This new pilot program from the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) hopes to relieve traffic congestion and lower carbon emissions with delivery “truck” bicycles!
The New York City government just started the Commercial Cargo Bike Pilot Program, which is bringing 100 cargo bikes from the likes of UPS, DHL and Amazon to the most crowded parts of the city—mainly south of 60th St. in Manhattan. These bikes will help make the over 1.5 million deliveries New Yorkers call for every single day, a habit that has helped contribute to the massive amount of traffic in midtown and below.
A press release from the Mayor’s office states that the goal of the program is to “better understand whether cargo bicycles can successfully fit into the City’s streetscape. Companies participating will monitor and send data to DOT about the speed, parking, use of bike lanes, and size of the cargo bicycles. DOT will use the information to consider adjustments of its rules regarding cargo bicycle’s speed, parking rates, and size.”
It is also part of a safety measure, as NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said trucks were involved in a “disproportionately high number of cyclist fatalities in New York City this year.”
The program was introduced for the holiday shopping season and will last for six months, and may be extended if it has positive results.
Though the larger company names are already enrolled, any freight company can join. And there are a number of rules the participating companies must follow, including a 12 mph speed limit.
This is only the most recent addition to a number of measures that have been put in place to help reduce congestion and improve commutes, like encouraging businesses to move deliveries overnight (the Off Hours Deliveries Program) and improving major bus routes (the Better Buses Plan).
So don’t be surprised if you see the holiday gifts you ordered being delivered by someone riding a bicycle instead of a massive truck this year!
Featured image: Twitter / @nyc_dot