Urban Transportation Studies (Essay Sample)

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Date Urban Transportation: A Case for Freight Villages for New York City Cities have become increasingly vital in the global economy. They have become a three-dimensional organization characterized by both decentralization and centralization, thanks to the influence of advanced digital technologies and medical and scientific advances. This modern nature of cities is different from their older versions, when they featured scattered activities and settlements, and focal point of chores. In today’s information age, cities are made of networks and nodal architecture. Zones are connected across distance through spatial flows and functions, but new places continue to emerge due to advantage of locales of experience. There is a correlation between urban forms, and transportation and land use, which can be complex. New York City is the center of the U.S. economy as well as one of the prime global financial centers. But New York City is not limited as just a special city; it is a globally recognized influencer of the global economy as it is well connected via telecommunication and electronic links. Access to these networks demands better and accessible infrastructure that directly relate to this major metropolitan city, such as superior telecom and transportation systems, quality innovation, and concentration of talent and skill. However, the history in transportation in the United States, both human and freight, has seen experts raise concerns over the urban sprawl and congestion, with a deteriorating and polluted environment. Recent research and best practices in Europe suggest building freight villages (FV) would be an effective way to manage freight transportation demand. This essay will therefore discuss how freight villages might address NYC’s congestion by reducing vehicle miles traveled. The New York metropolitan area is the financial capital of the United States. It is home to more than eight million people and receives more than 30 million tourists every year. This implies that the demand for goods and services is high and continuously growing. Its geographical area is small compared to the number of people who have made it their home and workplace, creating huge challenges in the movement of goods from the city to neighboring areas such as New Jersey or back to the city. New York’s diversity and intellectual life have meant that more than two million non-Americans are living there. That said, there is a need to identify innovative goods movement strategies so that these could be implemented in the metropolitan area. Recent research and best practices in Europe suggest building freight villages would be an effective way to manage freight transportation demand. Proper logistic systems and efficient freight systems are important elements in a nation’s economic growth and sustainability. Freight and warehousing contribute 4 percent of employment in the United States. However, the freight industry is the largest contributor to air pollution through emission of carbon dioxide and other harmful substances. Another form of pollution involves noise pollution. Through different economic models, several studies have indicated the significance of warehousing and transportation in economic growth. Freight Villages Freight villages work as logistic centers where compiling, reloading and preparing of cargoes from the different mode of transports for transportation takes place. Their goal is to bring together different modes of transport, consultancy and vehicle services, transport companies, as well as associated suppliers and services companies. Their closeness to major towns promotes division of labor and cooperation within the site. They promote cargo shifts from road to rail and transportation. Due to the cooperation among companies within the site, it is easier to release large trucks with high capacity. Characteristics of Freight Villages * Transport economical companies, trading and industrial firms, and logistic operators are located in the same estate. * They manage local companies, and facilitate and organize their cooperative activities. * They contain more than one mode of transport, especially rail and road terminals. Possible Impact of Freight Villages on New York City Urban freight information is hardly available, and it holds true of New York. Therefore, it is difficult to understand the pattern and size of freight in the city, as the data available is poorly understood. The data is usually is limited to a specific topic and in most cases, in the local language. Like in New York, most countries regard urban freight as a minor problem and prioritize other challenges. They also consider urban freight a local problem that should not involve government intervention. The issue of urban freight is usually dealt with by the cities concerned. However, since the challenge is getting more acute and today, most cities lack the capacity to address this complex problem. This implies that urban freight effects are widely misunderstood and their contribution to a nation’s economy, society, and environment are in most cases underestimated. Therefore, cities that would address these issues of urban freight may reap good reward and increase their economic activities. Freight villages will bring major opportunities to the city in various areas, such as: * Growth of local markets: Freight villages will lead to growth of local markets. Due to faster movement of goods, more transactions will be carried out and the cost of transport per transaction will reduce. In addition, more economic activities will be witnessed in the neighboring areas, illustrating better outcomes from a marketplace economy. * Rise in traffic freight: Freight centers will create more spaces for investors to bring more freight, which will lead to growth of freight industries. * Expansion of national inland market share: Freight villages will lead to a strongly positive relationship between national and inland market shares, which will grow and expand the markets. * Short sea shipping: The distance of moving goods along the roads will be eliminated through short-sea shipping. The current slowdown is attributed to several factors that include a bigger economy after years of rapid growth. Moreover, rising wages and associated costs as well as the appreciation of the dollar have contributed to a reduction in the growth of exports. Other policies such as anti-corruption crusade, restriction on shadow banking and projected undertakings in the stock markets, increased inspection of local government expenses, and restraining rules on housing possession have reduced spending and affected economic development. * Rise in new business: Experience suggests that freight villages encourage concentration of transport and logistics activities in larger infrastructures, which is more economic and cost-efficient than several small terminals, and help convert economically unproductive regions to productivity. * Reduction in environmental pollution: Freight centers lead to reduced air pollution through reduced fossil fuel-dependent transportation, thus enabling lower carbon dioxide emissions. * Creation of employment: According to U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the level of unemployment in the US was 4.5 percent in March 2017. Creation of freight village/s in New York will generate adequate white- and blue-collar jobs and result in a decrease in the level of unemployment along with overall economic development. Urban Freight Transport Policies and Planning in Europe In the last few decades, European countries have taken measures to reduce traffic congestion in their main cities through methods such as consolidating flow of goods, introduction of restrictive laws for vehicles, and introducing flexible vehicles that are smaller, cleaner, and flexible. They have introduced different freight centers that have facilitated easier flow of goods, and installing different public and private regulations. Freight vehicles have enhanced flow of consumer goods that come in different shapes and forms. These goods can be categorized by shipment characteristics, physical characteristics, among others. Their nature of operations is complex and conflicting policy goals make transport of goods in urban centers more difficult, making the region a stressful one. Urban transport plays a vital role in improving the quality of life and growth of economy. Since traffic flow takes place in densely populated areas, the intensity and weight of cost is easily felt. According to a report from OECD, several problems are encountered during the movement of goods and services in these densely populated areas, and these challenges include: * Problems in accessibility and traffic: These problems are caused by inadequate infrastructures in urban centers, traffic congestions, and restrictions of accessing certain areas. * Causes of environmental hazards: Traffic noise and air pollution, and breathing noxious fumes are the main environmental problems that freight challenges contribute to cities and their residents. Globally, emissions in the air people breathe accrue from and lead to overutilization or misutilization of resources, climate change, among other reasons. * Issues of safety: Large vehicles carry large weights, which make them accident-prone and slow-moving, and their safety becomes a concern. In the modern world, transportation of risky goods, such as petrol and flammable gases, has become an issue. To address the above issues, some European countries have introduced freight villages in their big cities. These freight centers have become important for consolidation. Some countries such as Germany have consolidated their delivery that is practiced on the platform of both public and private sectors. Germany experiences consolidated delivery in many cities through a method called City-Logistik, which is a ser...