Minnesota Cargo Bike Library Offers an Eco-friendly, Healthy Mode of Transportation

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

A Discussion with Laura Groenjes Mitchell, Founder, Head Librarian and Award Winner

Laura Groenjes Mitchell, founder and head librarian of the Minnesota Cargo Bike Library, was named Advocate of the Year in BikeMN’s 2025 Community Awards Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota. BikeMN’s panel of judges recognized Laura for her outstanding advocacy for safe streets and community building. As the founder of the Minnesota Cargo Bike Library, she has designed and launched a multi-organization partnership to expand access to cargo bikes in Minneapolis, offering a small collection of electric cargo bikes for free to residents for up to a week. We talked to her about the vision for this transformative initiative, creative uses, expansion possibilities and how cargo bikes are for everyone. 

Laura MitchellQ:  For readers unfamiliar with the concept, what exactly is a cargo bike library and what inspired you to create the Minneapolis Cargo Bike Library?

A:  The MN Cargo Bike Library is a community-run program through the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN), made possible through partnerships with Cyclehoop, the Lyndale Neighborhood Association and a grant from the Minneapolis Foundation.

Our goal is to ensure Minnesota residents have the knowledge, skills and resources to safely and confidently replace car trips. We have a small fleet of electric cargo bikes that folks can borrow FREE for about a week. Prior to borrowing a bike, people are required to attend our one-hour, in-person orientation, focused on bike safety and tips for riding, maintaining and securing ecargo bikes.

I was inspired to create this program after personally experiencing the way a cargo bike changed my own family’s life for the better when we bought one in 2021. We save money, get more exercise into our day, have more fun on our commutes, and feel good about lowering our impact on the environment. A friend told me about some ebike libraries on the east coast and I wondered if we could create something like that here, but focused on ecargo bikes. I am also hoping to help inspire more investment in secure bike storage options throughout the city and state (via the secure bike hangar we use or other options).

Q:  What kinds of reactions do people have the first time they try a cargo bike?

A:  Some folks are a little nervous as they learn how to handle a larger bike that may handle differently than they’re accustomed to, but that tends to transform very quickly into smiles, giggles, and “I could do XYZ with this bike!"

Q:  Have you seen the program reach people who never considered themselves “cyclists” before?

A:  Yes! We have reached folks from across the spectrum: from year-round bicyclists to people who haven’t ridden a bike in decades, but see the potential of using an electric cargo bike to replace car trips. Our borrowers include people of all ages, from their early 20s to late 70s (so far) and less than half of our borrowers last year were men. We have folks from all income levels, too.

There are multiple styles of cargo bikes. See more on Instagram!

Q:  What are some of the most creative or surprising ways people have used cargo bikes from your library?

A:  We’ve had borrowers use our bikes to: 

• Take kids to/from daycare/school
• Commute to/from work
• Run errands, especially with large/bulky items
• Transport art to/from Art-a-Whirl
• Bring adult friends with mobility needs to parts of the city that are inaccessible by car (Stone Arch Bridge, trails, picnic spots)
• Take dogs to/from the vet
• Go sightseeing with older family members (who may not be able to ride their own bike)
• Go garage-saling
• Get around on a date night (one partner hauling the other in the bike)

Q:  What types of errands or daily activities are especially well-suited for cargo bikes?

A:  Any errand or daily activity within 3-10 miles is a great fit for a cargo bike! The additional hauling capacity of the cargo bike can accommodate carrying more stuff/passengers and the motor can get whatever level of exercise you want on the trip - especially nice on hot days!

Q:  I read that the program has expanded to Rochester. What role could cargo bikes play in the future of urban transportation?

A:  We believe cargo bikes can and will play a huge role in the future of urban and suburban transportation. On the individual level, car ownership is usually the second highest household expense (behind rent) with the average American spending $1,000/month on car-related expenses (car payment, gas, insurance, repairs, maintenance, depreciation). The average American spends about an hour in their car each day, time that often does not contribute to better mental or physical health. According the Federal Highway Administration, about 50% of trips in the U.S. are 3 miles or less, an easy biking distance! When individuals and families start replacing local car trips with biking, they reap the financial and health benefits immediately. Society as a whole reaps the economic, health and climate benefits. And more bikes for more trips = fewer cars causing congestion or safety issues in our cities, so those who do need/want to drive can have less stressful trips, too!

Q:  What infrastructure improvements would make cargo bike use easier and safer?

A:  We need more cities and suburbs to build connected networks of protected bike lanes, separating people on bikes from people driving cars as much as possible to ensure people on bikes experience the safety and comfort needed for them to continue to feel safe opting to bike. We need more secure overnight bike storage (like the Cyclehoop Bike Hangars we use for our program) and bike parking that can accommodate larger cargo bikes. Often times public bike racks are not set up to accommodate larger bikes, so parking can take some creativity - especially for front loader electric cargo bikes.

Q:  Was there a moment when you realized cargo bikes could become transformative community tools?

A:  Bikes of all kinds are powerfully transformative community tools and I’ve seen countless examples of that over the years. However, two examples stand out: 

1. When we launched the MCBL in 2025, I had no idea what to expect re: reception. I anticipated we’d need to do a lot of marketing to help spread the word and find folks interested in taking the orientation to borrow bikes. We had the opposite problem. Word has spread quickly and organically. Our orientations fill up immediately and demand far outpaces what we’re able to do with our current resources, so we’re working on more grant applications to try to keep expanding to help more neighbors get access to these bikes!

2. During Operation Metro Surge my family got involved with a lot of mutual aid work in our neighborhood. We used our cargo bike to deliver groceries and other supplies to neighbors. We also used it to help transport two neighbor kids to/from school from December-April as their parents sheltered in place. I am not able to safely transport 4 elementary aged kids (2 neighbor kids + my own 2 kids) in our SUV due to limited options for installing booster seats, but I can do it on my bike! All four kids loved the bike and were so chatty on our rides to/from school each day.

Q:  I love those two examples! What advice would you give to people who want to become stronger advocates for innovative transportation options in their own communities?

A:  Find your people! Seek out local groups or people who are already working on the issues you care about and reach out to them for coffee, show up to events, volunteer, etc. We’re far more effective when we can learn from and work alongside others toward our shared goals - and you’ll probably meet some great friends along the way.

Q:  How may we follow your news?

A:  For all things MN Cargo Bike Library, subscribe to our newsletter here: mcbl.bike. You can also follow us on Bluesky or Instagram.