Transportation Research Related to COVID-19. Assessing the Equity and Workforce Mobility Implications of the Expansion of E-Commerce and Direct-to-Consumer Delivery Services

With increases in online retail and app-based services combined with declines and changes in traditional brick and mortar retail operations, e-commerce and direct-to-consumer deliveries have grown in recent years. As more consumers stayed at home due to the pandemic, the importance of e-commerce grew considerably, particularly food delivery. While e-commerce growth has slowed since the height of the pandemic, the growing use of direct-to-consumer deliveries remained. The changes in retail, operations, and services come with additional opportunities and challenges for consumers, communities, and the workforce with significant associated effects on transportation needs and use.   The objectives of this research are to develop for state DOTs and their regional and local partners: (1) An objective understanding of (a) the full spectrum of e-commerce and direct-to-consumer deliveries with definitions, frameworks, and a taxonomy; and (b) an understanding of how and, to what extent, the rise of direct-to-consumer delivery services has created opportunities and challenges for workers and consumers in urban, suburban, and rural contexts, with emphasis on low/fixed-income, minority communities, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly; and (2) Development of a toolkit with approaches and case studies that demonstrate how to proactively address the challenges and opportunities presented by the expansion of e-commerce and direct-to consumer deliveries. The toolkit and case studies should be quantitatively and qualitatively driven to increase equitable access and mobility for the workforce and consumers, including effective practices, partnerships, plans, policies, programs, strategies, funding options, or service delivery.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5094

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $250000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 23-13(06)

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Wadsworth, Trey

• Performing Organizations:

  Canete Medina Consulting Group, Incorporated

  City,    
• Principal Investigators:

  Canete-Medina, Isabel

• Start Date: 20221220
• Expected Completion Date: 20241020
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Access; COVID-19; Delivery service; Economic impacts; Electronic commerce; Equity; Low income groups; Mobility; State departments of transportation; Workforce
• Subject Areas: Economics; Freight Transportation; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Security and Emergencies; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01767997
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 23-13(06)
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Mar 24 2021 6:50PM