United States: Would you like to see a return of the rickshaw?

Spotted in New York City, Amazon Delivery drivers are seen riding around in rickshaws.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oHRFedBo1Ok

One would logically ask the question, what is the purpose of this? Why would amazon switch to rickshaws in New York City?

Rickshaws take advantage of bike friendly infrastructure and is a way to get around NYC's congestion pricing.

Prior to seeing this, when I was living in Portland, I looked into getting a rickshaw myself but ran headlong into the problem that our infrastructure simply doesn't support them. Rickshaws are too carlike for non-roads and not carlike enough for our roads. Just seeing this sparked a much larger conversation among my friends about our infrastructure. As a consequence of non-car infrastructure, rickshaws made a surprising comeback. Effectively speaking this is a car but it forced the vehicle to be much lighter and slower, resulting in safer roads, more energy efficiency, less wear and tear on roads, less road noise, etc.

I think rickshaws are a big deal because one of the big questions regarding "walkable" cities is how to haul goods or heavy equipment around without a car. How are tradesmen such as electricians or plumbers supposed to carry their equipment? Rickshaws like this are a great answer to that problem. In places like Japan, farmers and other rural workers rely on "Kei trucks" to do heavy lifting which are limited by design.

What do you think? Would you like to see infrastructure support the return of rickshaws to the US?

I didn't know they were called a rickshaw so I entered this topic thinking "the rickshaw" was the name of a WWE wrestler but I think I was thinking of Ric Flair

I thought this was a rickshaw:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/2486f0d8.jpg

faramir77 posted...

I didn't know they were called a rickshaw so I entered this topic thinking "the rickshaw" was the name of a WWE wrestler but I think I was thinking of Ric Flair

Rickshaw would be a great name for a midcarder/jobber.

captpackrat posted...

I thought this was a rickshaw:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/2486f0d8.jpg

That is also a rickshaw, just a different kind. It is a similar mechanism.

Seinfeld moment in real life

I took a rickshaw to the regatta to see gin blossoms and better than ezra like ten years ago

Time for cyclists to be annoyed at Amazon delivery drivers double parking and blocking their lanes as well as car lanes.

VioletZer0 posted...

Rickshaw would be a great name for a midcarder/jobber.

Ricochet was already a wrestler, and I basically called him Richard O'Shea every time I saw him.

Looks like fun!

Not really.

I would like to see a return of affordable housing.

Flappers posted...

I would like to see a return of affordable housing.

A related issue, actually as the return of the rickshaw is related to high density cities.

captpackrat posted...

I thought this was a rickshaw:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/2486f0d8.jpg

I'd be down for this. Just put the ladies in front.

VioletZer0 posted...

A related issue, actually as the return of the rickshaw is related to high density cities.

Basically.

When the economy goes to shit, people move to the cities.

When the economy improves, people move out of the cities.

It's a pretty well tracked statistical pattern.

Though there are other factors in play. Like how the suburbs are one of the most inefficient forms of living we currently know of, because of the intensive need for wide infrastructure maintenance and the massive reliance on having personal transport (ie, cars). So lack of money to fix decaying infrastructure and an increased push to eliminate cars as much as possible (with a potential push towards more mass transit as a better option) will pretty much kill the suburbs entirely and basically drive people into the cities whether they like it or not. Because it's easier to concentrate resources and services if everyone lives packed into smaller areas.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Basically.

When the economy goes to shit, people move to the cities.

When the economy improves, people move out of the cities.

It's a pretty well tracked statistical pattern.

Though there are other factors in play. Like how the suburbs are one of the most inefficient forms of living we currently know of, because of the intensive need for wide infrastructure maintenance and the massive reliance on having personal transport (ie, cars). So lack of money to fix decaying infrastructure and an increased push to eliminate cars as much as possible (with a potential push towards more mass transit as a better option) will pretty much kill the suburbs entirely and basically drive people into the cities whether they like it or not. Because it's easier to concentrate resources and services if everyone lives packed into smaller areas.

While all true, it's going to be extremely difficult to sell the idea of "retreating" from the American dream of owning your own single family home.

Krow_Incarnate posted...

I'd be down for this. Just put the ladies in front.

That is some dangerous wording. When i first read it, it came off as degrading, but then i think i got the intention.

anyways, the picture makes me wanna boot up crazy taxi and click those triggers while it loads a character *ring ring*

Flappers posted...

I would like to see a return of affordable housing.

Housing has never been affordable in New York City.

willythemailboy posted...

While all true, it's going to be extremely difficult to sell the idea of "retreating" from the American dream of owning your own single family home.

I'd argue that most people under 40 have already completely given up on that dream.

At this point sell people on convenience and efficiency and they'll probably happy live in hives. Especially since so many people basically live on the Internet now anyway.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

I'd argue that most people under 40 have already completely given up on that dream.

At this point sell people on convenience and efficiency and they'll probably happy live in hives. Especially since so many people basically live on the Internet now anyway.

The official stats track the "below 35" age group rather than 40, but even in that bracket between 35-40% own their own homes. That's way below the ownership rate for people older than that, but it's hardly zero.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

I'd argue that most people under 40 have already completely given up on that dream.

At this point sell people on convenience and efficiency and they'll probably happy live in hives. Especially since so many people basically live on the Internet now anyway.

I've tried both single family suburban living and "hive" living and I vastly prefer the hive. Being able to just walk wherever I need to go is amazing.

walkable cities is the dream, where everything you'd need for anything is just in walking distance or otherwise easily accessible without needing to cross a 15 lane interstate highway, but it is not anywhere close to the reality, unfortunately

ConfusedTorchic posted...

walkable cities is the dream, where everything you'd need for anything is just in walking distance or otherwise easily accessible without needing to cross a 15 lane interstate highway, but it is not anywhere close to the reality, unfortunately

End single family zoning, sell a significant portion of roads to local businesses or convert them into public transportation infrastructure, change zoning laws to prohibit large parking lots, limit speeds on remaining roads to 20mph/30kmh to make them safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Preferably slower for large, heavy vehicles.

Flappers posted...

I would like to see a return of affordable housing.

Best we can do is a looming recession and Constitutional violations.