"It has four wheels and a tall trailer, which make it look like a truck. But it also looks like a bike because the driver pedals it, usually in the bike lane. It's an ingenious contraption, built for last-mile deliveries in crowded city streets, but it's arguably too big for existing bike lanes and too slow for the street, so everyone in the city seems to get mad about its presence wherever it is."
"But the debate over the Amazon e-cargo bikes is a little different. The issue seems to hinge, both existentially and practically, on a simple question: What is a bicycle?When the Department of Transportation first announced its decision to allow these vehicles in the bike lanes, it had to amend the definition of a bicycle to include "pedal-assist commercial" devices that have up to four wheels."
Amazon e-cargo bikes combine pedal power with motor assist and a tall, four-wheeled trailer that makes them resemble small trucks. Operators use bike lanes for last-mile deliveries but occupy more space than typical cyclists and travel slower than cars, prompting complaints from both cyclists and drivers. Riders report being yelled at regardless of lane choice and cite bike lanes as safer. The vehicles have prompted regulatory changes: the Department of Transportation amended the legal definition of bicycle to permit 'pedal-assist commercial' devices with up to four wheels. The core dispute centers on how a bicycle is defined for urban street use.
Read at Curbed
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