New York City is undertaking a pilot program to create spaces that allow truckers to safely unload packages onto smaller modes of transportation for the final legs of delivery.
New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez recently announced the agency has authorized a local delivery hub pilot. The agency said its proposed rules aim to address the environmental and public safety impacts of large truck deliveries.
The three-year pilot program will provide create microhubs, which the agency said are safe, dedicated spaces for truck operators to transfer deliveries onto safer and more sustainable modes of transportation for the last leg of delivery, including e-cargo bikes, handcarts, and smaller electric sprinter vans. The first three microhubs will be located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn; under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Clinton Hill; and the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
"This promising microhub pilot is part of our comprehensive plan to reducing truck traffic on city streets," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Josh, who previosly served as the administartof of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. "Our focus is on fostering a safer, healthier environment for New Yorkers, while streamlining the massive surge in online deliveries with lower-impact vehicles. We expect this pilot to yield fewer double-parked trucks and ad-hoc unloading zones, resulting in a more organized curb."
NYC DOT recently published proposed rules allowing the agency to establish microhub zones. A public hearing will be held on Oct. 17 at 10 a.m. Upon implementation, NYC DOT will be responsible for installing signage at all designated zones. Only authorized vehicles using the microhub will be permitted to access the designated zone.
The agency said on-street microhub zones will be about 80-100 feet in length. They will include regulatory signage and other markings designating it as a microhub. Space will be available for package sorting and transfer of packages to electric vehicles, cargo bikes, and walkers. The agency said it will also install upgraded safety barriers and cargo bike corrals where needed.
According to NYDOT, off-street microhub zones will be located on city-owned properties and may include space for vehicles, goods storage, vehicle repairs, maintenance, and/or charging, transloading space for package sorting and vehicle transfer, weather protection, and lighting. The off-street delivery hubs will vary in size based on site location.
The pilot program will last three years and will begin with up to 20 locations, both on-street and off-street. NYC DOT said it will collect data from each microhub at regular intervals to determine the pilot's success.
