New York City businesses can now apply for government incentives in exchange for taking their deliveries in off-peak hours, the Department of Transportation (DOT) said Monday.
DOT says qualifying applicants can receive one-time reimbursements for expenses like security equipment, like CCTV cameras, and quiet cargo handling equipment if they choose to partake in the program.
“Decreasing congestion, improving our air quality, and reducing the number of large trucks on our roads are vital to making New York City greener, healthier, and more livable,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We encourage all local businesses to apply for this program that will benefit all New Yorkers by reducing the number of delivery trucks on our roads during busy daytime hours.”
DOT has overseen the off-hours delivery program since 2010 and has 27 business participants with over 1,000 locations between them, including Just Salad, Anheuser-Busch, and Whole Foods. Tens of thousands of trucks enter New York City every day, carrying 90% of the freight that ultimately lands with Big Apple consumers; most of these deliveries are made during business hours and play a significant role in traffic congestion.
The incentive program was funded with $6 million from the city budget in anticipation of the MTA’s congestion program, which would charge trucks between $24 and $36 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street in the peak hours, but only $6-9 overnight.
That program is now on ice after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a “temporary pause” to the program, weeks before it was to be implemented.
In addition to delivery incentives, the DOT says it still intends to pursue street design initiatives it planned for Manhattan in advance of central business district tolling, including new crosstown bus and bike routes on 72nd and 96th streets and a two-way protected bike lane on Delancey Street.
Applications are open through Sept. 30 at https://ohdnyc.com/incentiveprogram.
