Starting at the end of July, a new parcel delivery service by cargo bike will be offered in Old Quebec, Saint-Jean-Baptiste and “ultimately Saint-Roch”.
Low-carbon delivery
Thus, Coop Carbone will set up an urban logistics space at the gateway to Old Quebec, at 840 Honoré-Mercier Avenue. Three delivery companies, Purolator, Nationex and Monquartier en boite, are participating in this pilot project. To carry out this initiative, the City of Quebec is providing financial assistance of $226,200 as part of the Ecological Transition Accelerator.
Also called a “mini-hub”, this transhipment space allows heavy trucks to be removed from circulation in favor of cargo bikes and small electric vehicles, responsible for carrying out the last stage of the delivery process to residential neighborhoods, as well as on commercial arteries.
Better adapted to the urban environment, “these soft modes of transportation encourage short circuits and make streets calmer and safer by tackling challenges such as congestion, pollution and noise,” the municipal administration said in a press release on Tuesday. According to the latter, “the initiative will contribute in particular to improving the quality of life of residents, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promoting road safety.”
“Many cities in the world had this, Quebec City has done everything it can to achieve this, we have golden partners,” Mayor Bruno Marchand was keen to salute this afternoon, during his press briefing preceding the municipal council meeting.
La Coop Carbone also launched the first Colibri mini-hub in Canada in Montreal in 2019.
“Given this success, we are pleased to deploy such a project in Quebec, which will contribute to reducing the ecological footprint while improving urban cohabitation,” emphasizes the general manager, Jean Nolet.
Finally, the Marchand administration indicates for its part that it will evaluate the progress of the project this summer, to see if it is possible eventually “to spread this service throughout the city.”
The transportation sector represents 63.5% of the Quebec community’s GHG emissions, of which 81.6% come from road transportation.
This investment therefore comes from the Ecological Transition Accelerator, a financial assistance program from the City and the provincial government through the National Capital Region Fund.
Monquartier en boîte, an online commerce partner of the Monquartier network, offers the sale and delivery of local products online.
