Amazon’s familiar blue trucks could be replaced with something much smaller to make deliveries in some parts of D.C.
Director of D.C.’s Department of Transportation Sharon Kershbaum said the company and DDOT are engaged in testing electric cargo bikes to carry out deliveries of small packages. The bikes Kershbaum calls “cargo e-quads” travel at a maximum of 15 mph and will mostly be seen in D.C.’s bike and bus lanes.
“I actually think that it will be reducing a lot of the traffic and simplifying it, so I think they’ll be well embraced,” she said.
The e-quads are much quieter than large delivery trucks and also produce far fewer greenhouse gas emissions 鈥� two qualities that drew D.C. officials to adopting them in the District, Kershbaum told 海角精品黑料.
The pilot project, referred to as a micro-freight system, includes the use of a staging area, where packages will be loaded onto the e-quads, which will then make their deliveries.
“The pilot is going to include up to 15 of these e-quads,” Kershbaum said. “Then deliveries will be within the Navy Yard and Capitol Hill area.”
That pilot period will last 10 months.
“And if it’s something that seems like it’s working well, then we’ll pursue a rulemaking and look to make this more widely used,” she said.
The e-quads don’t have doors, so while there’s a windshield and a roof over the head of the operator, there’s no heat or air conditioning.
“It may not be for everyone, but I think for the scale of this pilot, it’s going to be a win-win. I’m sure there’s plenty of drivers that are really excited to be able to have the open air and are enthusiastic about trying this new type of delivery vehicle,” Kershbaum said.
As for the prospect of using the e-quads during winter, Kershbaum said, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
The e-quads will not be allowed on sidewalks, but along with using bike and bus lanes, they will also be able to use travel lanes on D.C. roadways.
“I think this is going to be a big win, and I’m excited to see the results and see if we can continue to grow the program more formally,” Kershbaum said.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
漏 2026 海角精品黑料. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
