Brown going green in Portland

Word has it that UPS is gearing up for a switch to a new mode of transportation for their delivery guys in brown shorts. According to Nick Chambers over at Gas2.0 UPS in Portland has already launched a pilot program that has drivers of those gas guzzling vans behind the handlebars of a pretty nifty bike and wagon setup.

Apparently the UPS bean counters did some number crunching and found out that by replacing a certain number of trucks with bikes in temperate climates they could save a boatload of money over the holidays – to the tune of $36,000 in one UPS district alone. I guess that kind of money can add up if you consider that the program is being trialed in Oregon, California and Washington.

Although I’m not too sure how much fun it would be on rainy days or in San Francisco on any day.

[image courtesy of Nick Chambers]