California Air Resources Board

Principal Investigator/Author: Shams Tanvir

Contractor: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Contract Number: 21STC016

Project Status: Completed

Relevant CARB Programs: Sustainable Communities & Climate Protection Program

Topic Areas: Climate Change, Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Reduction & Climate Goals, Research & Sustainable Communities, Sustainable Community Strategies (SCS)

Research Summary:

This white paper synthesizes current literature to identify the state-of-the-art understanding of the vehicle miles traveled (VMT), emissions, travel behavior, and equity impacts of on-demand delivery services. Currently, there is no regulatory oversight on the light-duty on-demand delivery service (ODDS) usage and the corresponding emissions. There is very limited data regarding ODDS emissions profile of the vehicles, travel patterns, and related consumer behavioral patterns. The white paper synthesizes, archives, and interprets existing data and literature to assist the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in getting a better understanding of the ODDS. Additionally, the project develops a framework to estimate the efficacy of potential strategies that reduce VMT and emissions from ODDS. Cal Poly Corporation will identify all ODDS business models, data needs, and potential future research pathways. Findings from this project are intended to inform potential new strategies to help maximize the positive impacts of on-demand delivery services to complement existing regulations. Cal Poly was involved in conducting the literature search related to VMT and equity and synthesizing the corresponding portion in the white paper. Similarly, the University of California, Riverside was responsible for conducting a literature search on emissions and travel behavior and writing the respective sections in the white paper. 

Keywords: vehicle miles traveled (VMT), emissions, travel behavior, equity, on-demand delivery services (ODDS), reduce, emissions reductions