Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
“This will strengthen the economy by making freight movement more efficient and contribute to a healthier environment for all our residents and the planet,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Rachel Loeb.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Mayor Bill de Blasio, the City Department of Transportation (DOT), and the City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) recently released “Delivering Green: A vision for a sustainable freight network serving New York City,” a progressive vision to restructure freight distribution and reduce overreliance on diesel trucks.
Delivering Green goals include:
Make the Last Mile More Efficient
Promote off-hour deliveries and expand Neighborhood Loading Zones. In addition, the plan promotes programs to consolidate the delivery of goods to one location for multiple recipients, and micro-distribution spaces where deliveries can be transferred to sustainable methods of transportation for the last mile to recipients.
Green the Last Mile
Support the transition to zero-emission truck fleets, help shift goods off trucks and onto commercial cargo bicycles, and explore other sustainable small delivery methods.
Create a Culture of Compliance
Seek federal funding to implement technology to improve truck rule compliance, while also bolstering industry education and outreach.
Shift Freight from Road to Water
Create opportunities for marine freight movement by modernizing marine terminals, expanding waterfront access to maritime shippers, and supporting private sector marine highway initiatives.
Shift Freight from Road to Rail
Increase diversion of freight from trucks to trains by expanding transload facilities in the city and modernizing key freight rail assets.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act recently enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Biden includes more than $120 billion in federal funding over the next five years for freight projects. New York City will soon have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to compete for federal funding on a size and scale that could have transformational impacts on how goods are moved into, out of, and around the five boroughs.
The City intends to seek federal funding for critical freight projects over the next five years and beyond. This funding will bolster funded efforts that are already underway. With the appropriate funding and support, the transformative freight solutions highlighted in the vision will have enormous impacts on freight mobility in New York City, putting the city on a path towards a safer, more responsible, sustainable, and efficient freight system that grows the economy, supports freight-related jobs, and delivers the goods that residents and businesses need.
“New York City simply cannot continue the status quo where 90 percent of goods move into and around the five boroughs on trucks. That’s why we’re focusing on ways to shift more freight traffic away from our crowded roads and bridges, and onto rail and our waterways,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Rachel Loeb. “This new vision with our partners at DOT lays out the bold steps the City will take to fundamentally restructure the freight distribution system. This will strengthen the economy by making freight movement more efficient and contribute to a healthier environment for all our residents and the planet.”
