With delivery companies increasingly using cargo bikes to make deliveries faster and more efficient, the new rule could open the door to a ‘delivery revolution.’
New York City’s Department of Transportation is on track to approve a new rule allowing four-wheeled cargo bikes up to 48 inches wide to operate on the city’s streets, report Gersh Kuntzman in Streetsblog NYC. This move could revolutionize urban deliveries and reduce the need for large trucks, particularly in dense urban areas like New York.
“The DOT itself has highlighted the potential of cargo bikes by using an electric-assist four-wheeler — anointed "Cargi B" in a much-questioned Twitter poll — to ferry equipment around various job sites in Manhattan and to demonstrate to reporters.” According to DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, “Just two cargo bikes can replace one box truck, increasing safety and reducing CO2 emission by 14 tons per year—equivalent to 30,872 passenger car miles traveled.”
The city has a stated goal of supporting the deployment of over 2,000 cargo bikes by 2026, Kuntzman adds. “The rule change would only allow for pedal-assist bikes, with e-bike technology similar to Citi Bike’s popular electric models.”
FULL STORY: City Moves to Allow Wider Cargo Bikes; Is a Delivery Revolution Next?
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