Early analysis of data collected during the Off-Peak Delivery (OPD) pilot project of the Region of Peel was shared with Peel Regional Council on September 12, 2019 by University of Toronto Professor Matthew Roorda, Chair of the Smart Freight Centre.
Delivery data from 14 store locations of three participating retailers were analyzed by Roorda and his research assistant, Kianoush Mousavi (CivEng 2021 PhD). Their analysis showed that retailers shifted 23% of deliveries from those locations to off-peak hours, and as a result, the average trip time decreased by 17%.
Traffic congestion affects communities and businesses across Ontario, especially within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). The objective of the OPD pilot project is to help optimize highways and major road networks both within Peel and within the GTHA, focusing on where freight is moving, at what time, and how to best use the available capacities of existing transportation infrastructure.
The OPD project ran from March to August 31, 2019. Participating retailers included LCBO, Loblaw Companies Limited, and Walmart Canada Corp.
The University of Toronto and the Region of Peel collaborated on this Off-Peak Delivery (OPD) pilot project within the Smart Freight Centre. Metrolinx financially supported the research and innovation component of this initiative, which aligns with the Metrolinx Regional Transportation Plan. The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) also provided project funding, supporting the agency’s mandate to reduce carbon emissions and air pollution in the GTHA.
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- Peel Pilot Project to Reduce Traffic Congestion Produces Results in Mississauga, insauga, September 19, 2019
- Peel-funded project could reduce trucking carbon emissions. Region has committed $1.2 million over five years Brampton Guardian, September 16, 2019
- Can changing delivery rules unlock congestion? CTV News video clip, September 12, 2019
- Lifting time-of-day restrictions on deliveries could ease congestion, CTV News Toronto, September 12, 2019
- Peel Region Off-Peak Delivery Pilot Update, February 25, 2019