Wow, I guess I intuited this info from being a cargo bike rider for the past 5 years, but I never verified it. Well the Guardian has: Cargo bikes deliver faster and cleaner than vans in a study done in London.
I’ve measured my commute times from Park Ridge to Kirkwood while working at IU, and I always matched or reduced the time required on the few days I had to drive.
I was able to ride my e-cargo bike year round, ~95% of the days: I ride when there is water in the air, but not when it was pouring. With the right attitude, riding while it snows is really exhilarating and calming at the same time!
Add the time and expense to find a spot and park a car, and bikes are definately faster door to door, and cheaper to use than any gas powered vehicle.
Some interesting points from the study:
- E-Cargo bikes have a higher average speed and dropped off 10 parcels an hour, compared with six for vans
- E-Cargo bikes also cut carbon emissions by 90% compared with diesel vans
- Air pollution was significantly reduced
- E-Cargo bikes bypass traffic jams, take shortcuts through streets closed to through traffic and ride to the customers door.