Taxonomy for Integrated Passenger—Freight Transportation Models as an Alternative for Urban Logistics

The integration of passenger and freight transport through urban areas could be an effective way to reduce traffic in cities, and its negative externalities, making transport activities more efficient and respectful of the environment. This could be done by sharing infrastructure, such as roads and railways, or by sharing vehicles. This paper proposes a novel taxonomy based on seven classification criteria: Type of Study, Type of Analysis, Objective Focus, Solution Method, Geographic Location, Type of Transportation, and Type of Integration, to better understand the performance of integrated passenger and freight initiatives and identify trends in their development. The proposed taxonomy identifies important research gaps. They include the need for intelligent transportation system applications that enable data exchange between passenger and freight systems, theoretical and practical studies, incorporating stakeholder desires through a multi-objective approach, and the use of alternative fuel vehicles for the first and last mile of goods transportation in combination with passenger transportation. If we close these gaps, we can optimize the merger of passenger and cargo transport, leading to a more sustainable and efficient urban transportation system. In addition, the integration will promote a high efficiency of the passenger transport network and improve living conditions in metropolitan areas.