B-Line Sustainable Urban Delivery Service encompasses the capability to change the world we live in through its inspirational methods of transporting products and respecting the community it serves.

Take a moment to stop and think about how many delivery trucks and vans you see on a regular basis during your daily commutes. Although it may appear quite normal, everyone going about their day and performing work-related tasks, what you don’t initially recognize is just how detrimental all of these delivery vessels are to our environment. Pollution is one of the worst issues our world is currently facing. So in February 2009, one gentleman by the name of Franklin Jones decided to plan a course of attack against the smoggy beast, thus creating his brainchild, B-Line Sustainable Urban Delivery Service, a sustainable local delivery service right out of Portland, Oregon.

B-Line offers simplicity at its best because if you think about it, what are the purest, most natural things? They are simple. No frills, no veils, no disguises. In this case, it’s as simple as a human and an electric-assist cargo tricycle that has the space and sufficiency to carry a whopping 600 pounds. Strip away not only the pollution aspect, but also all the hassle that can come with using conventional trucks and vans.

B-Line’s main goals are focusing on strengthening the community, speaking out on behalf of sustainability, building prosperous business relationships that complement one another for the good of the planet, and maintaining a solid, unwavering pledge to provide happy, remarkable service. This sustainable local delivery operation is a true team player. It doesn’t discriminate and will partner with businesses large and small who share the same environmental vision. A few big name companies who work with B-Line include Office Depot, Whole Foods, and Organic Valley. Something else cool to know is that the cargo trikes are not only created to transport goods, they also serve as an eye-catching tool for cross promotion! It gives other companies the opportunity to join B-Line in a campaign for a greener functioning world while simultaneously highlighting their products.

When it gets down to it, the facts are the facts and you can’t argue with that! B-Line’s sustainable local delivery service has managed to supersede almost 30,000 truck and van deliveries while reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 18 tons per year. Wow, maybe we can start to breathe easier now (pun totally intended)! B-Line has successfully delivered around 400,000 pounds of organic produce, provided more than 70,000 pounds of food for the hungry in its local area, and pedaled to more than 200 destinations in the Portland community. B-Line’s environmentally friendly accomplishments are endless and its efficacious movement is continuing to thrive every day.

B-Line’s sustainable local delivery service combines the utmost positive intention with enduring dexterity and sheet brilliance behind its concept. It allows the community to become a part of the change whether individuals are making the choice to receive their items through a more environmentally conscious method or are pedaling through town to provide an eco-friendly service to its locals. With its trikes having traveled more than 20,000 miles annually, B-Line is pedaling its way toward enabling us with a brighter, greener future.

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Image via B-Line

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When a bike wheel builder friend of mine asked if I would like to attend an anniversary party for a local bike-related business, of course I said yes. In Portland, it’s never a good idea to turn down the opportunity to hang out with bike lovers and enjoy a few free drinks and hors d’oeuvres in the process.

But this was no regular bike throwdown; this was a full-on celebration of a commitment to better, more sustainable urban living. It was B-line’s one-year anniversary, and the people that came out to support this pedal powered delivery service were abuzz with positive energy.

B-line launched last year with the goal of partnering with businesses to take care of their urban delivery needs and, in turn, reduce the need for conventional trucks and vans. In the last 12 months, the company has certainly succeeded, pedaling over 6,000 miles to complete 3,000 deliveries. The results are pretty astonishing.

They’ve been able to reduce CO2 emissions by 11,000 pounds and they’ve helped delivered just about 191,000 pounds of organic produce; that’s on top of all the bread, coffee, tea and other things they pedal around town. As I listened to B-Line Founder and CEO Franklin Jones rattle off these statistics, I was impressed, not only because a pedal powered business is making it, but because they are making real change and influencing others to do the same.

It’s a common tendency to encourage people to “bike more, drive less,” but in cities without the necessary infrastructure to do so, making that choice is difficult. Granted, Portland is a city already known for its biking prowess, but with a company like B-line as a big local business player, the impetus for having better bike policies in grows even stronger. Case and point: Portland’s Mayor was invited to speak at this party.

Fewer trucks and vans on the road mean better streets for bikers and pedestrians, as well as less pollution. An increasing number of local businesses committed to using bike delivery shows their full-fledged support of cycling culture. That, in turn, equals less CO2 emissions and happier, healthier lifestyles, which benefits everyone in the urban community.

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