Bikes for Business - Project Summary

Bikes for Business Project Summary

Bikes for Business Team London Bridge delivered a project to increase the use of cargo bikes for business logistics, with the aim of reducing emissions and noise in London Bridge by switching from motorised vehicles.

We wanted to make sure businesses could not only benefit from the time savings these services could offer, but also improve their own sustainability credentials.

The project was supported by Transport for London’s ‘Healthy Streets for Business’ fund, and delivered with expert support from MP Smarter Travel. This funded element of the project was run between December 2018 to March 2020.

The project successfully met its overall objectives to: Visibly increase the role of cycle deliveries and the reputation for London Bridge as a clean, quiet and efficient place for modern commerce.

Showcase how the Mayor of London (through TfL support funding) is working with the business community to take forward objectives set out in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.

Project Results Over the project period, which included one year of business engagement:

52

businesses switched deliveries to zero emission cargo bikes.

222

businesses were given guidance on cargo bikes.

48

businesses came very close to making a switch, and will consider it in the future.

331

weekly deliveries in London Bridge were switched to cargo bike.

131%

increase in Cargo Bikes on Tooley Street (from 26 to 60 vehicles in a day) with a 21% reduction in motorised freight vehicles.

467%

increase in Cargo Bikes on Newcomen Street (9 to 51 vehicles in a day) with a 12% reduction in motorised freight vehicles on Newcomen Street.

Making the case for cargo bikes To achieve the switch to cargo bike deliveries it was necessary to promote a professional and secure service that businesses could have confidence in – thus overcoming lack of knowledge (the project started when very few cargo bike services existed) and negative perceptions.

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Project apparatus was created including a flyer, webpage, a cargo bike capacity information sheet and a Team London Bridge cargo-bike used for local drops.

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A Cargo Bike Expo and Convoy showcased cycle technology and the range of professional firms.

This promotion of the whole marketplace also secured good relationships with a range of otherwise competing operators.

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A cargo bike service directory was created with details of 70 different services across business sectors, from couriers to doughnuts to electricians.

A questionnaire with courier firms meant key information could be shared with businesses to match needs, including cost, fleet size, customer relations, insurance, delivery tracking, employment details (e.g. London Living Wage) and rider training procedures.

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A Code of Conduct was developed and signed by 14 operators to ensure professional service, including rider training, expected rider behaviour, security and insurance.

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Site visits to major loading bays to reassure facilities managers to accept and create space for an increase in cargo bike deliveries.

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Opportunities to showcase work done supported the international reputation for London Bridge as a modern and sustainable commercial district.

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Various news pieces in respected online and print media and trade press, including film and radio pieces, showed the project to a wide audience.

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A cargo bike was a centrepiece display alongside information about the work in London Bridge at Future Streets, an exhibition at the Building Centre (with New London Architecture)

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Awards provided validation of the project: Fleet Heroes ‘Sustainable Deliveries’; Local Challenge Project: Accelerating the SDGs. A poster of this entry award was displayed at the World Economic Forum.

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The project was featured in several national and London-specific policy and best practice documents about the growth in cargo bikes. It was presented at several events and conferences, including to the North American Cities and Transit Agencies national conference.

Business outreach

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52 businesses made a switch to cargo bike, with a further 48 coming very close. 222 businesses were given guidance and information on cargo bikes over the project period.

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The first successful switch was Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Trust converting their daily motorised pathology deliveries (a service managed

by Viapth) to cargo bike, and in the process reducing air and noise pollution in the hospital grounds and beyond.

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22 businesses benefited from a subsidy grant to incentivise the switch to cargo bikes. Of these, six businesses actually bought a bike (a butcher, a dog walker, a financial marketing firm, a caterer, a film production company and a wine merchant).

Some of these businesses also benefited from a government grant.

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Cargo bikes were used to support the logistics for local events to replace van journeys, with 16 businesses taking part. This included the local Open Kitchen food festival, and the Christmas campaign in which thousands of presents donated by businesses were distributed to local charities.

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A multi-pronged engagement approach was developed for large corporate firms through operations or office manager teams, sustainability and marketing teams. Proactive outreach and ongoing support was vital to the project’s success, and without this capacity would not have had the same success.

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New methods of reaching businesses was achieved through working with operators, particularly as some firms started to develop their own fleet of cargo bike vehicles through the project timeframe.

Work with two operators led to them defining cargo bike deliveries as a separate default option, where businesses had a preference for this over van or motorbike.

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The project built up good relations with neighbouring areas, with some of the businesses based in Bankside, Bermondsey, Shad Thames or further afield. All benefiting businesses entered London Bridge at one end of the journey, so the benefit was widespread.

and cargo bike trials Team London Bridge worked with MP Smarter Travel to reach out to businesses, developing a structured and targeted approach to engagement. Many businesses have long term contracts with logistics firms where significant trust has built up over time, meaning a switch is not always a simple process..

Next steps and recommendations for future work •

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Work with a wider catchment area as many of these businesses serve the London Bridge area.

Continue engagement with those Team London Bridge businesses that expressed a strong interest in joining the programme.

Seek new types of business services that can adopt cargo bikes to demonstrate the vehicle’s versatility. Areas might include construction sites, law firm courier services, supermarket deliveries, dry cleaning and office supplies.

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Leverage cargo bike operators to promote the programme through their existing marketing networks and business channels.

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Promote any new government subsidy to businesses that can benefit.

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Keep the services directory updated with new services, and continue to promote to businesses, including across Southwark and central London.

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Identify new funding opportunities that allow for a wider geographical area than the BID area.

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Deliver a more targeted and efficient approach to business engagement, built on previous project experience.

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Ensure ntegration and cross-promotion with infrastructure schemes e.g. LTNs.

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Help prepare businesses for changes in infrastructure, the expanding ULEZ, bans on diesel/petrol vehicle sales and a general shift to more sustainable, net-zero carbon business practices.

While the project finished just before the first Covid-19 lockdown, new avenues of work have emerged through foodbank deliveries, construction deliveries and restaurant home deliveries. This demonstrates the versatility of cargo bikes in new economic circumstances, which bodes well for future work.

Contact Jack Skillen - Placeshaping Director jack@teamlondonbridge.co.uk