NYC Proposes Plan to Ease Last-Mile Deliveries

NYC’s Department of Transportation has a new idea to ease the congestion of delivery trucks in Manhattan while making last-last mile deliveries safer and more sustainable—filling the streets with wider pedal-driven cargo bikes.

The DOT is proposing changing its rule for cargo bikes to increase their width from 36 inches to 48 inches and to permit the addition of a fourth wheel, which the city says will make them easier to pedal while carrying heavier loads.

A 30-day public comment period on the proposed rule change began on Aug. 14, to culminate in a virtual public hearing scheduled for Sept. 13.

NYC launched a commercial cargo bike pilot program in 2019 with carriers including UPS, FedEx, Amazon and DHL. Companies enrolled in the pilot can load and unload wherever commercial vehicles are permitted, as well as in designated “corrals.”

“In 2022, cargo bikes made more than 130,000 trips delivering over 5 million packages, resulting in the reduction of over 650,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions, and demonstrating their effectiveness as a last-mile delivery mode,” the NYC Department of Transportation said, in a release.

According to the department, almost 90% of the goods in NYC are moved via truck. DOT says that two of the wider cargo bikes—48-inch-wide cargo bikes are common in Europe—can replace one box truck, reducing emissions by 14 tons per year.

Adopting the width standard used in Europe also will allow more manufacturers and carriers to enter the cargo bike market in NYC, the department said.

In April, NYC announced that it is launching a pilot program this summer to test up to 20 delivery “microhubs,” designated curbside or off-street locations for trucks to unload items onto low-emission transportation modes, including electric vehicles and cargo bikes.

“These hubs will help better organize last-mile deliveries and support small and large businesses’ economic recovery,” Ydanis Rodriguez, NYC’s DOT commissioner said, in a statement.

Microhubs are being set up in proximity to truck routes, public transit, bike lane networks and high-density areas with mixed land use.

According to renderings released by NYC, an on-street microhub is up to 100 feet in length, with a transloading space for package sorting and transfer to EVs, cargo bikes and walkers. The units include upgraded safety barriers.

In the first phase of the program, DOT is monitoring hub operations, collecting data and refining its strategy. Phase two of the program, to run from fall 2024 to 2026, will expand the number of hubs and delivery partners and recommend finalized regulations.