flaps at the end of a truck etc.
Cities around Europe are promoting walking and cycling to improve city life and reduce CO2 emissions. This policy is successful, but: road safety might hamper acceptance. For example, end of last year: several truck – bicycle accidents in London.
Therefore, EU should use this unique opportunity to focus on substantial improvement of road safety features of trucks: higher visibility of vulnerable road users should get priority, especially for urban trucks. EuroCommerce please lobby for this as well.
Even if the EU does not wants to put more focus on this, we urge EuroCommerce members to focus on the safety features.
This is in their own interest: only when bigger trucks improve their safety features, we can keep up support amongst citizens for urban distribution by truck. Cities know that retailers use these vehicles for efficiency and in the end that means less CO2. But road safety is a major concern: since every victim is 1 too many, at one point safety COULD get priority over efficiency, leading to cities limiting vehicle sizes etc. Help us avoid this and increase both efficiency and road safety at one go.
Gemeente Utrecht

8. Commerce and city goals
Goederenvervoer in Utrecht
Commerce and city goals
Apart from through regulations – which are often not the most efficient way to improve efficiency – retailers and wholesalers can help the cities to reach their goals. And vice versa. Here are some examples.
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9. Include the urban perspective in logistics operations
Goederenvervoer in Utrecht
Include the urban perspective in logistics operations
First of all, include the urban perspective in your choices in logistics operations. By this, I mean the following:
Retailers and wholesalers are used to creating optimal efficiency at the origin (distribution centre): leave the DC full, return empty, or even better, full with return freight. However, to minimise the number of vehicles in small streets, cities ask for efficiency / bundling at the destination level (city street). This is also what our citizens see happening: although you do a good job, most of the time far better than small businesses , “every citizen” sees big trucks coming into a street and dropping only one box or pallet, then asking the city administration why that happens.
Therefore: help us creating consolidation on city, neighbourhood and even city street level!
Your statement says: “the commerce sector is working on improving load factors, reducing empty miles through backhauling, minimising fragmentation of urban freight deliveries and pooling deliveries for different retail and wholesale companies – including for SMEs.”
I don’t see this (yet) in Utrecht, but this is exactly what cities need, please come and help us, then we also can help you!
Another part of logistic operation is vehicle choice. We encourage companies to use clean and/or silent vehicles and we help them.
More and more cities think of giving incentives. For example: Utrecht has done a pilot with clean trucks on bus lanes. This was a small pilot, in a second pilot phase we expand the number of trucks, maybe eventually becoming a structural solution.
But please keep in mind there a limits to incentives: restrictions often have a clear reason, therefore not always possible to give (too many) companies a really valuable incentive .
Gemeente Utrecht

10. Historic city centres: make the best of it
Retailing and transporting in historic city centres is a challenge, but the reward can also be big: very attractive environment for a client, can be part of “a day in the city”.
First of all, historic conditions often means that vehicle restrictions are unavoidable, often for obvious physical reasons, like the cellars in Utrecht. This should lead to a higher urge to optimise logistics, since the historic heritage also is a selling point, but apparently that does not happen automatically.
Utrecht has made high efforts to get businesses together on the issue of urban logistics in the city centre. However, this proofs to be difficult: retail shop keepers point to their headquarters for logistics; small shops, bars and restaurants point to suppliers and transporters. They don’t see why THEY should act.
However, we might have found a trigger: public space. Mariaplaats Utrecht as an example: 2 yrs ago nothing was possible, now the promise of improvement of public space convinces them of a change: businesses THEMSELVES ask for the elimination of parked cars and now also of delivery trucks. Which of course is only possible if an alternative is offered. Therefore they now DO want to think of new solutions.
How can commerce help us?
Help us conserve this historic heritage by optimising logistics.
Help us to convince smaller shops, and bars and restaurants.
Help us make clearer the relation between public space quality and economic profit; thus making this a trigger for logistic co-operation
Think out of the box and make use of creative solutions: Cargohopper, Bierboot in Utrecht. For example, department store HEMA will soon try out transport by boat for their canalside store. And in Paris, a big supermarket transports their goods by boat on the river Seine.
And: help the smaller businesses to implement solutions that are both good for them AND logistically efficient, like drop off solutions and consolidation centres. If possible: offer them your logistic facilities! 10

11. Non-historic districts: take charge!
Presentation title
Non-historic districts: take charge!
In non historic city parts, there often is more space for road transport, thus also for urban logistics. However, also in these areas, cities want to reduce CO2 and improve the urban quality.
But: it is difficult to get enough attention for these areas, it is difficult to convince stakeholders to act. Often, logistics is arranged at backdoors.
We ask commerce to also step in here and help us:
Please be a frontrunner in increasing higher logistical efficiency with your neighbours, in areas where the (physical) urge is less obvious.
Night-time deliveries – to avoid congestion, thus less CO2 and higher efficiency - are very promising here, since often distance to houses is a bit higher. However, retailers have to take charge! For example: Utrecht has signed a covenant with one of your affiliate members CBL, in which supermarkets could ask permission for night time deliveries, after they had taken some steps to find out whether the location is suitable. We signed the covenant 3 or 4 years ago, however, since then not a single supermarket has approached us to get permission! How is this possible?
And yes, we support the take-up of the Dutch Piek programme for silent logistic solutions! This has proven to be a success in the Netherlands.

12. Goederenvervoer in Utrecht
Help us convince real estate developers to include logistical assets in new areas
Logistic condition are often set during the design of a building of an area. However, we often experience that real estate developers think from traditional logistic solutions and/or don’t (want to) see the added value - and we believe: selling point – of a building or shopping area that includes facilities for optimised logstics.
In the 60’s and 70’s many shopping centres were designed with optimal logistic features, especially back door logistics. However, this also has downsides: often the look and feel is unattractive. We should not go back to that. But: that also does not mean that we should go back to creating “historic city like “ circumstances. You should help us in that, since the developers say this is what you want!
The top left picture is an example of that: the developer develops a new shopping centre (Terwijde) with a small, cozy shopping street. No logistic facilities are created. Therefore deliveries have to be made through the front door at the narrow street. Consequence: they ask for time windows. Which of course is inefficient on a broader level.
How can you help?
Help us to convince real estate developers and owners to invest in efficient logistics for new and redeveloped shops / shopping areas, as an ASSET (= eventually earning extra money through more attractive area, attracting more customers), not as an extra cost factor (= space that is not used as shop surface).
Think of: back door, or underground solutions, butwith a more attractive designg; drop off points; internal logistic service providers (delivery service), etc
Good example Leidsche Rijn Centrum Utrecht, bottom left; and Vredenburg muziekpaleis, right. Underground facilities created. (However, still real estate developers want to minimise it in LR Centrum.)
Gemeente Utrecht

13. E-commerce: stimulate deliveries at pick up points
Goederenvervoer in Utrecht
E-commerce: stimulate deliveries at pick up points
Finally, in this new era, shops become virtual. More people buy things online, also in your EuroCommerce members’ brands. We believe this could have negative effects, especially in residential areas if everything bought at the internet is delivered at home. Therefore, retailers could help us in several ways, but especially through pick up points:
Create pick up points for consumers, as an alternative for home deliveries. This minimises truck and van mileage in residential streets. Bring examples from e.g. Germany to other countries.
Introduce price differences between pick up point and home deliveries and make them clear on websites. A Dutch webshop introduced a € 1 difference in price and immediately the use of the pick up point increased by 10-20%.
Use each other’s pick up points! It also is not efficient if everyone creates its own pick up point. Utrecht and Rotterdam have a worked out proposal for a pilot on this issue. And we still would like to test it.
Gemeente Utrecht

14. CO-operation, involvement of commerce
Goederenvervoer in Utrecht
CO-operation, involvement of commerce
Finally, do we want co-operation with and involvement of the commerce sector?
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15. Co-operation and involvement? Yes please!
As should have become clear from all the examples given before: yes, of course!
We recognize that cities are very good in incorporating people and businesses working "alongside" a street, but often forget people and businesses working ON the street. Or often they are involved later and/or treated differently. Whereas the best solutions are reached when all parties come and work together. For example: your logistic power can be a solution for all businesses in an area where we try to find a solution.
In Utrecht, we have the logistics commission “CABU” for this and it works very well.
Let’s change this. And help us find an efficient way to incorporate you and your knowledge, to reach your AND our goals!

16. Goederenvervoer in Utrecht
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