Over the past two decades, with the rise of online shopping platforms and on-demand food delivery, North America has experienced a dramatic increase in the volume of deliveries.
Cities are at the crossroads of this transformation. Most deliveries start or end in cities, and governments are looking for solutions to meet the demand. Curbside parking and loading space is a congested, contested resource. The increasing numbers of vehicles delivering goods increase travel time, worsen air quality, and make streets less safe—especially when they park illegally or rush to meet deadlines.
While cities face the most challenges related to deliveries, their relatively dense environments and transportation networks put them in a unique position to act.
City governments across the U.S. and Canada are addressing the ever-increasing demand by incentivizing and regulating deliveries by bike. Although there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to supporting bike deliveries, cities of all sizes can use these experiences to prepare.
The right strategy depends on each city’s unique context: How bikeable are the streets? How intense is the delivery activity? How are different types of e-bikes regulated? Are there places to park and store delivery bikes?
Here’s how any city can harness the possibilities of delivery by bike:
- Terms and Concepts to Know. Learn how bike deliveries operate—from food to freight.
- Essentials for Urban Delivery by Bike. Assess the city’s regulations, curbside delivery environment, and bike infrastructure.
- Strategies to Grow Delivery by Bike. Understand the potential strategies city staff can use to support delivery by bike.
- Work with Stakeholders. Understand the existing and potential stakeholders and their needs before deciding what changes to make.
- Actions to Support Delivery by Bike. Decide which next steps to take.
