Amsterdam is a very dense city, you know that by now. Narrow streets, lots and different modes of traffic and its configuration is a delicate mix of urban and commercial life, with quite a large chunk of leisure purposes.
A highly developed network of public transportation in the form of trams and buses is therefor a necessity, let alone the need to have people use their bikes as often as possible.
These aspects of city planning are well established, funded and executed. However, the delivery of goods to the city has always caused headaches, certainly when traffic policies are aimed at reducing car use and access to the downtown area, to allow for livable streets and reduce CO-emissions.
The recently released ‘New Amsterdam Climate‘ program sets goals accordingly:
In New Amsterdam Climate, Amsterdam states that by 2025, the city’s total CO2 emissions must be reduced by 40% with respect to 1990 levels. Amsterdam can only reach this goal if businesses, citizens and the administration work closely together. That is the core of Amsterdam’s approach.
Earlier this summer the city implemented a pilot for the transporation of goods by trams. It’s not yet entirely clear whether this option will be pursued further, but for years businesses have been motivated to think along the same lines, as posted about by the French ‘Transport Information Group‘:
Around 25 percent of the city of Amsterdam consists of navigable waterways (65 miles of canals) thus making it the most watery city in the world. DHL took advantage of this opportunity… and developed its “Floating Distribution Centre.”
The DHL-boat sails through Amsterdam’s canals. It is the base centre for bicycle courriers thus leading to less vans, small or bigger trucks for final deliveries. The distribution centre employs 4 people on the boat, and serves 20 bicycle couriers. It helps minimizing traffic congestion and pollution in city centre.
* Photos by Matthieu Desiderio, Transport Expertise, Oct. 6, 2008.
From DHL’s point of view, the boat+bike service has a high flexibility of supply, a positive image, etc. This project seems to be very successful, since it is still in operation more than 10 years after the experiment started.
Read the rest of the article to get the full picture.
Whatever label you put on this, I like to think it’s a good thing policy makers and businesses see restrictions in movement and growth as opportunities for innovation. Including those leading us over water. Although on certain days even that is absolutely impossible… :-p
WHAT TO DO NOW?