
By Gus Saltonstall
Several “microhub zones,” reserved for trucks from delivery services such as Fresh Direct or Amazon, are headed for the Upper West Side.
On Monday, the city’s Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced that the agency will establish on-street microhub zones to “address the negative environmental and public safety effects of truck deliveries.”
The Upper West Side, along with Clinton Hill and Greenpoint in Brooklyn, was chosen for a three-year pilot program to test the concept of dedicated truck delivery zones. The goal is to limit the congestion caused by double parked trucks throughout the neighborhood; proponents say that reserving specific areas for delivery trucks to park with also create a more environmentally friendly environment.
The first three on-street sites will be implemented on the Upper West Side as part of the Smart Curbs program at the following locations:
- Amsterdam Avenue & West 73rd Street
- Amsterdam Avenue & West 85th Street
- Broadway and West 77th Street
The on-street microhub zones will be around 80 to 100 feet in length and located in the curb lane. The areas will include signage and other markings designating it as a microhub, and space will be available for workers to sort packages and transfer them to electric vehicles, cargo bikes, and handcarts for the last leg of delivery to customers. The DOT said it will also install upgraded safety barriers and cargo bike corrals where needed.
“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,” Rodriguez said in a news release.
The microhub zones were officially authorized by the city on Monday and should be in operation this spring, according to the DOT. Each truck delivery zone will be licensed to one delivery company, which will also be in charge of the maintenance of the zone. DOT’s announcement did not state which companies would be licensed for the three UWS hubs.
You can find out more about the incoming microhub zones on the Upper West Side — HERE.
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Seems pretty obvious that every avenue and major cross street shouldn’t have any parking during daytime hours and the entire curb should be dedicated to pick ups, drop offs, deliveries, and emergency access. The level of congestion caused by universal double parking robs people of their time and adds to noise and pollution in the neighborhood. It’s not worth the handful of parking spots.
Would it not be fair to say that bicyclists who use ecommerce (rather than biking/walking/bus/subway to a store) are generating vehicles/vehicle-trips?
The stuff you buy in stores is still delivered there by truck, so no.
Another pipe dream from this city’s government
This would be great of they also ticketed the trucks not usong these spots but continuing their double parking ways.
And what about Fresh Direct’s parking zone on Broadway between 70th and 71st. It isn’t a parkong spot and they seem to own it 24/7.
I happen to like that Fresh Direct is on Broadway between 70th and 71st. They are not blocking anybody and can get make their deliveries to the entire area. PS I don’t order from them but not a bother that they are there.
They frequently block 2 lanes of Broadway southbound. This is in addition to parking in the non-parking space. In those cases, the only way for cars to travel south on Broadway is for them to drive down the orange slashed exclusion zone.
The FD trucks that block Broadway should be immediately impounded (contents included) and the drivers should lose their licenses.
I “like” when Fresh Direct takes the non-parking space + 2 lanes of Broadway southbound, and the City does nothing.
I never understand why they get away with that truck sitting there all day. It blocks the view of the other side of the street, which is dangerous, particularly given the incidents which seem to occur in front of the McDonalds and Pizza place. Would be nice to have a clear sight line. Also an Amazon delivery ‘hub” where dozens of delivery folks with cards load up site on Columbus between 71 and 72 in front of the Citibikes. Clogs traffic and is dangerous. I hope they are asked to use these new zones.
Trucks are not going to pay attention to microhub zones. They will continue to double-park and unload wherever it’s more convenient. All the delivery zones will be used by those with parking placards who can park almost anywhere that’s prohibited to other vehicles.
Also, what goes on daily outside Fairway is beyond acceptable. I would like to see some enforcement against those who park private vehicles in the loading zone all day. The trucks have to double and triple park to unload. If they can’t manage that loading zone, I have no faith they will be able to manage these new zones.
Boris,
BTW worth noting that the City has allowed Target to access dedicated space on 61st.
And when TJ’s went up on 72nd in 2009, the City moved the M5 bus stop from Broadway to mid-block on 72nd Street (along with the M72) so that TJ’s could have unloading access on 72nd Street.
Interesting to see what entities get preferential treatment.
And irony that TJ West 72nd Space is supposed to be a parking garage, albeit TJ could still have a space where BofA is or perhaps where DR is.
When the City designates curb space for truck loading and unloading, it is not dedicated to specific businesses. There are such standing zones for trucks on W 80th (Zabars), W 72nd (TJ’s), Bdwy & 75th (Fairway) which any vehicle with commercial plates is allowed to access and use. The problem is that these areas have been taken over by single businesses which don’t allow access to others.
What goes on at Fairway is way beyond the way these zones are supposed to work. Every day, all day, private cars occupy most of the curb space (and doublepark) with their trunks open as if they’re temporarily loading so they don’t get tickets. Pallets fill the street, and trucks have no choice but to double and triple park.
Boris are these private cars owned by the Instacart shoppers that utilize Fairway? Or do they belong to Fairway employees? Or Fairway customers? I’m so confused.
Lisa –
The cars in front of Fairway mostly are gig workers doing Instacart or other e-commerce company delivery.
The cars are “standing” there while being loaded.
(It is tough. Periodically have seen kids in cars waiting while presumably parents are doing the Instacart shopping)
However, last summer, there were some people who somehow seemed to be able to park a car on the corner of 74th Street and used it as a social hang-out.
(A conversation with the NYPD affirmed that this car was not “working” – but a social car. )
Agree. What is the incentive for them to use these? And as I understand it, Fresh Direct, UPS, FedEx, etc. have bulk deals with the city so they pay nothing per ticket. So they really don’t care.
Regarding Fairway, I would be happy to station myself there and ticket every cab and private car that stops for longer than a normal person takes to load and unload. I get 5% of ticket revenue. I make money, the city balances its budget, it’s a win-win.
I would do this on breaks from standing in busy subway stations ticketing anyone who jumps a turnstile or goes in through an emergency exit.
Leon,
Actually there are more Ubers and cars for TJ shoppers at 72nd St – which also impacts folks at the M104 bus stop.
At Fairway, it appears there are gig workers doing grocery ( like Instacart) delivery and using personal cars.
It’s irrelevant that they are gig workers doing grocery delivery. Their needs to park/stand illegally are not superior to others’ needs. We all have our own good reasons for wanting to skirt the law without getting tickets. Why should their behavior be exempted to the detriment of others?
More importantly, where are the NYPD traffic police? This would be easy pickings for them. If we paid these folks commissions based on revenue generated by their tickets, I think enforcement would change drastically. I’ll bet they’re salaried, or paid hourly. They have no incentive to write more tickets.
Sounds like the City is helping and benefiting e-ecommerce.
In the meantime the City does zero to support small local retail and business which are suffering from high rent, competition from e-commerce, street vendors and shoplifting.
This will only work if all double parked vehicles are ticketed daily. I do not understand the hesitation to do a constant ticketing blitz. It would be a lot of income for the City and we then could hire more traffic enforcement employees, a solid “semi-skilled” job for NY citizens.
DOT seeks ” a more environmentally friendly environment”?
Actually environmentally friendly would be reduction in ecommerce altogether.
Like in ye olde days when able-bodied people walked a few blocks to the store to pick up Advil or toilet paper instead of having it delivered.
just another way these companies avoid paying taxes- perhaps they could rent a building for distribution instead of clogging the streets and offering no protection for workers ( or bathrooms or heat…). Charge amazon for obstructing traffic, causing gridlock and increasing pollution, or make them rent like every other business.
How do these companies avoid paying taxes by parking in a delivery zone?
If you’re talking about Amazon, where do you think the trucks bring the products from? They already have 1,000s of warehouses all over the country from which they fill their trucks. They’re not bringing all these products to our doors from one huge warehouse in Nebraska. It’s fascinating that you suggest they rent a building for distribution. Where would you locate a large enough building and how would they get products to that building?
Will there be electric power available for the huge refrigerator trucks so that their exhaust spewing engines can be turned off while they’re “parked” in these “zones”?
Will they be loading and unloading 24 hrs. I am concerned that the one on 77th as nd Broadway will be operating into the wee hours of the nite.
WHY DO THIS ON BROADWAY/77th or AMSTERDAM ? These streets are already filthy and crowded. The Fairway bottle machine in front of the store has vermin crawling around and guess what WE actually have to live here. These catastrophic decision makers must be getting kickbacks galore. so stupid and senseless. The neighborhood is so disgraceful. Can’t you ruin another neighborhood.
Will the hours of operation be limited? And will those rules be enforced with $1000 tickets?
If the trucks are parked along “bike” lanes, eg the Amsterdam location, it’s very very likely that they will block the view of e-bike drivers who will still fly through redlights (in both the legal and illegal directions) thereby endangering pedestrians crossing Amsterdam from east to west.
Want to bet that the Amazon on the ground delivery people with still block the bike lanes and sometimes the traffic lanes?
Are there details on precisely where these hubs will be? 77th and Broadway is near a fire station, so they’ll have to be careful trucks aren’t blocking their movement.
This is a joke right? Each of these companies already use whatever city block they want to do their deliveries. And in the case of Fresh Direct, they park their trucks sometimes at 7AM to 10PM with their very loud engines idling causing immense air and noise pollution. This in turn leading to serious mental and physical health problems, not to mention the damage to our environment. Talk about sustainability. I’m not sure why these companies use our city blocks as long term distribution centers, free parking, free rent, all profits. Please write to the police, your council person, and the better business bureau.
Loading zone rules
Rule status: Adopted
Agency: DOT
Effective date: April 20, 2023
See below includes personal vehicles
The purpose of the adopted rule is to update section 4-08 of the Traffic Rules to for the purpose of establishing “Loading Only” dedicated use signage. The signage would make clear to the public that the purpose of a “Loading Only” zone is for the expeditious pick-up and drop-off of goods and passengers from commercial vehicles, for-hire vehicles, and personal vehicles.