By Charles Pekow — Replace auto delivery with a cargo bike and you can improve city life in a variety of ways. At least that’s what a limited study in Oakland, CA found. Researchers at the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University examined a program in which packages were left at a transfer hub by an auto and delivered to the final destination on a bicycle equipped with plenty of space for packages.
Assessing the Public Health Benefits of Replacing Freight Trucks with Cargo Cycles in Last-Leg Delivery Trips in Urban Centers found that sure enough, the city exhibited less air pollution, less noise, less traffic congestion, less wear and tear on streets, and more jobs and exercise.
The report notes that not much research has been done on the topic. See https://transweb.sjsu.edu/sites/default/files/1952-Hartle-Freight-Trucks-Cargo-Cycles-Delivery_0.pdf
