Amazon’s eCargo Bike Deliveries

Amazon opened its first micromobility center in the United Kingdom this week in the heart of London. The direct replacement of thousands of traditional van journeys on London’s roadways by a new fleet of eCargo cycles and walkers (people delivering mail by hand) would result in a reduction in traffic congestion.

However, even while it will free up space on the road, it will almost certainly add more people to the already crowded sidewalks. The issue at hand is one for which people are having difficulty conceiving of a solution.

Amazon opened its first micromobility center in the United Kingdom this week in the heart of London. The direct replacement of thousands of traditional van journeys on London’s roadways by a new fleet of eCargo cycles and walkers (people delivering mail by hand) would result in a reduction in traffic congestion.

However, even while it will free up space on the road, it will almost certainly add more people to the already crowded sidewalks. The issue at hand is one for which people are having difficulty conceiving of a solution.

The delivery of eCargo is not a novel concept. Amazon is now one of many organizations, including DHL, UPS, and Hermes, that are utilizing ebikes and eCargo bikes as a method of last-mile delivery.

However, while it is admirable to use eCargo delivery in order to reduce traffic, air pollution, and parking issues, this presents a new barrier. The focus of commercial activity has shifted away from the street in recent years.

Pedestrians are in competition with people who are using ride-hailing services, people who are waiting for public transportation, people who are idling or actively using escooters and ebikes, people who are delivering food and waiting for orders, people who are delivering groceries but no one is there, trash cans, and, in some cities, delivery robots.

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When you factor in people lugging strollers and baggage, people eating outside, and people attempting to maneuver the space while using wheelchairs or pulling prams, things are getting really crowded.

To their credit, eCargo bikes are able to dump their cargo more quickly and with less effort than conventional vans, all while eliminating the need to hunt for a parking spot.

Their presence on sidewalks, however, makes it more difficult to maintain cities in a walkable state. When combined with all of the other things that take up space, sidewalks rapidly transform into obstacle courses. Additionally, Amazon’s walkers transporting products by cart will just contribute to the congestion that is already present.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not recommending we replace eCargo bikes with delivery vehicles. However, given the increasing number of use cases that compete for space, we will need to reconsider how we construct the sidewalk and curb.

It’s possible that door-to-door physical delivery won’t be the standard in the long run. In addition, there is still a significant amount of work to be done before commercial drone delivery can become a viable alternative.

The epidemic demonstrated that even established cities such as London are capable of adapting their public spaces. The establishment of temporary bike lanes and restaurants with outdoor seating are two examples.

Now is the moment to rethink a public place with a focus on people in a way that caters to the requirements of all of its users. We require urban environments in which space for people is prioritized over space for automobiles and parking for cars. The central business districts of many cities are being converted into pedestrian zones. Let’s expand the design beyond the boundaries of the center district.

But let’s be honest: even if sidewalks miraculously extended overnight, the problems would still exist even if there were just more people piling on top of them. Because of this, the management of pavement and curbsides requires immediate attention if we want our cities to remain livable.

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