Electric cargo bikes that look like mini trucks may soon deliver your packages.
The Department of Transportation announced Wednesday morning that the agency has authorized the use of beefed-up electric cargo bikes on city streets, a move that’s anticipated to get thousands of gas-guzzling trucks and other delivery vehicles off the road.
New rules unveiled Wednesday permit the use of four-wheeled electric, pedal-assist cargo bikes of up to 4 feet wide and allow for a maximum length, including bike and trailer combinations, of 16 feet.
“Achieving a safer and greener transportation future includes reducing the number of large, high-polluting trucks on our streets,” said Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez in a statement shared with Crain’s. “Authorizing these new delivery options will better protect our environment and all road users.”
Cargo bikes are just what the name implies: bikes that can be used to transport goods or perform other tasks to reduce the number of cars on the road. The electric pedal-assist version boasts a feature that activates a small motor to give riders a boost; the technology is used by Citi Bike’s popular pedal-assist models.
DOT officials made several notable tweaks to the draft electric cargo bike rules originally proposed last summer, owing to feedback the agency said it received during the public comment period.
Among the changes is upping a proposed cap on the length of cargo bikes from 10 feet to 16 feet. Transit officials have also raised the maximum height for cargo bikes from 6.5 feet to 7 feet. The seemingly small but crucial changes ensure that popular cargo bike trailers, already in use by e-commerce giant Amazon and others, wouldn’t be eliminated.
Logistics industry executives had raised the alarm last year that more restrictive dimensions would effectively ban commonly manufactured bike and trailer models from city streets.
The expanded dimensions, DOT said, “will enable small businesses and logistics companies to replace larger trucks and vans with cargo bicycle models successfully deployed in other cities and countries.”
To address safety concerns, the speed limit for electric cargo bikes has also been reduced from an initially proposed 20 mph to 15 mph — the limit was previously 12 mph. A new provision in the rules prohibits electric cargo bikes from being parked or left unattended on a sidewalk for any reason. Cargo bike riders must also ensure that their vehicles are not overloaded with goods and that they consistently comply with bike manufacturer weight restrictions.
As part of the electric cargo bike rollout, DOT says in the coming months it will update its safety educational materials for cargo bike operations, drawing on feedback from both cargo bike operators and businesses.
Today at least 450 cargo bikes cruise on city streets, according to DOT. But in 2022, riders of the city’s few hundred cargo bikes managed to make more than 130,000 trips delivering more than 5 million packages. DOT says it’s still crunching the latest 2023 numbers.
By 2026 the city aims to have upwards of 2,000 cargo bikes operating across the boroughs.
Caroline Spivack , 2024-03-27 12:03:04
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