Letter to NYTimes Regarding B-Line Article

Pedicab NYC Logistics

Here’s a link to a recent article by the New York Times on urban delivery operator B-Line, out of Portland, OR: In Cargo Delivery, The Three-Wheelers That Could

Similar to RR, B-Line operates on a freight-trike platform; however, their trikes all feature heavy-duty electric assist motors. Such trikes are illegal to operate in New York State and City – and this fact has cost RR some heavy-duty sales. Here’s our letter to the editor, which apparently was not fit to print:

Dearest editors:

Thank you for printing your brief story on B-Line. Unfortunately, such operations are illegal in New York State. Fresh Direct, for one, drew up plans for a massive freight trike operation and worked on implementation with Revolution Rickshaws – until it discovered that operating electric-assist freight trikes is illegal. To be sure, other enterprises in NYC have been thwarted in their earnest efforts to establish city-optimized distribution systems. Our local, state, and federal governments maintain myriad legal, regulatory, and infrastructure barriers to building craft logistics systems, despite persistent proclamations to the contrary by their representatives.

Regards,

Gregg Zuman

Managing Director

Revolution Rickshaws

New York, NY