CLDA Corner
“ As a business that makes and delivers nutritious , delicious , culturally appropriate meals throughout the City of Boston , we understand the congestion on Boston ’ s streets and recognize its negative impact on the residents of the City . And as a business that cares about climate protection , we are always looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint ,” said Richard Caines III , Director , Sales and Marketing at City Fresh Foods . “ The Boston Delivers pilot program is an innovative solution that will reduce congestion and improve service to our clients all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions . The Boston Delivers pilot gives companies like ours an opportunity to learn how e-bikes can be successfully integrated into business operations .”
This pilot program has several key learning objectives that will help pave the way for the operation of e-cargo bikes for delivery . These key learning objectives are :
• Identify the policies , programs , and regulations that need to change to allow for e-cargo bike delivery in the City of Boston ;
• Test 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 ;
• Measure the benefits of e-cargo bike delivery , including its impact on environmental , safety , and economic metrics ;
• Understand the costs and feasibility of e-cargo bike delivery for different types of businesses ;
• Communicate to delivery service providers that the City of Boston is ready for delivery services to utilize e-cargo bikes .
“ Through our farm share program , ABHC is really looking forward to partnering up with Boston Transportation Department ’ s Boston Delivers team as we intersect two key needs in our community : equitable access to food and transportation ”, said Jessi Rubin , Allston Brighton CSA , organized by Allston-Brighton Health Collaborative , who is participating in Boston Delivers .
“ The electric cargo bike pilot presents an important opportunity to both learn best practices regarding sustainable , environmentally friendly local deliveries , which has an exploding demand in both urban and suburban neighborhoods , while also reducing vehicle miles traveled by single-occupant vehicles – a key recommendation of MetroCommon 2050 ,” said Marah Holland , Senior Transportation Planner at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council . “ It ’ s the epitome of ‘ smart growth ,’ and we ’ re looking forward to opportunities to expand to other neighborhoods and municipalities across Greater Boston .”
Boston Delivers will serve as a case study for The Urban Freight Lab at The University of Washington to help inform worldwide efforts to encourage deliveries on e-cargo bikes . The Boston Transportation Department has partnered with Net Zero , a leading final mile logistics provider , to carry out the pilot . Net Zero will provide and manage the fleet of e-cargo bikes and related equipment , make the deliveries , and manage the logistics .
“ About Fresh , via our Fresh Truck ECommerce program , is excited to partner with the City and Net Zero Logistics to take an innovative , environmentally friendly approach to door-to-door delivery ,” said Seana Weaver , Fresh Truck Program Director , one of the businesses participating in Boston Delivers . “ During the height of the pandemic , our Fresh Box program proved to be a necessary service in communities throughout Boston and we hear from our shoppers every day that they ’ d like to see it return . We are so grateful for this pilot opportunity to find a reasonable and sustainable method to get fresh produce to the households that need it most in Allston / Brighton .”
“ I am passionate about reducing the carbon footprint and helping our environment to ensure a safe planet exists for all the generations to come ,” said Mark Chiusano , CEO of Net Zero Logistics and affiliates . “ As a company , we hope to make a difference by increasing awareness of carbonless deliveries and helping local businesses offer sustainable delivery options . We ’ ve been working hard finding solutions with executing the final 50 feet of urban delivery , and we are thrilled to implement our knowledge and expertise here in Massachusetts by partnering with The City of Boston and Boston Delivers .”
More information on Boston Delivers can be found at boston . gov / boston-delivers . CLDA summer 2023 I customized logistics & delivery Magazine 63