The New York City Department of Transportation proposes to replace delivery vans with four-wheeled electric cargo bikes to promote safety and sustainability on NYC streets. The department’s figures estimate that just two cargo e-bikes can replace one box truck, which will reduce CO2 emissions by 14 tons per year—the equivalent to 30,872 car miles traveled.
Since the launch of the Commercial Cargo Bike pilot program in 2019, cargo bike deliveries have significantly increased. In 2022, more than 130,000 trips delivering over five million packages were made by cargo bikes, resulting in the reduction of over 650,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions. Bicycle laws in the US require two or three wheels to be legally classified as a bike, meaning the laws will need to be updated for these types of cargo e-bikes.
The proposal isn’t final. At a virtual public hearing in September, held by the NYC DOT, many expressed concerns about the cargo bikes using the bike lanes and putting cyclists at risk. The DOT originally planned to allow cargo bikes to go the maximum speed of 20 mph, which received major pushback from the public who stated the cargo bikes should be capped at 12 mph. Many also claimed that it puts those on the sidewalk and in the bike lanes at risk since the cargo bikes exceed the size limit, may be allowed to go faster, and can weigh around 500lbs.
The NYC DOT officials have not yet made a decision about the proposal.
For more, visit www.nyc.gov.
