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An algorithm for the design of mailbox collection routes in urban areas

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  • Laporte, Gilbert
  • Chapleau, Suzanne
  • Landry, Philippe-Eric
  • Mercure, Hélène

Abstract

Mailbox collection is a complex and costly operation in most postal services. The authors recently undertook a study aimed at improving this operation at the Canada Post Corporation (CPC). This paper describes an improvement to the clustering and routing algorithm currently in use. Various traffic and union rules affecting mailbox collection in an urban context are first described and their effect on shortest distance computations is explained. This is followed by a description of the clustering and routing algorithm currently used at CPC. A model and a generalized travelling salesman algorithm that take the various rules into account are then presented. It is then shown how the CPC routes can sometimes be improved by using the proposed algorithm as a postoptimizer.

Suggested Citation

  • Laporte, Gilbert & Chapleau, Suzanne & Landry, Philippe-Eric & Mercure, Hélène, 1989. "An algorithm for the design of mailbox collection routes in urban areas," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 271-280, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transb:v:23:y:1989:i:4:p:271-280
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    Cited by:

    1. Matthias Winkenbach & Alain Roset & Stefan Spinler, 2016. "Strategic Redesign of Urban Mail and Parcel Networks at La Poste," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 46(5), pages 445-458, October.
    2. Feremans, Corinne & Labbe, Martine & Laporte, Gilbert, 2003. "Generalized network design problems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 148(1), pages 1-13, July.
    3. Li, Xiang & Zhou, Jiandong & Zhao, Xiande, 2016. "Travel itinerary problem," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 332-343.
    4. Perugia, Alessandro & Moccia, Luigi & Cordeau, Jean-François & Laporte, Gilbert, 2011. "Designing a home-to-work bus service in a metropolitan area," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 45(10), pages 1710-1726.
    5. Bard, Jonathan F. & Jarrah, Ahmad I., 2013. "Integrating commercial and residential pickup and delivery networks: A case study," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 41(4), pages 706-720.
    6. Ghiani, Gianpaolo & Improta, Gennaro, 2000. "An efficient transformation of the generalized vehicle routing problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(1), pages 11-17, April.
    7. A I Jarrah & J F Bard, 2011. "Pickup and delivery network segmentation using contiguous geographic clustering," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 62(10), pages 1827-1843, October.
    8. Bard, Jonathan F. & Jarrah, Ahmad I., 2009. "Large-scale constrained clustering for rationalizing pickup and delivery operations," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 43(5), pages 542-561, June.

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