New York’s Microhubs for the last mile

Mike Flynn, the Commissioner of Transportation for New York City, has released new insights into the microhubs pilot project aimed at reducing truck traffic in the city. According to the published data, more than 3,000 truck trips were replaced with alternative delivery methods in the first year of the project. This was achieved through the establishment of special micro-hubs that serve as secure transfer points for the last mile of delivery, as reported by the NYC government.

New locations and pilot phase

The city recently opened two new microhub locations in Manhattan, one in the Financial District and one on the Upper East Side. These micro-hubs allow truck drivers to transfer their deliveries to smaller transport vehicles such as e-cargo bikes, hand carts, and smaller electric sprinter vans. The city plans to identify additional locations and is actively seeking new business partnerships for the next phase of the project.

The first micro-package stations were set up on the Upper West Side, at the intersections of 77th Street and Broadway, 73rd Street and Amsterdam Avenue, and 85th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. As part of the pilot project, approximately 860 packages were delivered daily using hand carts, resulting in a savings of about 2.4 kilometers of truck travel per day. Additionally, around 110 packages are delivered daily using cargo bikes, leading to a further savings of approximately 4.8 kilometers of truck travel. The total savings in truck trips and the associated reduction in air pollution is estimated to be around nine grams per day.

www.nyc.gov