Cargo Bikes Just Plain Impractical: BENN
As is oft the case for these infomercials, it is what is not mentioned that matters, especially with cargo bikes.
Once we get past the “but it’s good for the environment” and “it’s an excellent form of active exercise”, how effective is it as a de facto replacement for your vehicle. The article is silent on how it will help you get your offspring to hockey practice, with a bag of equipment that doesn’t qualify as an airliner carry-on. No mention of how effective it will be on a winter morning, as you try to navigate down the as-yet-to-be-plowed bike lane on the way to the arena.
No mention of how much space it takes up in the bi-directional bike lane on O’Connor Street. Will your fellow cyclists have to veer into the traffic lane to get around you?
Is there enough room along the sidewalk to leave your cargo bike, as you shop at the local grocer on Preston Street for those too-bulky-to carry-for-15-minutes two-kilo bags of flour and potatoes, assuming one eats starches?
We Have Seen The Future And It Is Cargo Bikes
Where will you park this cargo bike when you get home? Will that big box bike fit in the tight bicycle parking room in your apartment building? What about in the communal parking garages of stacked townhome developments?
All of which is to say that it fits in the category of a nice-to-have incremental (key word) form of transportation. Perhaps you can dispose of one of the two family SUVs, and park this beast in the second garage in your suburban single-family dwelling.
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All these comments apply to oversize pickups too. Some choices aren’t right for you but are right for others.
Yes. The first thing I noticed when I saw a picture of a cargo bike is its size. This vehicle will get in the way physically and will lumber along. Steering also appears to be a problem. So, where will people drive one of these monstrosities? Bike lanes are out because a cargo bike is too large to fit economically within the boundaries, the roadway is out since bike lanes were built to keep bicycles out of traffic, bike paths will not work because of the danger to pedestrians and oncoming bicycles, ditto sidewalks, which are already a place for vehicles to NOT travel on. All this vehicle seems to be good for is causing safety issues. Two thumbs down.
Miranda:
Should we create cargo-bike lanes?
Some cyclists won’t be happy with the lane being taken up by a big honkin’ bike.
cheers
kgray
I agree Miranda. As I mentioned in my comment/column, this fits in the nice to have category, unlikely to be a replacement for an automobile save for a small segment of the demographic, especially for those who live in climate zones that differ materially from Santa Cruz, California (a trendy beach town).
My point was and remains that the article is nothing more than an infomercial, disguised as an objective perspective of a product. The challenges of ownership are ignored. Not unlike those of the oversized pickup that you cite.
No thanks, I’ll stick with my cargo pants.
As an Ex-Montrealer, it was common to see all depanneurs and grocery stores on the island with cargo bikes. It was the most common method of delivery in a large city. There were no separated lanes to drive in and no separate lights. As well this is common in European cities, or haven’t people seen the photos.
Ron Benn you do yourself a disservice with the anti-bike tirades because you are someone who has practical business/accounting knowledge sadly lacking at the city. Everytime I read a column where you show how the real world solves/manages problems I hope you will run for city office. Cargo bikes are quite common as others above have noted. Many are now electric so steam along better than most people can pedal. I’ll assume the safety mavens made sure they have sufficient braking power. The widest part of the cargo bike is the handlebars and those are no wider than a mountain bike. I know people who have tossed a car and replaced it with a cargo bike. No, I don’t believe Ottawa has the cycling numbers to justify the expense of their infrastructure plans and spending time on many of them it is quickly apparent that the planner never progressed past a tricycle. Example of dumb/costly planning; Byron ave., the city plans to turn this extremely safe and quiet road into another of the abhorrent complete streets. Which proves there are far too many bureaucrats with fingers in the pie trying to be heard to justify their existence. The city’s cycling programme isn’t a joke because it’s bicycle related but because the city is in charge of it. Remember the forest of signs they stuck up when the O’Connor bike lanes opened and the continuous changes because the city has real issues with planning as in being able to effectively plan. How about the FUBAR of Laurier lanes which started out planned for Somerset 1st until the BIA told them to p!ss off. I personally despise the all aspects of their complete streets both as a driver and cyclist. The cycling asphalt is so poorly laid it’s like riding a roller coaster. The city is a clown act no matter what they touch so please stop denigrating something useful….bicycles. Point out the dumb stuff the city does because GAWD there is no shortage.
Ian, it was not my intention to launch an anti-bike tirade. I was merely responding to an article that cited all of the benefits of cargo bikes, but none of the challenges. The article was written in such a manner as to imply that this was an objective analysis, when it was little more than infomercial, the objective of which is to increase sales of a viable, but limited use, utility vehicle into some form of widespread consumer product. Much the same as the oversized truck that Miranda cites.
Many of the challenges are the creations of our city planners. The same segment of city hall that you too are so clearly not impressed with. To wit, rebuilding streetscapes (e.g. Elgin) but leaving hydro poles in place along the sidewalk. Not just an eyesore, but also a snow clearing and pedestrian impediment. Not leaving sufficient space along the entire length of the streetscape to park/lock a bike. Not making the sidewalks wide enough for families, some with strollers, to pass each other, while ensuring that seasonal patios can limit the mobility of pedestrians.
The willingness to paint pavement green, but seeing no need to connect them with each other. In short, the inability to think beyond their own silos. The lack of willingness to even consider connecting two or more city policies with each other (cohesiveness) is pervasive. You cite a number of examples that I am not specifically aware of, but do not question, in your comment.
To be clear, I am not against cycling. I think it is a viable, useful way to move about the community, and from community to community. I think that cargo bikes have a limited market, but can be cumbersome, especially at either end of the journey. What is missing at city hall is not the complete street that is the problem, it is the complete thought.