Originally Posted by Expatriate
That means more truck miles for the same quantity of goods. Two prime movers put out twice as much pollution as one, and probably use twice the fuel, given that so much time is spent idling in traffic....
Good point, I have no data either. Twice the trucks may mean twice the traffic, if that is really the end result of smaller delivery vehicles. Sadly, your rail solutions have been nearly destroyed here. I wish I had a picture of the way McDonalds resupplies their restaurants in town. 18 Wheeler with a roller ramp thing from the curb to the front door. To be fair, I am not sure I have seen this between 9-5 but people have to wait for a break in the frozen cholesterol boxes to stop or walk out in the second lane of traffic around the rig. I don't have the answer, yet, but there are literally tens of thousands of car and trucks that don't leave the five boroughs ever; cabs, delivery trucks, FedEx, etc. That a truck could be smaller or non combustion still might not have saved this woman, but it would certainly change the feel of the "street". I think 95% of this country has its head in the sand about what things finally cost and the impact of extremely cheap goods. I would like to think that people who see the destructive outcome at home and abroad would gladly pay more to live a life with less effect on the world. i.e.death of a lawyer in Park Slope or a child in Iraq or pollution etc.