May 13, 2021
As truck deliveries skyrocket from increased online shopping, “Delivering New York” presents plans to tackle traffic safety, congestion, pollution, and damage to aging infrastructure
NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Hank Gutman today released Delivering New York: A Smart Truck Management Plan, a new freight management plan to improve New York City’s freight management and truck safety. The announcement continues Streets Week!, a suite of transportation, traffic safety, and open space policy announcements to double down on the transformative Vision Zero initiative.
Among major initiatives, new innovative policies will reduce truck congestion; expand curbside space for delivery; encourage the transition to smaller, greener trucks; and improve the safety and efficiency of New York City’s truck routes.
“Rebuilding a cleaner, fairer, and greener city means rethinking the way trucks move through our streets. As more goods than ever flow through our city, it’s time for a smart, thoughtful freight management approach that keeps our communities safe and livable,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Delivering New York charts a path toward a future with fewer and smaller trucks, which will ease congestion, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and protect our infrastructure.”
“Safer and more efficient freight management will advance New York City’s climate goals, tackle congestion and noise pollution, and make our roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Laura Anglin. “This plan will advance an important conversation for the future of our city – one made even more urgent as deliveries become even more central to our local economy.”
“Just as we are reimagining how people move to reduce our dependence on private cars, we must reimagine how goods move to reduce our dependence on large diesel trucks,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman. “We cannot solve this problem with more big trucks, which endanger our aging infrastructure, pollute our air and contribute to climate change. When they travel on residential streets where they do not legally belong, they present safety dangers and harm our quality of life. In Delivering New York, we show how we can and must expand alternatives to bringing goods to and from our City – from loading zones to dramatically expanded overnight deliveries -- and much more.”
“Managing truck congestion and safety on our streets and focusing our efforts on reducing harmful greenhouse emissions is key to this administration’s freight goals, and today’s announcement is a huge complement to our FreightNYC plan at NYCEDC,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Rachel Loeb. “We look forward to implementing these improvements in partnership with DOT and congratulate Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Gutman on this huge step as we work to change the way goods move in and out of our city!”
"This plan will fight climate change while making streets safer and the air cleaner for all New Yorkers — especially those in communities historically burdened by truck traffic,” said Ben Furnas, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Sustainability. “COVID-19 has accelerated a transformation in the way goods move around our city, and the Department of Transportation is rising to the challenge in making sure this transformation is sustainable, healthy, and fair.”
New York City’s freight management challenges have become even greater during the COVID-19 pandemic. As more New Yorkers have worked remotely and shopped online in the last year, residential freight delivery has increased from 40% of all deliveries citywide to 80%. The new plan recognizes these transformative shifts and introduces dozens of new strategies and initiatives to help reduce the dependence on large trucks, especially in making “last-mile” deliveries.
Trucks deliver nearly 90% of the city’s goods to businesses and homes throughout the five boroughs. Without City action, freight movement is expected by 2045 to increase by 68%, potentially adding 44,000 to 75,000 more trucks to the network per day.
Delivering New York complements NYC EDC’s own long-term multimodal freight vision and builds on the foundation of existing freight initiatives outlined in the de Blasio administration’s OneNYCplan, and DOT’s 2016 Strategic Plan. Major initiatives of the plan target safety, efficiency, sustainability and expanding partnerships/knowledge, and include:
SAFETY
Target 70 Truck Safety Priority Corridors citywide over the next five years
Strengthen Enforcement Efforts: Vision Zero Street Teams Corridor Enforcement and Education Initiatives
EFFICIENCY
Update Citywide Truck Network and DOT’s Truck Route Map
Continue and Further Expand Off-Hour Deliveries (OHD) program
Improving Curb Management
SUSTAINABILITY
Creation of a permanent Commercial Cargo Bike Program
Designate “Green Loading Zones”
Continue to expand the NYC Clean Truck Program to industrial business zones citywide
PARTNERSHIPS AND KNOWLEDGE
Develop “Smart Urban Freight Lab”
Establish off-street freight distribution and consolidation hubs in partnership with private garage operators
Expand Bridge Strike Reduction Program through signage, pavement markings, & ITS technology
“I want to thank Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner Gutman, and the team at DOT for their work on this new freight management plan. The increase in online shopping and deliveries brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has only made it clearer that the way we handle freight and shipping in most American cities just isn’t working for our 21st century economy. That’s why I look forward to DOT working with our communities to address and incorporate specific neighborhood delivery and trucking concerns into this plan, and for the Mayor and DOT to work with the Council to pass our package of freight delivery legislation so we can permanently codify these and other important measures for future mayoral administrations,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera.
"I thank Mayor de Blasio and DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman for delivering a plan that will help our trucks run as efficiently and safely as possible. The demand for faster deliveries should not compromise the safety of ours streets. We need to make sure we're keeping all pedestrians and cyclists out of harm's way," said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chairman of the Transportation Committee. "I will continue working alongside Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Johnson, DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman, my colleagues at the Council, and advocates to ensure we're protecting all pedestrians and cyclists."
“It is critical that New York City balances its transportation network because road capacity is already pushed to its limits and traffic congestion is projected to only get worse,” said Liam Blank, a spokesman for Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “We commend Mayor de Blasio and NYC DOT for this new initiative, which will help to reduce congestion, cut air pollution, and save lives."
“New York City cannot have safe, healthy, and equitable streets without addressing freight deliveries, and Delivering New York can help bring our curb management into the 21st century,” said Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “We are especially pleased to see an emphasis on dedicated loading zones, a key plank of our NYC 25x25 vision for streets, in this report. We applaud Mayor de Blasio and NYC DOT for detailing such a comprehensive plan to tackle urban freight issues and look forward to partnering with them and future administrations to bring these initiatives to life.”
“COVID has reminded us of the critical role the trucking industry and our drivers play in the daily lives of New Yorkers,” said Kendra Hems, President of the Trucking Association of New York (TANY). “Our members are essential in providing food, fuel, medicine and much more, every day to millions of New Yorkers. The Smart Truck Management Plan strikes a balance in improving the efficiency of freight delivery while preserving the quality of life and safety of New Yorkers. I commend Mayor de Blasio and the leaders at the New York City Department of Transportation for their vision and commitment to safety.”
"Transportation is the leading contributor to climate change in the state and as freight deliveries continue to grow, any plan to green the transportation sector must address trucks and cargo,” said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “The Delivering New York plan will help reduce traffic and increase efficiency while also encouraging a transition to more sustainable transportation technologies. Expanding the use of cargo bikes and investing in electric trucks is a win-win for both pollution and congestion. That's why we included these types of policies in our New York City Policy Agenda. We thank Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Gutman for making our streets clearer and greener. We look forward to working with stakeholders to continue reimagining freight travel in the city."
pressoffice@cityhall.nyc.gov
(212) 788-2958