In many big cities, bike messengers are part of the street scenery dodging traffic to make deliveries from one company to another.
They serve a business purpose, but they're also part of the charge to 'go green' and in this week's Project Green, they want the rest of us to join in.
First thing in the morning the phones start ringing at the Bike Courier’s Bike Shop, Louisville businesses are calling with deliveries they need made.
Couriers at the Bike Shop on West Market get on their bikes and head out.
“The alternative is to put an 8 ounce letter in a car and send that car halfway across town to deliver an 8 ounce letter. It doesn't make sense,” said Jackie Green, co-owner of the Bike Couriers Bike Shop.
Green began the messenger service 8 years ago as an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional business delivery.
“It reduces congestion, it calms traffic, it minimizes the, well, it practically eliminates fuel consumption,” said Green.
WHAS11 followed one of the couriers as he easily navigated his way down clogged streets on a morning run.
“We like to use them because its environmentally friendly and they're so friendly,” said Katie Coulter of Coulter Reporting.
But being a bike courier can be dangerous. Bike courier Daniel Penrod said, “as long as you're careful about it and you just try to be, have some personal responsibility about the whole thing, it’s really not that bad. You've just got to be careful.”
Couriers say they're being used more in the downtown district and as increasing businesses and residents re-locate there, they see cycling as an easy way many of us can "go green."
“Green depending on the context and circumstances and this is an alternative we need to be exploring as a city,” said Green.
And bike deliveries are cheap, too. The average delivery costs companies $6 and takes about 15 to 30 minutes.
