this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2024

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Henri Lefebvre, The Right to the City — In brief, the right to the city is the right to the production of a city. The labor of a worker is the source of most of the value of a commodity that is expropriated by the owner. The worker, therefore, has a right to benefit from that value denied to them. In the same way, the urban citizen produces and reproduces the city through their own daily actions. However, the the city is expropriated from the urbanite by the rich and the state. The right to the city is therefore the right to appropriate the city by and for those who make and remake it.

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Love of cargo bikes is changing how we deliver goods in our cities (www.euronews.com)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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The surge in online shopping, accelerated by COVID-19, has driven up the demand for package deliveries, and that demand continues to rise.

As traditional delivery methods contribute to urban traffic congestion and pollution, cargo bikes - a staple of bike-friendly countries like Denmark and the Netherlands - are becoming a common sight in cities across Europe as a sustainable and efficient alternative to vans.

These larger, typically electric bikes with separate carriers can transport a wide range of loads, from small parcels to larger items, making them ideal for urban deliveries.

In Europe, it is estimated that up to 50 per cent of motorised trips involving the transport of goods in cities could be made by cargo bikes and bicycles, according to a recent study.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (5 children)

@SteveKLord
I was born in 1953 and my image of people doing labor like this , based on how we perceived people in low income countries, is of a person whose body was worn out by age 30

to a large extent progress is humans not having to do heavy manual labor
sheesh

[–] [email protected] 20 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah, instead we buy gym memberships and toil away at the gym. Or die of a heart attack by age 45. Progress!

Sheesh.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The majority of cargo bikes, especially those used for deliveries, are electric and don't require manual labor.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago

Regardless, I've been doing manual labor my entire 35 year career and still use a cargo bike almost daily. Only thing that has worn out is the seat & tires.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 7 months ago (3 children)

You seem to have missed the point of the article as it in no way was trying to propose more labor for working class people. In many ways it is trying to overcome the oppressive image that you have in your head. To a large extent, these changes are trying to advance human progress by overcoming the crises we find ourselves facing. You were born in 1953? That makes you about 70-71 but your profile says you're 66 years old. That's an odd inconsistency.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Biking is not hard on your body at all. Plenty of people cycle well into their 70s.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

@teft

even if this were true, it is true only if you have time rest and rejuvenate, and in particular rest after an injury

tht option often not available to people working at lower wage jobs

right ?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 months ago

tht option often not available to people working at lower wage jobs

Cannot fix the need of stronger unions with cargo bikes for sure

Here in Italy they can have sick days, not an issue usually

[–] [email protected] 11 points 7 months ago

Cargo bikes are smaller then vans. So you can get closer to the destination, without having to carry the parcel.

[+] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (7 children)

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Are you suffering from an acute case of brain damage?

so, we take something that has the same size as a van,

The footprint of a cargo bike is at most a fourth of your average delivery van

and is at least 10 times slower

Cargo bikes are usually e-bikes, giving them a speed of at least 25 km/h. If you're driving a van at 250 km/h in a city, that's going to put you behind bars.

Baffling levels of ignorance.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Ridiculousness.

I've used a cargo bike for my 60+ seat restaurant for over 5 years and I zip past all the idiots sitting traffic baking away in 30° August as our town goes from 70k to 350k with the traffic that comes with it.

Absolutely absurd that you're hot take is something other than troll bait.

[+] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (2 children)

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Look at any restaurant at any city in Europe.

You can't even park a van for streets sometimes.

[+] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

Top tier ignorance.

Well done, Trollski.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

and you can park cargo bike there? how are you going to do that? do the parked cars suddenly disappear?

There are no parked cars, on-street parking is rare and expensive here, it's mostly free market instead of city-subsidized, so around 30 EUR a day on-street or 70 EUR a month in a big garage.

They disappeared 50 years ago when cities realized they don't fit in.

or are going to just illegally park it on the sidewalk, because rules don’t apply to you?

No, I'm legally parking it on the sidewalk if it's for a delivery dropoff, and in my own real estate for storage, instead of the idiots who stop on the road with their cars/trucks and block traffic for everyone.

always think some problems don’t affect bikes, just because they are rather curiosity right now.

No, they are and have been the norm in the Netherlands and neighbouring territories now for 50 years, and they work, and we simply don't have a lot of problems related to car-centric infrastructure. Actually, it makes it easier to travel by car, since there are less traffic jams, safer streets for everyone.

I have choice. I don't need to buy and maintain a car to live. If I like, I can rent one for cheap for a single trip, but I can take the same trip by train or bike. I can work while commuting, I can go to the neighbouring city with friends, get drunk, and get home safe by train.

Cars limit people.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

I have beer, wine, meats delivered. The rest I haul. We opened 5 months before COVID hit, and survived and are celebrating our 5th anniversary.

If you're too car, country and consumer-ease centric to even fathom someone doing this, you need to check yourself and realize there is a big, wide world out there and people do more than shove door dash ordered McDonald's into thier mouth hole to feed their insecurities.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 months ago (13 children)

I was so confused with your comment until i remembered there are countries without bike lanes. Still weird to claim them the same size as a van

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Ah, the oil Barrons had an AI bot made to drum up arguments & get data from defenders.

Still talks like a twat.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

I've seen them, they're neat, but are they something you own like a dolly cart or something you rent/borrow when you need it?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Depends where you are for rentals, but most I’ve seen around me people buy em. Prices can range but I’d say the average is around $3-6k for an electric.