Optimization of Last Mile Logistics Process Combining Passenger and Freight Flows

This research addresses the operational planning of an urban logistics problem where an existing bus passenger transportation network is integrated with the urban freight process, and with a last mile delivery service, to send freight to city centers. The aim is to reduce the number of fossil combustion powered commercial vehicles traveling within city boundaries, solely for goods transportation, thus contributing to reduce negative effects of urban logistics activities, namely, pollution, noise, and traffic congestion. An integer linear programming model is proposed to support the planning of the distribution process, aiming to minimize the delivery time of the last mile operator. Results considering instances based on a real bus network of Porto city, Portugal, show the efficiency of the proposed model.