Thinking Outside the Box Urban Freight & Delivery During COVID-19

Cities have seen a dramatic increase in the volume of freight and deliveries moving on their streets. Online retailers and delivery companies have seen nearly a 50 percent jump in orders over the past two months. With more people shopping online, businesses are grappling with this surge in delivery trips and looking to find new ways to conduct contact-less deliveries to protect the health and safety of customers and employees. For cities who are working to organize and manage this new confluence of needs at the curb, thoughtful planning and innovation are key to accommodating growing numbers of delivery vehicles while ensuring that people can keep their distance on sidewalks and curbsides.

Efficient, safe goods movement ensures that we all have access to essential items and services and is a critical part of our COVID-19 response and our long-term economic recovery. In this webinar, we heard from the Cities of Seattle and Toronto as well as UPS Canada about how cities and businesses have adjusted their approaches to freight and curbside management programs in the wake of the current pandemic.

Missed the webinar? Watch the recording:

This webinar was co-hosted by NACTO and the Pembina Institute.

Moderators:
Sindhu Bharadwaj, Policy Associate, NACTO
Janelle Lee, Analyst, Pembina Institute

Panelists:
Mary Catherine Snyder, Parking Strategic Advisor, City of Seattle
Nazzareno Capano, Manager of Transportation Policy & Innovation, City of Toronto
Aylin Lusi, Vice President of Public Affairs, UPS Canada