TheWashCycle

FedEx to introduce electric bicycle delivery fleet to DC

This post was an April Fool's Day post. Be thee warned, lest ye believe.

The future of package delivery in Washington, DC is going to look a lot like the past. FedEx recently announced that they would be adding a fleet of bicycle delivery vehicles to serve the area near their Eckington Ship Center. For close in deliveries, the service will be faster, cheaper and will allow the center to break the vehicle loading bottleneck at heavy times.

“We dispatch 300 vehicles a day from here, and just don’t have the ability to double that in peak delivery times." said Manager Tom Collins. "But the bikes can load from a smaller side door."

FedEx plans to build a small connector trail from their ship center parking lot across DC and PEPCO owned land behind it to the Metropolitan Branch Trail. In the short term, they plan to focus on delivers to and from locations within one mile that can be accessed quickly. That will include all the areas between Catholic University and Union Station. "We send enough deliveries to NoMa alone to support one bicycle delivery vehicle full time." Collins adds. "And with expansion of the Met Branch Trail north and a new trail being planned to the east, there is plenty of room to increase our bike use."

These bikes won't be like any seen on area roads or trails right now. The three-wheeled, electric assist bicycles have large, wardrobe style cargo compartments capable of carrying dozens of packages.

Meanwhile, UPS has also decided to make changes in their business according to statements yesterday by spokesman Robert Roy.

"We've decided to focus on what we can do better than anyone else in the world and that's illegally parking." said Roy. "Starting this summer we're going to transition from a package delivery company that occasionally parks illegally in bike lanes to one that exclusively blocks traffic with illegal parking. Package delivery is getting in the way of that." The company emphasizes that they won't limit themselves to just bike lanes. "Oh yeah... traffic lanes, bus-only lanes, sidewalks, metro tracks, airport runways, launchpads, the Suez Canal. Anywhere you're trying to go, you're going to find a UPS vehicle blocking your path."

"See that bike lane over there?" Roy said pointing at L Street, "Our UPS drivers are going to totally fucking park in that thing. It will just be a beautiful line of UPS trucks from here to Foggy Bottom. 'What can Brown do for you?'  We can block this bike lane. You're welcome."

When asked how UPS would make money without package delivery. Roy replied "By being the best at what we do. By working harder than everyone else. For too long package delivery has subsidized our core business of inconveniencing drivers and cyclists, but we're about to find out if we can make it without that crutch. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but we hope to make our profits on volume."  

Management is excited about the new direction the company is taking. "It's time for UPS to think outside of the box. And then to block the box...and the bike lane."

UPS stock moved significantly higher following the announcement. 

Using bicycles for deliveries in downtown

It would wonderfully ironic if delivery companies stopped using bike facilities to park trucks in and started using them to bike in. And that may be the wave of the future. 

[DDOT's Jim Sebastian] said one of the “next steps” being contemplated by the Capital Bikeshare program is to offer cargo-carrying capable bikes within its network. Thus a local business could conceivably shift short-distance small parcel shipments over to bicycles.

After conducting several pilot projects in various European countries, DHL began testing in Germany last year the use of bicycles for the express delivery of documents and smaller parcel items. In Berlin and Frankfurt, the company deployed two different bicycle models.

The first is dubbed the "DHL Parcycle," which has a sealable transport box with a holding capacity of 140 liters (what’s that in pounds? I just don’t know).

The second model is what’s described as a “more maneuverable” DHL Touring Bike, primarily suited for use with a courier backpack. DHL added that its “bike delivery” tests will soon be expanded to two other major cities in northern and southern Germany.

"Using bicycles to make deliveries has made us significantly more flexible and faster in downtown areas and conurbations," noted Tobias Wider, member of the DHL Express Germany’s divisional board, in a statement. "Unlike delivery vehicle drivers, bicycle couriers can always drive right up to the recipient's door, are not affected by downtown traffic volumes or access restrictions and at times can even use shorter routes."

To date, DHL Express is using bicycle couriers in nine European countries so far – including the Netherlands, France, Great Britain and Italy – in about 40 cities total. 

What would be great is if we could take some of the bike lane parking ticket money and use it to encourage DHL to make DC the first North American city with DHL bicycle couriers. 

Wednesday Afternoon Commute - green-colored coating

Good afternoon

• At NoMa's July 4th bash "Awards will be given to the best decorated bicycle, tricycle, 4-wheeler (wagon), and dog. There will be a Parade Decoration Station with materials for children to decorate their bicycles" You can also bike to the Palisades Parade with Tommy Wells and BicycleSpace.
• Bikeshare employee pay petition gives Alta until today to take action on the allegations.
• A rundown of DC businesses that make deliveries by bicycle.
• Virginia may develop the air rights over I-66 near Rosslyn and East Falls Church Metro stations. These developments could represent opportunities to improve the Custis and W&OD Trails in those areas. "Arlington County is currently undertaking a review of the Rosslyn Sector Plan. As part of that process, development over I-66 in the northern and eastern edges of the Rosslyn Metro Station area can be evaluated. While there are no existing mixed-use development rights over the I-66 right-of-way at either Rosslyn or the East Falls Church Metro Station location, the East Falls Church Area Plan currently supports mixed use development on VDOT and WMATA's property next to I-66." Here's more with pictures of the areas. 
• "The bicycle box in the southbound lane of Commonwealth Avenue at its intersection with Mount Vernon Avenue will be enhanced with a green-colored coating and the installation of a new detection system this summer." In addition, Alexandria will be adding bicycle facilities to Janney's Lane, North Pitt Street, Quantrell Avenue and West Braddock Road this summer.
• Cindy Sheehan's cross-country bike ride, the "Tour de Peace" wound up coming into town across the Memorial Bridge at the same time that the pro-gun rights "Toy Gun March" was crossing the same bridge. "I didn't even know about another march across the street," said anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan with a laugh.
• Theories on why Portland's bike boom happened. 
• In Montreal, many apartment leases start on the same day of the year (July 1), leading to a shortage of moving trucks. So what does one do? "Aside from people simply carrying their worldly goods by hand down streets, some novel solutions to the congestion and cost have emerged. Claire Poirier said she was skeptical after learning that her two daughters had hired bicycle-powered movers to supplement two family cars for their move. But as family members looked on, the movers, Yohann Mouchboeuf and David Pelletier, piled and strapped two couches, a box spring, a bed frame, two mattresses, a large bookcase, a stove and full-sized refrigerator on two bicycle trailers before pedaling off. "

Tuesday Afternoon Commute - I Scream

Good afternoon

• DCBAC has information about bike parking and CaBi access to the Mall for the 4th of July. There will be a parking area near the corner of 15th and Independence Avenue NW; a bike valet; and CaBi will run a bike corral at 10th and Constitution from noon to 1 hour after the fireworks.
• Maryland SHA presented alternatives for a redesign of Georgia Avenue between 16th Street and Forest Glen Road. Several alternatives include "a 14 to 16 foot curb lane that could accommodate a striped bicycle lane."
• Kidical Mass Arlington ride on this Saturday.
• Takoma Park bike map
• Ice Cream delivered by bike.

Wednesday Morning Commute - Joshua

Good morning.

• Sad news - A 15 year old in Chevy Chase died on a bike ride during Monday's storm when a falling tree hit him not far from the Rock Creek Park Trail. 
• An interview with the 20-something entrepreneurs behind UrbanDelivery, the iphone-enabled, bike messenger-powered delivery service. They met playing kickball - see, it's good for more than drinking and hooking up. 
• One video from a previous bike party ride. And before I get accused of hating on the ride - because I'm not and I'm really happy that it is such a success and that people are having fun with it and I get how hard it is to manage these things and not block traffic at times- but my point of the previous post is just that people should always be asking themselves "am I being as courteous as I can reasonably be?" or maybe - in a large group like this and aware of how their behavior reflecs - "am I being more courteous than is even reasonable." If so, carry on. But no "sticking it to the man." 
• K Street bike lanes go the way of the ICC Trail. 
• DC submitted a TIGER 2013 grant application, but for what, I do not know. 
• Get a rope "According to a federal court charging document, Reel rigged his Jeep so it crashed into a light post, bike rack and security bollard near the guard post around 3 a.m. Sunday. It caused more than $1,000 worth of damage."

Thursday Afternoon Commute - You'll be hated for 6 months, then they'll love you

Good afternoon

• The New Belgium Tour de Fat comes to DC on June 1
• Cyclists helping each other on the W&OD Trail
• MWCOG considering a Green Streets Policy which has as a goal making biking easier. 
• "Sharing is for commies, and so is cycling." CaBi should sell a T-shirt that says that. I'd buy one. 
• Urban Delivery seeks to revive messenger culture. Needs more Bacon (Kevin). 
• More on NYC, Citibike kiosks and controversy."Jane Browne, 42, who initially supported the program, said she had recently seen mice scurrying in the “corridors of trash and water” that formed between a nearby bike station and the curb." And to tie it in to DC: “Washington had at least one fistfight at a community meeting,” he said. “We haven’t had that.” (An official with Washington’s Transportation Department said she did not recall any contentious community meetings or significant opposition to the program.)" I think they're referring to this - which seems so bizarre now - and is so eloquently reduced to “Why is everybody so mad about this? Why is everybody so crazy?”
• The Boston Cyclist Safety Report. That's no typo, cyclist were cited for speeding more than twice as often as drivers. And on the helmet issues, between 44-53% of cyclists in EMS response crashes wore a helmet. "It is unknown how the relatively low rates of helmet use among cyclists involved in Boston EMS incidents relates to the overall rate of helmet use in Boston. Convenience sampling of Boston cyclists observed at selected sites throughout the city by Boston Bikes and other researchers has yielded average helmet use rates ranging from 48-72%, although observed rates were significantly lower in some neighborhoods." Earlier in the study they cite the 72% rate as coming from a peak-hour study. This means primarily bike commuters. I suspect commuters are more likely to wear helmets, but I could be wrong.

Tuesday Morning Commute - SOTU

Good morning

• DC Bike ambassadors to hit the L Street cycletrack today. 
• Look, it's the Penn Ave cycle-track bollards. 
• Montgomery County DOT has finished mapping the “Montgomery Mall to Downtown Bethesda route”
• Who would have thunk that Reston would have bicycle delivery service before DC or Arlington. [Though to be fair, a pizza guy in my neighborhood delivers by bike. I call him the ninja delivery man because he dresses all in black and rides without lights. I say a prayer to the Madonna del Ghisallo for him every time he rides by.]
• Sign a petition asking President Obama to participate in the Ride of Silence. He'd probably ride in DC's/ 

Tuesday Afternoon Commute - Ribbon Cutting

Good afternoon. I went to today's ribbon cutting on a downright balmy December morning and I'll have some video on the Green Lanes blog at some point in the future, after I learn how to edit and splice video. (Photo by WABA)

• In the meantime there is plenty of video and photos on the internets. WUSA9 has both. DCist has coverage, as does FOXdc. I take this line from a WaPo story as a sign of progress 'He said that “not all cyclists, but some cyclists” disregard traffic signals and the rules of the road.'
• Two laws had their first readings before the District Council today. The Motorized Bicycle Amendment Act of 2012, which would govern things like electric-assist pedal bikes (motorized bicycles) which it would separate from faster motor scooter-type vehicles called "motor-driven cycles". "The third category would be that for motorized bicycles as determined by pedals, a post mounted seat and not capable of traveling more than 20 mph.  It is recommended that motorized bicycles have no DMV related requirements and would be able to park on the sidewalk.  This is a change from the current requirements for these cycles to be licensed, registered, titled, insured and inspected.  However, operationally, very few of these cycles currently meet these requirements, so this recommendation will not negatively impact current motorized bicycle owners." The other law to get a reading today was the Access to Justice for Bicyclists Act of 2012
• Making a city that's easier to bike and walk in is good for low-income citizens argues one person. This in response to Courtland Milloy's article asking that we get as serious about creating jobs as we are about making bike lanes. So, assigning one overworked DC employee to handle the whole jobs program (while also handling other responsibilities) is his solution? I'm not saying that DC isn't serious about bike lanes, but I'll agree that it isn't something we spend a lot of money on. 
• Rockville has plans to redesign Rockville Pike but that isn't the only reason they were named a Bicycle Friendly Community. 
• I don't know if I linked to this story about bike messengers before. 
• The Virginia Bicycling Federation will pursue the following legislative goals this year
  • Following too close — banning motorists from tailgating/intimidating cyclists
  • Three feet to pass cyclists (current law is two feet)
  • Vulnerable road user protection, and/or due care
• Will the fiscal cliff deal give us a better bike commuter benefit? Personally, I'd like to see the whole thing modified to just be a parking cash out. Employers who offer free parking have to offer a tax free parking cash-out of identical value to those who don't drive. That's it. Then let the market decide. Ideally there would be some way to encourage people to bike or walk or take transit some days instead of making it an all or nothing.

Tuesday Evening Ride - There's a little black spot on the sun today

Good evening

• The American Planning Association is hosting a presentation on Cycle Tracks and Other Improvements to Accomodate Increased Levels of Bicycling in Urban Areas next Tuesday at 5:30pm. "This presentation will highlight trends and innovations in bicycle-friendly communities throughout the U.S. It will include a discussion of design and safety considerations for cycle track facilities, which are bikeways that are physically separated from motor traffic and distinct from the sidewalk. The presentation will conclude with lessons learned in designing and implementing cycle tracks as well as observations on the role of bicycling, and more broadly complete streets, in creating sustaining places."
• Perhaps bike shops can sell used bikes as long as they are "rebuilt or refurbished merchandise"?
• A movie about DC's bicycle couriers will be shown at the New York's Bicycle Film Festival. 
• Even when rail trails don't connect cities, they can still generate economic benefits. "The trails attracted an estimated 125,244 people in 2011 and pumped $875,320 into the local economy, according to the study." This is from an article about trails in Lancaster, PA which is not a long drive from here. This also caught my eye "Last year, Amtrak built a 16-foot-wide crushed stone trail surface the length of the corridor, making it more amenable for bicycle riding." Amtrak's building bike trails now. 
• Sarah Goodyear argues that when more people get on bikes - as will happen with bikesharing, cyclists should start to behave better. I think that's inevitable. She also argues that if the police are going to crack down on cyclists, then they have to crack down on drivers too. 
• DC needs more of this. 

Wednesday Morning Commute - Mugabo

Good morning. The DC Council hearing on Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety is today at noon, in case you want to watch online.

• The cyclist injured yesterday is a bike messenger who goes by the name of Mugabo. His injuries are reportedly very serious, with possible brain damage. "Friends of Mugabo add that he was a teacher at a school in Adams Morgan, and a father to a one-year old-baby." The news report shows the SUV being towed away - is that for evidence?