Managing freight transportation and air quality in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area

Abstract

In the planning and management of freight transportation systems, there may be difficult challenges to providing efficient movements of goods in a region and achieving environmental objectives. Managing these potential conflicts is important to ensure the economic benefits of an efficient freight transportation system while minimizing its negative effects, such as air pollution. In this thesis we analyze the freight transportation system of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA), one of the largest and most polluted cities in the world. Freight transportation has played a very import role in the economic growth of the MCMA by providing the movement of goods into and out of the region; however, it has also contributed substantially to its air quality deterioration. Our main focus on this thesis has been with respect to exploring freight-related strategies to substantially improve air quality in the MCMA. These strategies are based on the use of newer and cleaner technologies for freight vehicles, as well as better managing and operating the freight fleet in the MCMA. In order to test these strategies a model linking freight demand, pollutant emissions and costs was developed. The results of our analysis show that it could be possible to achieve substantial and sustained freight emissions reductions by using newer and cleaner technologies for freight vehicles, as well as better operating the freight fleet in the MCMA. The costs associated with these strategies are also discussed. Throughout the analysis multiple sources of uncertainty are identified and addressed. The analysis and results presented in this thesis could be used by decision-makers to improve the freight transportation system in the MCMA. Based on our analysis decision-makers can judge what type of pollutant emissions they wish to reduce and better understand what freight-related strategies should be implemented in the MCMA, as well as their performance with respect to the main sources of uncertainty identified. Therefore, if implemented, they could help achieve a viable freight transportation system in the MCMA to support its economic growth.