Skip to content

The Latest Innovation From Paris: Cargocycles

Streetsblog contributor Ethan Kent sends along this item from CoolTown Studios, profiling what it calls "the contemporary urban delivery vehicle":
paris_lepetitereine.jpg

Streetsblog contributor Ethan Kent sends along this item from CoolTown Studios, profiling what it calls “the contemporary urban delivery vehicle”:

So what’s the delivery truck equivalent of the bicycle? Look no further than Paris, the home of 20,000 shared bikes, and there you’ll find La Petite Reine, a delivery company that utilizes a fleet of 60 Cargocycles.

With a delivery capacity of 400 lbs. and 50 cubic feet within an 18-mile delivery radius, La Petite Reine completes 2500 deliveries every day for larger corporate partners like DHL that can’t access the more intimate street networks of more pedestrian-oriented downtowns.

‘La Petite Reine’ translates to ‘Queen of the Road’, the name given by the French to the bicycle. Founded in 2001, the company now serves Bordeaux, Rouen and Dijon.

What’s that? Great, but it could never work in New York?

Think again.

Photo of Brad Aaron
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York'’s dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog New York City

Hit-and-Run School Bus Driver Kills 9-Year-Old Boy in South Williamsburg

May 1, 2026

MTA Prepares to Fund IBX Light Rail Without Feds After Trump Meddling

May 1, 2026

Opinion: Mamdani’s New Era For Bus Riders Starts With A Bold ‘Streets Plan’

May 1, 2026

Friday Video: How Robert Moses Cut Through Brooklyn And Queens

May 1, 2026

Friday’s Headlines: Super Speeders in the Times Edition

May 1, 2026
See all posts