OPUSS: OPtimization of Urban Synchromodal Systems

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Stefan Irnich
• Subject Area: Traffic and Transport Systems, Intelligent and Automated Traffic
• Term: from 2017 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 391066679

City logistics projects have shown that urban freight networks should rely on the interoperability of several layers and modes of transportation for the delivery to shops and consumers from urban consolidation centers. In long-haul transportation, this is known as synchromodality. The concept refers to a global optimization of the network by synchronizing all transportation modes including flexible dedicated vehicles and scheduled lines. Through synchromodal transportation, the carriers and/or customers select independently at any time the best mode based on the operational circumstances and customer requirements. Synchromodality was introduced to improve the cost, resilience, and energy efficiency of multimodal networks. As a case in point, the last mile delivery is becoming a challenge in large urban areas due to the fast increase of e-commerce. Sustainable and smarter urban management is needed to reduce pollution and congestion and to meet the needs of the population. In line with this observation, new freight transportation modes (electric vehicles, cargo bikes, sharing with public transport) and delivery options (doorstep, lockers, parcel-shops) are being experimented, but rethinking transportation systems as a whole remains a challenge.The goal of the OPUSS project is to design advanced optimization algorithms to support the planning of synchromodal urban delivery networks. It extends the concept of synchromodality by integrating the most recent urban transportation modes and delivery options proposed as last mile delivery solutions in city logistics. According to this objective, we propose to achieve fundamental advances on two major challenges of synchromodal urban systems: the choice among alternative options to deliver to customers and the temporal synchronization of modes at multiple echelons.We propose to combine the best principles and components of exact and heuristic optimization algorithms into so-called matheuristic approaches. The consortium thus aims to share a deep expertise in transport synchronization by gathering experts on exact optimization on the one side, and meta-heuristics on the other side. Together, we plan to address algorithmic challenges such as expedient solution representation, efficient feasibility checking, effective heuristics guided by mathematical programming, and heuristic solving of subproblems in exact approaches.The expected output of OPUSS is threefold: First, to gain insights into the structure of optimization problems arising in urban synchromodal systems in order to establish the fundamental mathematical properties that support efficient algorithms. Second, OPUSS will deliver the key models and algorithmic components that allow to address the main characteristics of these systems. Third, OPUSS's ultimate goal is to integrate all algorithmic components into a unified algorithm that is easily adaptable to most urban distribution systems.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Christian Tilk
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Fabien Lehuédé, Ph.D.