A resident of Pointe-Saint-Charles took it upon himself to show people why trading your car for a different set of wheels this Halloween is not a scary thing.
Mathieu Murphy-Perron organized a Halloween trick-or-treat session at Parc des Cheminots where children received their treats from an unexpected place: a cargo bike.
He also offered families a spin on a cargo bike while getting their candy.
“I’m a big fan of these bikes. I like seeing the different uses they could potentially have. A few years back I moved entirely by cargo bikes,” Murphy-Perron said.
Cargo bikes are bicycles designed to transport heavy loads. They vary, with some having two or three wheels, some electrically assisted, and some simply pedal-powered.
Murphy-Perron said he believes the bikes are a perfect alternative to cars and great for families who want to reduce their carbon footprint.
He said that once people try them, they will fall in love with them just like he has.
“These take up no space whatsoever. They’re fun to use and they give you a chance to see the city as you’re moving around and to let your children see the city,” Murphy-Perron said. “I think it’s a great way to reduce the amount of cars in the city.”
Murphy-Perron is not alone in his love for cargo bikes as they have gained popularity in Montreal.
Lamar Timmins, the owner of Allo Vélo Boutique, a bike shop in Griffintown, says that since he brought the first few bikes in to sell in Montreal in 2014, he’s gone from selling four every year to 100 annually.
“With the challenges we’re seeing nowadays — gas prices going up, obviously climate change, how we want to move around in the city, being more active — I think all of this contributes to why a cargo bike is a solution,” Timmins said.
Timmins said the trend of cargo bikes started in Europe but in the past few years, Montrealers have embraced it too — individuals and businesses alike.
“I think Montreal has a really good ecosystem for that because they’re piloting one project called ‘Colibri,’ encouraging all the delivery companies to come into the city with their big trucks and do the final mile by cargo bike,” Timmins said. “That’s something that’s grown significantly.”
“I think people are seeing the value in what a cargo bike can do,” Timmins said.
Timmins said he caters to a lot of businesses that want to transform their fleet into a cargo bike.
“The exciting thing is families that are choosing either not to get a second car or getting rid of their car altogether and going full-on e-cargo bike, bringing kids to the daycare or the grocery store,” Timmins said.
As for Murphy-Perron, he hopes that his Halloween stunt results in fewer cars in his neighbourhood.
“I hope less people choose less cars in the future,” Murphy-Perron said. “It’s not sustainable, as these beautiful machines are.”
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