Tag Archive: microhubs

1. Logistics becomes a green issue ahead of UK elections

   13/04/2026 16:54 Comments Off on Logistics becomes a green issue ahead of UK elections

   Source: Zag Daily

   Ahead of local elections across England on 7th May, the Sustainable Urban Freight Association (SUFA) has launched a manifesto which calls on council and mayoral candidates to prioritise green logistics and establish a network of microhubs for last-mile delivery using low-impact options such as electric cargo bikes.

   SUFA represents over 100 logistics companies, and has launched the manifesto as a path to tackling the distribution of ever-increasing online sales in a sustainable way. Online purchases account for over a quarter of the UK’s retail, leading to increased pressure on road networks. In 2024, van traffic was recorded at 58.5 billion vehicle miles (94.1 billion km), representing an increase of almost 10% since 2019.

   The manifesto details

   SUFA wants to see local councils “get serious” regarding local freight rather than treating it as a niche issue, and have outlined three key commitments in the manifesto:

   • Adopt a Freight Policy and Kerbside Plan
   • Commit to a three-year sustainable urban freight budget
   • Protect space for microhub networks

   Under the Freight Policy and Kerbside Plan, councils would liaise with local delivery operators to ascertain what barriers there might be to the adoption or implementation of green delivery methods. A lead official for freight decarbonisation is called for in the manifesto.

   The freight budget would involve mayoral and combined authorities co-funding regional programmes in which freight investment is aligned with decarbonisation goals, as well as high street renewal activities. Local authorities would be expected to match funding and prepare clear delivery plans.

   SUFA also calls for an integrated network of microhubs to be embedded within local transport and freight strategies with a published pipeline of sites. These hubs enable the consolidation of goods for last-mile delivery using low-emission modes of transport like e-cargo bikes.

   Kirsten Smith, Co-Chair of SUFA, said, “Every resident and business in the country relies on freight and logistics to go about their lives. This is only going to increase as more and more people switch to online deliveries or give up their own cars.” She continued: “Councils have huge powers over land use, budgets and policy that can make a big difference in terms of traffic, congestion and clean air. We want candidates to work in partnership with business to really understand the issues and challenges facing the industry as well as the opportunities.”

   Microhub expansion

   On the topic of microhubs, a new coalition was recently created in London, the Urban Microhub Alliance (UMA), which aims to repurpose underused spaces such as railway arches and car parks, into dedicated hubs for modular cargo trailers, and certified delivery bikes and electric mopeds for use by couriers. Each of the 22 London sites operational at the launch has around 100 Port e-bikes available for couriers to rent either through a daily pass or via weekly or monthly subscriptions.

   Kamil Suda, CEO of Port which is one of the UMA founding members, spoke about the need for a network of microhubs. “There is no real incentive for the logistics industry to change its entire operating flow if only one microhub is available. To convince the industry that a sustainable parcel flow is viable, there needs to be a large-scale, plug-and-play solution for delivery companies to execute the last mile.”

   Councillor Rowena Champion of Islington Council highlighted the benefits for riders in the gig economy. “We know that many delivery couriers are marginalised. Having a solution which gives riders access to bikes that are safe and maintained is so important. We want to encourage deliveries by bike and by cargo bike and we want to ensure that the riders themselves are safe.”

2. How New York is maximising sustainable transport and logistics

   23/05/2025 12:55 Comments Off on How New York is maximising sustainable transport and logistics

   Source: ZAG Daily

   Dawn Miller, Senior Advisor to New York City’s Chief Climate Officer, has shared insights into how the city has achieved a 57% sustainable transport mode share, with residents relying on public transport, walking or cycling.

   NYC’s achievements in enhancing uptake of sustainable transport are partly attributable to the city’s density, and the foundations already laid by previous generations through investments in public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure.

   The role of policy and planning

   Dawn expanded on policy decisions which take residents’ transport options and habits into consideration: “Like many large cities, we’re facing a housing crisis. Something our Department of City Planning spearheaded was a new zoning text amendment that allows more housing to be built in transit-rich areas. In certain neighbourhoods, we’ve eliminated or reduced the requirement to build a certain amount of car parking so now developers can build it if they want, or they can choose to build more housing units instead of the parking spaces. The plan is to concentrate housing growth in areas that enable people to easily use sustainable transport.”

   Cycling and e-biking

   Cycling has a key part to play in the city’s daily transport landscape, with over 600,000 trips made each day, and the number of trips having doubled between 2012 and 2022. Dawn delves into some of the reasons for this: “E-bikes have made cycling an incredibly efficient way to get around, especially for people who aren’t athletes but want to ride, and riders delivering goods in congested cities like NYC. You don’t have to deal with as much traffic and parking is easier than in a car. For businesses, cycling has opened up a workforce that doesn’t hold a driving license, but can complete the job on an e-bike or cargo bike. So the growth in e-commerce and the service economy has certainly fuelled the shift in attitude towards sustainable transport.”

   Microhubs and battery swapping

   As the service economy has shifted to greater numbers of deliveries, NYC is increasing microhub locations – areas where trucks can be offloaded to more sustainable, congestion-busing transport options such as cargo bikes and hand carts. This helps to not only reduce numbers of motor vehicles on the road, but avoids incidents of double-parking, which can impede not only traffic but also pedestrians and cyclists.

   Dawn also outlined a battery swapping scheme. “We’ve also supported companies piloting and deploying safe charging and battery swapping stations for e-bike delivery riders. This was a reaction to battery fires across the city which gives delivery workers access to safe, certified batteries. It’s fundamentally a safety programme, but it also makes workers’ lives easier, and we’re very proud of this. The pilot went extremely well and now the companies involved are looking to expand across the city and scale the impact.”

   Sustainable goods transport

   Dawn expands on the wider sustainable transport plan. “We’re placing great focus on the sustainable movement of goods. One of the goals in our climate plan is simple: get polluting trucks off NYC streets. There’s often been more attention paid to passenger transport but freight is such a huge part of our economy and the transportation system. There’s also the Blue Highways programme we’re working on which aims to alleviate traffic by reopening the waterfront. NYC is a city of islands. We’ve increased the number of passenger ferries and are making land available to create docking facilities for freight so logistics companies don’t need to drive trucks through Manhattan or Staten Island. Instead, they can bring their goods via water.”

   Read the full interview with New York City’s Senior Advisor to its Chief Climate Officer here.