An Application Providing Real-Time Curb Availability Information Reduced Delivery Vehicle Cruising Time by 27.9 Percent and Cruising Distance by 12.4 Percent in Seattle, Washington.
University of Washington Urban Freight Lab Study on the Deployment of the OpenPark Application Compared Cruising Pattens of Delivery Drivers.
Seattle, Washington, United States
Providing curb availability information to delivery drivers reduces cruising for parking
Summary Information
The OpenPark application was piloted in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington to estimate the impact of providing curb availability information to delivery drivers on parking behavior. The application was targeted specifically for commercial delivery drivers. A total of 274 in-ground proximity sensors were deployed in all commercial and passenger loading zones within the 10-block study area to gather real-time curb availability data. Wireless network transmitters were used for communication.
METHODOLOGY
In a controlled experiment, drivers were hired to perform 495 mock deliveries, across 33 routes and 177 total trips between July and November 2021. Of these deliveries, 51 percent were performed without the OpenPark application and 49 percent were performed with the application. Drivers were provided with a 20-foot delivery van, randomly sampled addresses, a tablet, and were instructed not to double-park. GPS data was used to collect trip time and distance and route time and distance.
FINDINGS
The data collected showed that when curb availability information was provided to drivers, time spent cruising for parking decreased by 27.9 percent, cruising distance decreased by 12.4 percent, and median trip time decreased by 16.5 percent.
