Optimizing city center supply

Summary

City supply logistics require the application of the principles of logistics to the movement of deliveries in large cities. By reloading and combining the shipments, as well as by selecting the most appropriate vehicles and optimising deliveries, Brno will be able to improve city centre supply.

Implementing sustainable mobility

The city centre of Brno suffers under the steadily increasing traffic caused by supply of shops and business premises, as well as by transport of large shipments. The increase of supply and freight are also reflected outside the central area of the city. Problems with supplying haven't been solved for many years and depend on the voluntary cooperation of the private sector. However, finding the most ideal way of supplying the commercial sector is key to regulating traffic in the centre. The aim of the measure is to conduct a study on how best to supply Downtown Brno effectively and find a possible location for a new city distribution centre.

Objectives:

• Reduce the number of necessary vehicles
• Increase their usage
• Increase the efficiency
• Reduce the environmental impacts

Through this measure Brno aims to find a solution to the traffic issues in the city and to eliminate traffic issues which are avoidable. City supply logistics will be a part of the most important strategic document of the City of Brno – City Mobility Plan.

The study contains four phases for reaching the desired target:

Phase 0: feasibility study and founding of platform

Phase 1: reserved place for supplying

Phase 2: ITS support

Phase 3: city distribution centre

Progress

What has been done?

• Documentation and background documents
• Implementation plan
• Selection of contractor
• Elimination of traffic demand
• Proposal part including modelling of traffic situation
• Project handover

What still needs to be done?

The City of Brno is continuing discussions with the public administration and undertaking evaluations related to the measure.

The measure will be implemented in the historical centre of Brno and envisions establishing the city distribution centre in an area near the Brno international airport, which meets all main requirements: possibility to enlarge the area in the next 25 years and direct connection between the suburbs and the centre, as well as transport links to the city's road network, highway network, railways and international airport.

The main objective of the city distribution centre is to minimise the number of commercial supply vehicles in the centre of Brno. In this context a cost-benefit analysis has helped evaluate the feasibility of the city distribution centre. The CBA analysis recommends that the distribution centre operate by business sector. Another expert-led recommendation is to introduce and enforce restrictive measures in the centre to support this strategy.

Outcomes

• A cost benefit analysis with environmental indicators was carried out suggesting the development of logistic centres in Brno and scenarios for their operation.
• The study shows that thanks to the implementation of the new city logistic system approximately 120,000 vehicle-km per year could be saved.
• Based on this study an optimised city logistic system will be implemented by the municipality.