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Metro Pedal Power coasts into Somerville

By Julia Fairclough

Somerville News, April 09, 2009

Wenzday Jane and Joe Myers of Metro Pedal Power.
Sitting atop a British-made bicycle anchored by a four-foot-wide cherry red container that carries everything from newspapers to fresh produce, Wenzday Jane is one of a new generation of eco-conscious bicycle riders who believe that small efforts can make a big difference in the long run.

Averaging about 20 miles a day, Jane and her crew strive to unclog the roadways and free up the ozone layer, in addition to enjoying a workout for money.

Jane, 36, is the president and CEO of Metro Pedal Power, a bicycle delivery courier service that moved its offices from Cambridge and warehouse from Charlestown this past winter under one roof to Olive Street in Union Square. Aside from being a fun community comprised of unique businesses, Somerville is centrally located; an ideal location to run a delivery service, Jane said.

Metro Pedal Power cyclists work with various local markets, wholesalers, farms and retail outlets to carry goods inside the bright red container that can hold up to 500 pounds of deliverables.

During the harvest seasons, Metro Pedal Power will deliver fresh produce to those who participate in "food shares," as part of community-supported agricultural (CSA) programs. And the programs that Metro Pedal Power serve are equally "green." CSA is a socio-economic model of food production and distribution where individuals pledge to support local farm operation by buying a weekly "share" of produce from the farm.

Originally created under the name New Amsterdam Project in 2007, the business started as the answer to the growing concern about oil consumption and gas prices, Jane said. "A bunch of us think that bicycles are a more reasonable way to get around, especially in a crowded city," she said. The company was renamed when Jane took over the business last year from founder Andrew Brown (who wanted to move onto other things) and moved over to Somerville.

Metro Pedal Power is still a novelty. Not many delivery businesses exist exclusively using bicycles to "move serious loads of stuff," Jane said. Jane gets phone calls from people all over the country who saw Metro Pedal Power featured on the news and now want to start their own bike delivery business. Metro Pedal Power was on New England Cable News last year, in addition to National Public Radio (NPR), CNN and Chronicle, in conjunction with a segment about CSA deliveries.

In fact, Joe Myers, one of the four drivers who works for Jane, heard about Metro Pedal on NPR and thought working there would be a fun thing to do for a while. Myers had just moved up to Belmont from the Cape when he got married. A graphic designer by trade, he does freelance work, which includes working on the Metro Pedal Power Web site http://metropedalpower.com and authoring his own blog about the adventures of being a bike courier.

"I really like working for a new company that has potential," he said, adding he sold his car when he moved up here and gets around via a bike.

Jane, a native of Everett and Somerville resident for many years, appreciates the tight knit business community here. She works with many local business owners from Bloc 11, Dave's Fresh Pasta, and Taza Chocolate, to name a few. She also works with businesses throughout Boston.

And she sees a lot of growth here in Somerville,especially now that Somerville Local First, a network of locally owned and independent businesses is up and running. (Check out www.somervillelocalfirst.org for more information). Somerville Local First is active with various efforts to boost the local economy, such as the "10% Shift," which asks individuals, businesses, nonprofits and government agencies to shift 10% of their annual purchases to local independents this year.

"Somerville is a great community with a huge sense of connectedness," Jane said.

Aside from that, Jane likes the bike culture in Somerville. She is a member of SCUL, a Somerville-based biker gang seen throughout the streets of the city during the warmer months.

But she is also cognizant that her business is in a congested city with many cars on the road. She teachers her bikers safety courses and trains them to respect traffic laws. Couriers learn about the need to assert their space, but not be too aggressive. Though four feet wide, the bikes fit within a bicycle lane.