Bikes for Business: Project Outline

Launched in May 2021, Bikes for Business is an 18-month project to promote the use of bikes and cargobikes for business use, replacing more conventional, polluting freight options. It engages businesses to work with sustainable transport experts to explore the best options for their business needs and provides step by step guidance to help switch to bikes/cargobikes.

Team London Bridge is leading a partnership that has been awarded a grant from Impact for Urban Health (formerly Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity) to run the project from May 2021.

Project aims include:

Creating cleaner and quieter streets for businesses, residents and visitors

Reducing carbon emissions
Supporting the diversification and breadth of cargo bike services
Making London Bridge and the Low Line a leading example of sustainable freight
Supporting businesses to make sustainable choices that make their business more efficient and profitable
Supporting Southwark Council towards their 2030 target of becoming a carbon neutral borough.

The project aims to influence freight decision makers, business leaders and policy makers and shift perceptions about using bikes. We want to share our work and learnings with local and national stakeholders. The area focus will be roughly based on the Low Line. Bikes for Business 2021 follows a successful pilot project delivered by Team London Bridge in 2019 in the London Bridge area.

Participating businesses must be affiliated to these organisations and be based within their geographic boundaries. The project delivery map is below.

Delivery

MP Smarter Travel offer cargo bike-specific expertise to the project, guiding businesses, operators, and project partners as they transition to using zero-emission cargo bikes for deliveries.

MP Smarter Travel consultants will operate an impartial cargo bike brokerage service, pairing businesses with their ideal cargo bike operators. Alternatively, they will help businesses through the purchase of their own cargo bikes.

The cargo bike market is growing and diversifying rapidly, meaning MP Smarter Travel’s guidance saves businesses time and helps establish an effective pairing between business and cargo bike operator.

Funding

Led by Team London Bridge, the partners and MP Smarter Travel have been awarded a grant from Impact on Urban Health, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation. There will be additional project funding from Team London Bridge and Better Bankside.

Bikes for Business links to Impact on Urban Health’s Health Effects of Air Pollution programme which aims to work with businesses to reduce business-related emissions.

Media

London Live - Businesses Switch to Cargo Bike Delivery

BBC - NHS Trust trials pedal power to help air quality

Global News - pushing cargo bikes in effort to reduce congestion, pollution

London Live - London Bridge Community Christmas deliveries

BBC Radio London - Christmas deliveries by cargo bike

Bikes for Business Phase 1

Bikes for Business phase 1 was delivered in London Bridge during 2019. 52 businesses successfully trialled and switched deliveries to cargo bikes. a summary report can be seen here.