GOAL

The objective of the Bergamo Logistics project is to conduct an exploratory analysis on the theme of freight transport logistics in urban areas, to identify ongoing or completed initiatives, strengths and weaknesses of freight logistics in the urban area of Bergamo, and possible directions for future development.
These objectives are currently pursued through an in-depth analysis of the local context via interviews, questionnaires, surveys, and comparison with national and international cases. Possible solutions in this sector also require strong involvement of local stakeholders (institutions, local administrations, transport operators, traders), who often have differing and sometimes conflicting objectives.

RESEARCH AREA DESCRIPTION

The Bergamo Logistics project is a City Logistics initiative for the city of Bergamo, aimed at analyzing and identifying opportunities to optimize transport and logistics activities carried out in the urban area. Such improvement processes cannot ignore factors such as traffic conditions, congestion, fuel consumption, related costs, and desired service levels. Among the main objectives is the reduction of the number of vehicles circulating in the city through rationalization of transport and distribution operations, particularly on the so-called last mile.

RESULTS AND PROPOSALS

Based on the research activities conducted and interviews with project stakeholders, several proposals for future developments concerning the city of Bergamo have emerged. The focus here is on the potentially most concrete and feasible proposals in a medium-term timeframe, although more specific feasibility studies will be needed to provide further details.
• Establishment of a permanent urban logistics working group: A critical issue is the lack of information sharing and decision-making coordination. For this reason, the creation of a permanent urban logistics working group continuously involving various stakeholders could represent an important step forward. As seen in international experiences (Saint Étienne, La Rochelle, Bilbao) and during the stakeholder workshop, the presence of the University as a neutral third party in coordinating and supporting the working group’s activities can be a key success factor.
• Participation of the city of Bergamo in national and international urban logistics networks: A second proposal is to promote Bergamo’s involvement in initiatives and national and international networks for exchanging and sharing best practices in sustainable mobility and logistics (CIVITAS networks – www.civitas.eu and Eltis – www.eltis.org).
• Improvement of loading/unloading bays in the city center with electronic booking: Another need expressed by transporters and traders is to improve the system of designated bays for loading/unloading vehicles and parking during operations. “Improvement” here means both increasing the number of available bays and their strategic relocation.
• Rationalization of Limited Traffic Zones (ZTL): According to guidelines by the Lombardy Region, spatial and temporal rationalization of ZTLs is a necessary step. With uniform access hours, also coordinated with neighboring municipalities, transport companies can more easily plan delivery routes, saving time, costs, energy consumption, and pollutant emissions.
• Internet platform for data collection and sharing: Given the presence of numerous actors, a main problem identified is the fragmentation and lack of data related to urban logistics in Bergamo. Obviously, this does not refer to sensitive or confidential data, but to vehicle fleets, traffic flow, and pollution levels. It would also be useful to integrate data related to European, national, and local incentives for companies adopting particular environmental initiatives.
• Urban Distribution Center (UDC): Lastly, Città Alta presents specific challenges such as high historical and artistic value, presence of tourists, architectural constraints for vehicles (narrow streets and gates), difficulty of access, and numerous retail shops.
For this reason, more than other areas of the city, it might be interesting to consider establishing a small Urban Distribution Center just outside Città Alta, as already experimented with in other contexts. Before deciding if the UDC solution is applicable to Bergamo, some analyses are needed regarding actual goods flows, economic feasibility, and the real participation of traders and transporters involved.

RESEARCH TEAM

Roberto Pinto (Associate Professor UNIBG), Ruggero Golini (Associate Professor UNIBG), Alexandra Lagorio (Research Fellow UNIBG).