Deliveries and servicing
 Better Placed: Better Value |  Future Transport: A Strong Economy |
Deliveries and servicing are essential to creating vibrant places. Centres and main streets’ kerbside loading zones are best used for essential delivery, service and maintenance vehicle access outside pedestrian peaks. Shifting regular or bulky deliveries off-street or outside peaks can reduce conflict between these essential functions and the place amenity.
To maximise the benefit of off-street facilities, new large residential and commercial complexes should incorporate facilities for a diverse range of vehicles: from small delivery and trade vans through to semi-trailers and other large articulated vehicles, appropriate to their delivery and service demands. These should be located to minimise the impact on primary streets by using underground loading, access via laneways or a local area consolidation centre. The location of, and interaction at, footpath crossovers should be carefully considered.
Special arrangements may be required for historic buildings and during construction to ensure loading and place activity are safely and conveniently accommodated.
All streets and buildings in vibrant places should consider the ‘last metre’ (on-foot delivery carts, cargo bike access) as part of their general accessibility design. Deliveries on foot can be designed using similar principles to designing for people with mobility needs, such as safe ramps, accessible lifts, and excellent wayfinding to reduce distances travelled and to save time.
Key questions
- Have options for mitigating delivery impact been considered such as freight consolidation facilities, laneway access and shared loading bays?
- Have all aspects of last-mile deliveries and servicing been considered? Does the design cater for access by the types of delivery vehicles anticipated? Is there a plan to manage deliveries and servicing by time of day? Has waste collection been considered?
- Has accessible ‘last metre’ access on foot or cargo bike been considered?
