Bikes for Urban Freight?

In light of the necessity of reducing motorized road traffic in Europe, above all in city centers, focus is switching more and more to cycle freight. At present there is little research or systematically prepared findings in this area. This paper demonstrates that the use of cycle freight is already widespread, though restricted to larger cities, which have the density necessary to create demand. The existing firms that use cycle freight operate primarily as pure cycle freight operators. The parallel operation of cargo cycles within fleets of otherwise motorized vehicles has, however, been tried successfully on several occasions. The availability of city center hubs that ensure the necessary efficiency is one of the special requirements associated with the use of cargo cycles. Customers still have reservations, although it may be assumed that these reservations are more a case of initial resistance and could be overcome through information and advertising campaigns. In total, it is expected that around a quarter of city center freight transport could be carried by bike. Bike freight will work only if this mode of delivery is given greater consideration in city and transport planning. Initial estimates indicate that the reduction in air and noise pollution created by cycle-based commercial traffic could be quite significant, although systematic analysis is lacking in this area. To date, there have been no studies on the effects of cycle freight on city center traffic.