Some residents say trucks can make city streets like an obstacle course.
“There are times on Columbus where we have one double-parked on the right,” Upper West Side resident Jorge Gabin said, “you have to drive right down the middle of the avenue, it’s incredible.”
What You Need To Know
- Long talked about, microhubs allow logistics trucks like Amazon and UPS to park in one place and put packages on handcarts or cargo bikes to deliver them, rather than drive to individual buildings, spewing emissions and clogging streets
- The city Department of Transportation says one in five New Yorkers receive packages four or more days a week, fueling an expected growth in truck deliveries of 70% over the next 20 years
- The microhub pilot is starting with three locations on the Upper West Side — partnering with Amazon, UPS and Net Zero Logistics — and is expected to expand to 36 locations citywide over the next three years
Oftentimes the cause is e-commerce.
“With more and more New Yorkers ordering online, our streets are seeing more trucks than ever before,” city Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said.
In fact, Rodriguez says one in five New Yorkers receives packages four or more days a week — fueling an expected 70% increase in truck deliveries over the next 20 years.
To take some of those trucks off the road and reduce emissions, the DOT launched the first microhubs Tuesday, including one on Amsterdam and 85th Street.
“Microhubs are dedicated space where delivery trucks transfer packages to cargo bikes, pushcarts and other zero-emission vehicles to complete the last leg of the delivery,” Rodriguez said at the ribbon-cutting.
The first three microhubs on the Upper West Side will provide dedicated space for Amazon, UPS and Net Zero logistics.
Over the next three years, a total of 36 microhubs are expected, and the city is looking for other companies to partner with.
The DOT says it will monitor traffic conditions around the microhubs to measure their success.
