Mobycon’s new approach for cargo bikes in public space

Cargo bikes for green city logistics. It’s not just a dream but becoming more and more a reality in many cities. However, to fully utilize the potential of human powered and/or electric supported vehicles in city distribution the city needs to adapt. Good infrastructure plays a crucial role in the success of cargo bike logistics. What requirements must be set for the infrastructure and what are the options?

The Mobycon approach is a newly developed design methodology, ‘New Urban Mobility’. This methodology allows planners and designers to reconfigure the urban public space (including the traffic infrastructure) whilst simultaneously considering quality of life, safety, and accessibility demands and requirements.

Based on the key fundamental variables of mass and speed we define six vehicle families. This new classification has a number of consequences, in particular for lighter vehicle categories:

• Walking (vehicle family A) is also acknowledged as a fully-fledged method of transport for getting from A to B;
• All “cycle-type vehicles” (vehicles lighter than 35 kg and a maximum of 1.5 m wide) belong to vehicle family B;
• A new family of “light motor vehicles” or LMVs (vehicle family C) includes all those vehicles between 35 and 350 kg (and max. 1.5 m in width). This family, which in terms of size and weight is very much suited to urban use, encompasses a wide variety of vehicle types including cargo bikes. Where until now this category in the design of public space falls between two stools, this new category provides opportunities for a conscious (re)design of urban space that favours different types of cargo bikes.

Using this categorization allows us to prepare for a future with an unknown but wide variety of vehicles, and sets clear guidelines on when to mix and when to separate.

If your city is interested in the possibilies we have to support the development of green city logistics by applying our design methodology, we are here to help you further.

Please contact Martijn Schutte
E-mail
+31 6 24 78 04 44