Cargo bikes in New York City are about to get considerably bigger.
A proposed Department of Transportation modification to municipal legislation would allow four-wheeled, four-foot-wide pedal-assist micro trucks the width of a golf cart.
The plan, if approved, would also increase the usage of commercial cargo bikes, which made their municipal street debut in 2019 as part of a trial program. More than 5 million parcels were delivered by cargo bikes in 2017 according to DOT data, making home drop-off service more environmentally friendly throughout the five boroughs.
“The freight industry sees cargo bicycles with pedal-assist as an opportunity to test consolidation and smaller-scale deliveries in constrained urban spaces, with the concomitant benefits of avoiding tickets and reducing negative impacts on traffic and street safety,” the department wrote in an announcement released Monday.
According to the agency, just two of the cargo e-bikes can replace one conventional delivery vehicle, which translates to saving 30,872 passenger car miles. Cargo bikes wider than 36 inches are not permitted under current city regulations, which also require that they have fewer than four wheels.
The proposed regulation would only apply to New York City, since attempts to pass legislation allowing broader freight e-bikes statewide have been so far unsuccessful.
A 30-day period for public feedback following the proposal’s release will lead up to a virtual public hearing on September 13 at 10 a.m.
