NYC delivery trucks will soon have their own snug “microhubs” to drop off goods around the Big Apple under a city transportation policy implemented on Tuesday.
Through a three-year pilot program, the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) will set up “microhub zones” where truck drivers can park, transfer goods onto more portable modes of transportation and complete their deliveries. These modes of transportation include e-cargo bikes, handcarts and smaller electric sprinter vans to be used on the last leg of a delivery route.
As previously announced last September, the DOT aims to improve street safety and help streamline traffic in a city that gets 90% of its freight deliveries by truck. City officials also reported that it would aid in traffic reduction in the wake of the newly launched congestion pricing toll program in Manhattan on Jan. 5.
“Well-placed ‘microhubs,’ or drop-off points, allow trucks to avoid traveling further into neighborhoods and commercial corridors, where less intrusive options like cargo bikes can pick them up and take them to their final destination,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “With this important pilot as a first step, our ultimate goal is to make every piece of the package delivery lifecycle greener and less burdensome on our roads and neighborhoods.”
The program’s price tag was not announced, but delivery companies will have to apply and pay for an annual permit.
The program will start this year in five microhubs located in Greenpoint, Clinton Hill, and the Upper West Side. Each microhub will be designated to one delivery company for exclusive use via the annual permit.
“New Yorkers are receiving more deliveries than ever before, and microhub zones will make them greener and safer by reducing the number of big trucks navigating local streets,” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said. “Big delivery trucks not only present safety risks on busy city streets but too often they block the flow of traffic on our roads and pedestrians on our sidewalks.”
What will the new microhubs look like?
Most of the microhubs will be on the street, about 80 to 100 feet long and located in the curb lane. Signage and other markings will identify them as microhubs. According to the DOT, space will be available for package sorting and the transfer of packages to electric vehicles, cargo bikes and handcarts. The agency will also install upgraded safety barriers and cargo bike corrals where they feel it is needed.
However, the DOT will also install off-street microhubs, which will be located on city-owned properties and vary in size depending on location.
Other curbside programs in NYC
The microhub pilot program, which the DOT said was designed based on feedback from a public comment period and community outreach efforts in 2024, is part of the agency’s “Curb Management Action Plan,” the DOT’s efforts to“reimagine freight delivery” in the city.
Most recently, the DOT expanded LockerNYC to combat package thefts around the city. The program’s centerpiece features free public delivery lockers located on public sidewalks and other locations to help ensure New Yorkers receive their orders and deliveries.
