A few years ago we had a thread on
Bikes, scooters, etc - alt. forms of transpiration, which included (down about page 5) some posts on a "Disaster Relief Trials" bike event in Portland, OR.
Apparently that event
is still going strong, and has been copied in other cities, including Seattle, Eugene, Memphis, and San Francisco.
Cargo bikes are light, small, and inexpensive yet highly capable of hauling big loads with relative ease. They operate efficiently without any power or sophisticated transportation infrastructure. They not only transport relief goods, but also people and messages. These disaster response-compatible qualities need to be proven in dramatic style over and over again before we can permanently erode the “bikes are toys” paradigm. Once we achieve “toys and tools”, we can start to make practical steps to incorporate cargo bikes into municipal disaster plans.
The emphasis of this event is on bringing supplies into a disaster area. However, it is quite obvious that the same approach could be used for individuals to evacuate from a disaster.
These competitions typically seem to include several classes of bikes, for both specialty cargo bikes and also recreational type bikes. Various load categories, and riding various distances. An interesting concept.
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