More than a handful of businesses in Allston will soon be delivering packages via electric cargo bikes instead of cars or trucks, an initiative the Wu administration says will reduce pollution and improve street safety.
Eight companies that make deliveries to and from the neighborhood are participating in the Boston Delivers pilot program, which will start in mid-September and run for at least a year.
The involved businesses will receive subsidies from the city to cover delivery costs, making their services more affordable to operate, the Wu administration announced Tuesday. The city is allocating $345,000 as well as using state funds.
Officials say the program will bring relief to not just businesses but also pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicle drivers. The city has seen a rise in delivery services following the pandemic, triggering “more congestion outside local businesses and double parking in bus, bike and vehicle travel lanes,” they say.
“The way our small businesses and residents use our city’s curbs has changed over the last few years, and we’re launching Boston Delivers to explore how to make our streets flow more smoothly and safely for everyone,” Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement.
The city is seeking more Allston area businesses to participate in the program, which has several objectives officials say will “help pave the way for the operation of e-cargo bikes for delivery.”
One aspect that will be studied in the initial year is “infrastructure changes needed to accommodate e-cargo bike delivery, including but not limited to e-cargo bike delivery zones, staging and sorting areas, parcel lockers, and other last-mile logistical needs,” according to the release highlighting the program.
City transportation officials say they will work with businesses on establishing or enhancing loading zones, while studying ways to give the delivery bikes priority at the curb.
Other cities and major delivery service companies have already started using e-cargo bikes.
Boston officials anticipate the pilot will deliver about 20 to 50 packages per day, well below the recommended 500 daily deliveries needed for operations to be financially sustainable, a program document states. To hit that volume, a fleet size of 10 to 20 e-cargo bikes is needed.