Hubs are central locations where delivery trucks can unload cargo and transfer it to smaller, more sustainable forms of transportation, such as cargo bikes. New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DoT) has launched the first of the city’s microhubs for deliveries on the Upper West Side. They will provide a dedicated space to shift deliveries from trucks to safer and more sustainable forms of transportation. Amazon, Net Zero Logistics and UPS are among the participating logistics companies.
Sustainable transportation
Microhubs are central locations where delivery trucks can unload cargo and transfer it to smaller, safer, and more sustainable forms of transportation for the final delivery, including cargo bikes and handcarts.
NYC DoT reports that one in five New Yorkers receive packages four or more days per week, which has dramatically increased the number of delivery vehicles on city streets. Nearly 90 per cent of goods are delivered by trucks, and with the growth of e-commerce and demand for frequent home deliveries, the amount of goods that move through the five boroughs is expected to grow by nearly 70 per cent in the next 20 years.
The first microhubs, located on Amsterdam Avenue and West 73rd Street; Amsterdam Avenue and West 85th Street, and Broadway and West 77th Street, offer dedicated space for select delivery companies participating in the pilot programme, including Amazon, Net Zero Logistics, and UPS. Each of the three locations were chosen as part of NYC DOT’s Smart Curbs programme on the Upper West Side.
“Over the past few years, we’ve seen a significant shift in how people shop, leading to a massive increase in home delivery that has put a strain on our streets. We’re excited about the potential these new microhubs have to better organise deliveries, while reducing double parking and easing local traffic,” said deputy mayor for operations Jeffrey Roth. “We’re thankful to the many partners who have contributed to these initial pilots, and we hope it will serve as a model we can bring citywide in the future.”
These are the first of up to 36 locations that will be part of NYC DoT’s microhub pilot. Locations were selected based on compatible land uses as well as proximity to high density areas, truck routes, bike lane networks, and transit, as well as through conversations with communities and businesses. The pilot will last up to three years and include on-street locations like the ones launched today and off-street locations on city-owned properties.
“New Yorkers are receiving more deliveries than ever before, and this has resulted in a spike in delivery trucks that pollute our air and create challenges on our streets,” said NYC DoT commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “These microhubs will cut down on the number of truck trips on our busy city streets and also cut down on double parking and blocking sidewalks.”
The Microhubs pilot programme builds upon recent administration efforts to reimagine deliveries in New York City, restructure freight distribution, and create a sustainable last-mile delivery system for getting goods where they need to go, including:
- New rules to allow for more deliveries to occur using pedal-assist cargo bikes, a safer and more sustainable alternative to larger delivery trucks
- Launching LockerNYC to combat package thefts and consolidate truck deliveries to central locations
- The Blue Highways pilot, in coordination with EDC, to reactivate marine infrastructure helping to shift deliveries from larger trucks to our waterways
- An Off-Hour Delivery incentive programme to reduce truck congestion during peak business hours
- An expansion of dedicated loading zones for deliveries across the five boroughs, with over 3,000 new loading zones installed since 2022.
“These microhubs are going to drastically reduce the number of polluting trucks on city streets, one of our PlaNYC initiatives,” said the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice executive director, Elijah Hutchinson.
“When we look to cargo bikes and handcarts to help with deliveries, which have dramatically increased since the pandemic, we’re cutting our emissions and reducing congestion, while also improving our quality of life by lowering noise levels on city streets.”
---
Quelle/Source: Smart Cities World, 19.05.2025
Bitte besuchen Sie/Please visit:
