NYC DOT Proposing Rules to Authorize Local Delivery Hub Pilot to Combat Negative Environmental and Safety Effects of Truck Deliveries, Announces First Pilot Locations

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2024
Contact: (212) 839-4850, [email protected]

NYC DOT Proposing Rules to Authorize Local Delivery Hub Pilot to Combat Negative Environmental and Safety Effects of Truck Deliveries, Announces First Pilot Locations

Microhubs Pilot Program To Be First Launched in Upper West Side, Greenpoint, and Clinton Hill

Program To Reduce Truck Traffic on Local Streets and Encourage Safer, More Sustainable Delivery Options

NEW YORK - New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced the agency has taken a key step to authorize a local delivery hub pilot. The proposed rules aim to address the negative environmental and public safety impacts of truck deliveries, with the first pilot locations now identified. The three-year microhubs pilot program will provide 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.

"This promising microhub pilot is part of our comprehensive plan to reducing truck traffic on city streets," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. "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."

"Microhubs will offer a more sustainable and efficient way to make deliveries and reduce the number of big delivery trucks on our streets," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "These microhubs will make our streets greener and safer for all New Yorkers and we are excited to launch the first locations in Greenpoint, Clinton Hill, and the Upper West Side."

The proposed rules for the microhubs pilot program will include both on-street and off-street locations, creating dedicated spaces for delivery vehicles to transfer goods to safer and more sustainable delivery modes.

NYC DOT published proposed rules today allowing the agency to establish what are defined as 'microhub zones'. A public hearing will be held on October 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.

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 will also install upgraded safety barriers and cargo bike corrals where needed.

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. They will be managed by a license agreement.

Proposed Requirements for Participating Companies

NYC DOT will work in partnership with small and large delivery companies who responded to the agency's previously published Requests for Expressions of Interests (RFEI). Additional companies may have the opportunity to participate following the first year of the pilot. The proposed rules clarify the requirements for participating companies, known as 'microhub operators'. Microhub operators will use the microhubs to transfer goods and packages from commercial vehicles onto a sustainable mode of transportation to a final point of delivery. Operators seeking to use an on-street microhub zone must first obtain a permit from NYC DOT. Permits will be active for one year, with the option to renew. Participating companies will be responsible for maintaining a clean space and are required to share robust data and feedback with NYC DOT in order to help the agency successfully evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program.

Operators will be responsible for sweeping microhub zones at least once per week, removing snow and ice, and maintaining the cleanliness of designated street signage. Company names must be prominently displayed on each commercial vehicle, low-emission or electric commercial vehicle, bicycle, or handcart using a microhub zone. NYC DOT will be providing microhub operators with guidelines for design and circulation of microhub zones. NYC DOT can suspend or revoke a permit for failure to comply with these terms.

The pilot will last three years and will begin with up to 20 locations, both on-street and off-street. The first locations to launch will be on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Clinton Hill, and Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Location selection criteria include:

• High-density mixed land use (commercial/manufacturing uses near residential areas)
• Close proximity to truck routes, transit, and bike lane networks
• Serving Priority Investment Areas per the NYC Streets Plan
• Delivery demand/desired neighborhoods as provided by the delivery companies

NYC DOT will collect data from each microhub at regular intervals to determine the pilot's success. Relevant data points include the make and model of any sustainable mode of transportation used in the microhub, the operator's average daily and weekly utilization rate of the microhub, and the total number of trips from the microhub to the final destination of delivery categorized by type of sustainable mode of transportation.

The microhubs pilot program will build 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. Earlier this year, the city promulgated new rules to make it easier for delivery companies to adopt, a more sustainable alternative to large delivery trucks. NYC DOT has also recently launched to combat package thefts and continues to work on a Blue Highways program in coordination with New York City Economic Development Corporation to reactivate marine infrastructure helping to shift deliveries from larger trucks to our waterways. NYC DOT also continues to install a record number of dedicated loading zones for deliveries across the five boroughs, with over 2,000 loading zones installed in the past two years. For more information, visit nyc.gov/deliveries

Additional details on the pilot program are available in NYC DOT's Microhubs Pilot report. This pilot program, created in response to Local Law 166 of 2021, is part of DOT's comprehensive freight strategy detailed in Delivering New York and Delivering Green. For more information, visit nyc.gov/microhubs

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