Presentation — Zero-emission delivery hub

The zero-emission delivery hub project has as its main objective to decarbonize last-mile delivery in the delivery-dense areas of Montreal. Last-mile delivery, also called urban delivery, is one of the most polluting stages of delivering your parcels. By integrating a drop-off point, also called a 'zero-emission delivery hub', for decarbonized last-mile delivery in your neighborhood, we help to:

Reduce GHG emissions.

Reduce freight truck traffic in your neighborhoods.

Mitigate road congestion.

Improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists while also allowing easier movement for delivery workers.

Increase the number of deliveries per zero-emission vehicle.

To learn more, we invite you to consult theFAQ .

The first mini delivery hub is located at 6352 Saint-André Street:

The second mini delivery hub is located at 1169 Hickson Street:

FAQ

What is a zero-emission delivery hub?
The zero-emission delivery hub (or mini urban distribution center – made up of a container) is a neighborhood drop-off point located between the peri-urban sorting center (the delivery company's warehouse) and the final recipient. With this type of urban delivery space, parcels bound for multiple areas of your neighborhood are routed to the hub with a single truck coming from the peri-urban sorting center. From the hub, the parcels are distributed on short delivery routes carried out with smaller, zero-emission vehicles better suited to the urban scale, thus avoiding multiple medium-duty truck trips between the peri-urban sorting center and recipients.
What is urban delivery, also called last-mile delivery?
Urban delivery refers to all freight transport operations within cities. It is often called the "last mile" of the supply chain, the final stage before the product reaches the end consumer. It is already beginning to reinvent itself: new parcel transshipment points are being added in the densest boroughs. With this project, we aim to continue innovating and improving urban delivery to make it greener.
Why is the use of cargo bikes for last-mile delivery relevant in my neighborhood?
The cargo bike can deliver more parcels than a truck in the same amount of time. The bike can take advantage of bike lanes to avoid congestion and park more easily without blocking traffic, unlike a truck. Using cargo bikes prevents GHG emissions and helps reduce road congestion in your neighborhood.
Why choose your borough to implement this project?
Your borough is a high delivery-density area with an innovative approach to the transport of people and goods, which will increase the project's efficiency and allow a thorough assessment of its integration and impacts. By implementing this project in your borough, it follows its strategic orientations in terms of sustainable mobility.
How long will this project last?
The zero-emission delivery hub project will take place over a two-year period so the project can operate through two winters. This way, analyses will rely on a larger sample of data, allowing for more realistic conclusions. Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie is the first borough where the project was implemented and the borough of Verdun also has its zero-emission delivery hub.
Will this project negatively impact local businesses?
This project will provide last-mile delivery for certain delivery companies you regularly use. We help businesses carry out last-mile delivery in a carbon-neutral way, whether they are local or international. We do not work with multinational online retailers, so this project will not negatively impact local businesses.
Why do this project only on the last mile of delivery?
The last mile or "dernier kilomètre" in French, also called urban delivery, is the most polluting and disruptive part of a delivery for residents. The truck moves through the streets of your neighborhood, stops wherever it can, leaves its engine running, drops off the parcel at your home, leaves and repeats this operation throughout the day.
By using a zero-emission vehicle to make the last mile of delivery, we reduce GHG emissions in your neighborhood, while also ensuring a safer neighborhood for everyone and streets with fewer trucks, therefore less traffic.
It is more relevant to carry out last-mile delivery in a decarbonized way because the bike adapts particularly well to this segment of the supply chain. This type of delivery vehicle is also less affected by difficult road conditions caused by snowstorms; cargo bikes work particularly well in both winter and summer.
Who is this project for?
This project is aimed at delivery companies, local businesses and citizens, as well as administrative bodies (provincial, municipal and boroughs).
Sustainable mobility is a concept that is becoming increasingly important today. The majority of cities and companies have adopted a sustainable mobility plan that must be put into action within the next 10 years to reduce their GHG emissions.
Reducing GHGs is everyone's business. Every small change in consumption habits counts—whether it's acquiring a hybrid or electric vehicle, using public transit, or, as in this project, receiving decarbonized deliveries.
This viable and highly reliable delivery model is a great ally for GHG reduction. Several major cities around the world have already integrated this type of project into their delivery routines, such as Prague, Seattle, London and Toronto.
Which delivery companies are participating in this project?
Currently, 2 delivery companies operate the decarbonized delivery container: Intelcom and Purolator, making it a shared hub. In the coming months, other delivery companies may join this urban delivery project.
Who is responsible for maintaining the container and what do you do to prevent vandalism?
Each participating carrier is responsible for maintaining its part of the delivery hub. For example, they must keep the area clean (no waste, pick up boxes, packing paper, etc.) and must contact Propulsion Québec if they witness vandalism or a serious problem.
Propulsion Québec is responsible for the physical aspect of the hub, i.e. the container, and commits to finding a solution and contacting the City of Montreal's graffiti removal team if needed. This initiative is a pilot project, so we are in an adaptation period and appreciate all feedback related to this type of issue.
If you witness vandalism, please contact us atmini-poles@propulsionquebec.com.
What measures are in place to reduce the impact of truck noise from deliveries to the containers?
By implementing this project in your borough, we minimize the number of trucks that will circulate there. The goal is to have 1 delivery vehicle per participating delivery company stop at the delivery hub per day. In total, we will therefore have a maximum of 5 delivery vehicles (vans, small trucks, cargo vans, etc.) that will come to unload parcels at the zero-emission delivery hub.
The hubs, which are containers, are equipped with garage doors to load zero-emission delivery vehicles.
If you have a comment, suggestion or complaint regarding this matter, please contact us atmini-poles@propulsionquebec.com.
What is the role of Propulsion Québec?
Propulsion Québec is the cluster for electric and intelligent transportation. Our mission is to accelerate the development of Quebec's electric and intelligent transportation industry and our ambition is to reinvent the mobility of tomorrow in order to make transportation sustainable.
Our role in this project is to ensure the oversight, data collection and operationalization of zero-emission delivery hubs, thereby maximizing the viability of decarbonized urban delivery. We want to lead by example and motivate other cities or municipalities in Quebec to do the same and make this concept indispensable for 21st-century cities.
If I have a question, comment, complaint or suggestion, who can I contact?
This project is an initiative of Propulsion Québec, the cluster for electric and intelligent transportation, in collaboration with your borough. If you have any questions or requests to submit to us, we invite you to contact us at:mini-poles@propulsionquebec.com. A member of our team will be happy to respond.