Rosario, Argentina, has become the first city in Latin America with a public cargo bike system. Through the EcoLogistics project, implemented by ICLEI Argentina between June and November 2022, 20 cargo bikes were incorporated into the public transport system and distributed across eight stations in the city center. The model is innovative in many aspects. With a real-time information and monitoring system, it is possible to understand the project's impact, challenges, and potential for scalability and replicability in other territories.

The bicycles have a practical and easy-to-handle urban design, with an innovative geo-referenced tracking system and Bluetooth technology for detaching the bicycle, allowing full use of the system through a mobile application. The system was donated in its entirety to the municipal public patrimony. Thanks to geo-referencing technology, it is possible to track the position of each cargo bicycle in real time and compile accurate information to strengthen decision-making on transportation and mobility issues.

To consolidate this analysis, a series of evaluation and monitoring indicators were developed, which are collected daily and allow for a detailed understanding of the operation of cargo bikes, their performance, and acceptance by the community in general. Thirteen indicators were established, classified into: logistical performance; GHG emissions; economic impact; and social impact.

The pilot project for cargo bikes was incorporated into the existing public transportation system, “Mi Bici Tu Bici.” The Executive Director of ICLEI Argentina, María Julia Reyna, described the collaborative work led by the Rosario City Hall as excellent. “The roadmap allowed for the identification of a transcendental project in the field of last-mile package distribution, complementing the offerings of the Mi Bici Tu Bici public bicycle system.” The implementation of EcoLogistics in Rosario was supported by the Secretariats of Mobility; Human Development and Habitat; Economic Development and Employment; and the Sub-Secretariat of Production, in coordination with the Rosario Mobility Entity and the company MOVI.

With the implementation of the project, Rosario strengthens its sustainable mobility policies, becoming the first city in Latin America to have a public bicycle cargo system for sustainable logistics, contributing with experience and knowledge and thus encouraging other cities to replicate the initiative.

Cargo bike demonstration project

Transportation is a sector with a considerable environmental impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. The sector is responsible for 131 Tbp of Argentina's national inventory and accounts for 33.71 Tbp of GHG emissions in the city of Rosario, according to the latest published data.

ICLEI Argentina, together with the Municipality of Rosario, has launched a pilot project for cargo bikes, with the aim of illustrating the feasibility and increasing interest in implementing GHG reduction strategies in the freight transport sector, raising community awareness and involving the private sector in sustainable mobility.

Rosario stands out for its predominantly commercial and service-oriented economic profile. There are over 19,000 commercial establishments, representing more than half of the city's businesses. Its central area is densely populated and hosts a wide variety of activities, including a concentration of retail stores, services, and a broad range of cultural activities. At the same time, it has a mobility infrastructure with dedicated lanes, bike paths, and pedestrian areas, which favors the establishment of a new logistics model for transporting small loads.

Considering these characteristics of the city, the center of Rosario proved suitable for the development of innovative cargo transportation systems, especially considering last-mile package transfers. The cargo bike system was developed for ICLEI Argentina by SMOD, a company dedicated to developing micromobility solutions that enable accessible, flexible, and sustainable urban systems in emerging cities in Latin America. In turn, the Rosario Mobility Authority is responsible for the integration and control of the new bike system.

About the EcoLogistics project

Implemented by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), the project “EcoLogistics, low-carbon freight transport for sustainable cities” aims to promote low-carbon urban transport policies and practices that contribute to mitigating the climate crisis.

The project, developed between 2018 and 2022, supported cities in Argentina, Colombia, and India in developing and implementing sustainable actions in urban freight logistics. In Argentina, the cities of Rosario, Córdoba, and Santa Fe benefited.

Through this initiative, a scalable pilot test was launched for the development of a low-impact public system for last-mile parcel delivery, aimed at local businesses and services, entrepreneurs, and users of the public bicycle system, thus promoting the use and local development of more efficient and sustainable modes of freight mobility.

The cities formed a local working group composed of various public and private actors to carry out the project's stages, with a perspective adapted to the local context. Based on a diagnosis of the initial state of freight transport and an estimate of associated GHG emissions, a roadmap for the sector was consolidated, known as the Low Carbon Urban Logistics Action Plan (LCAP-UF).

The action plan includes the objectives, goals, and concrete actions to be taken into account for the comprehensive planning of the city in terms of freight transport, with a short, medium, and long-term horizon up to 2050.