This summer, the city of Boston will launch a pilot program to provide e-cargo bike deliveries for businesses in the Allston neighborhood -- a first in the United States.
The program will run in this West Boston neighborhood for 18 months. The trial is part of a package of equitable and clean transportation projects in the state, starting with the implementation of free bus routes and the development of new bike lanes.
Replacing delivery trucks with cargo bikes
Through this initiative, the city's objective is naturally to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and congestion on the streets, while making them safer for all road users, including pedestrians.
This project comes as the demand for food and grocery delivery services has soared across the US in the two years since the start of the covid-19 pandemic. Many residents now prefer this type of delivery service to doing their shopping in-store. As a result, it's better to have an e-cargo bike making those deliveries than a truck. The trial could also encourage businesses in other parts of the city to adopt similar solutions.
This initiative is unique in the United States. Previously, some cities, such as Portland, have run schemes to provide municipal employees with bikes. Here, however, the focus is on helping businesses and traders in an entire neighborhood to make use of cargo bikes for deliveries.
