NYC Off-Hour Truck Delivery Program
NYC DOT
Businesses make overnight deliveries in New York City as part of NYC DOT's Off-Hour Deliveries program.
New York City is offering $5 million in incentives to encourage businesses to move truck deliveries away from congested daytime hours. NYC DOT's Off-Hour Deliveries program provides financial support for businesses that shift deliveries to between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., with more than $500,000 going to as many as 14 businesses in the first phase. Funding can be used for equipment and improvements that make overnight deliveries possible, including quieter cargo-handling equipment, security systems and building modifications. The city says approximately 90% of goods are transported through New York City by truck. NYC DOT ultimately aims to expand off-hour deliveries to 5,000 locations and move an estimated 62,000 trucks away from peak hours by 2040.
NYC DOT to Provide Incentives to Reduce Truck Deliveries During Busiest Hours and Fight Congestion
NYC DOT to distribute $5 million in MTA funding from congestion pricing to support businesses in shifting deliveries away from peak daytime hours
Agency seeks new businesses to participate in next phase of Off-Hour Delivery program
Congestion pricing funding will help support city’s goal of shifting 62,000 daily trucks to off-hour deliveries by 2040, making our streets safer and more sustainable
New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today announced the city will distribute incentives to help reduce truck deliveries during the busiest hours of the day to improve traffic safety, protect the environment, and combat daytime congestion and double-parking. NYC DOT’s Off-Hour Deliveries program (OHD) provides financial incentives, funded by the Central Business District Tolling Program (CBDTP) mitigation program, for businesses to shift deliveries to off-peak hours, between 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Up to 14 businesses will be given more than half of a million dollars in incentives during this first phase of OHD. Applications are now open for businesses interested in participating in the next phase of the program. The second phase will distribute the remaining incentive funding to participating businesses.
“Congestion pricing is helping combat gridlock in more ways than one. New Yorkers are receiving more deliveries than ever before, so we will be using tolling revenue to make deliveries cleaner, safer, and more efficient," said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “This incentive program will support local businesses and reduce the number of delivery trucks on our roads during busy daytime hours. It’s just one example of how we will be exploring new tools to help fight congestion across the city.”
“Congestion Relief isn’t just reducing traffic and speeding up vehicles, it’s reshaping our streetscape and how New York moves,” said Juliette Michaelson, chief of staff and strategic planning at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “Shifting deliveries away from busy daytime hours is yet another win for businesses and all New Yorkers.”
High volumes of truck traffic during peak daytime hours contribute to congestion, increased carbon emissions, and greater safety risks to pedestrians, cyclists, and others when the streets are busier. The incentive program, funded through MTA’s CBDTP, is part of the agency’s larger effort to rethink how the city manages deliveries to better meet the demands of e-commerce and an example of new tools NYC DOT will be exploring to help fight congestion across the five boroughs
Small retailers participating in the first phase of the program include Element Brooklyn, Migrant Kitchen, and Tea and Milk. Applications are open on a rolling basis for businesses interested in participating in the next phase of the program.
The Off-Hour Deliveries incentives fund tools and strategies to make overnight deliveries feasible for businesses. This includes the installation of low-noise equipment for delivery vehicles (such as newer hand pallet trucks and backup alarms) to operate quietly at night; building security retrofits to enable unattended deliveries; and safety equipment such as security cameras.
Participating businesses will receive one-time payments. The incentives specifically aims to help smaller businesses that face financial barriers to transitioning to off-hour deliveries, though OHD is open to businesses of all sizes. NYC DOT also encourages participants to consider sustainable last-mile delivery options, such as electric vehicles and cargo bikes.
Roughly 90% of goods are moved through New York City by truck—and businesses often receive their deliveries during the middle of the day when streets are congested and demand for space at the curb is at its highest. Shifting commercial deliveries to the evening and overnight hours can help reduce traffic while also cutting costs for shippers.
NYC DOT made its Off-Hour Deliveries pilot program permanent in 2010 and has used it to provide technical assistance to freight receivers and shippers to help them shift deliveries to off-peak hours. Citywide, 27 known businesses currently conduct off-hour deliveries representing over 1,120 locations. As outlined within the Delivering Green plan, NYC DOT aims to reach 5,000 OHD locations by 2040, shifting an estimated 62,000 trucks away from peak hours.
The OHD program includes businesses that receive large amounts of goods into the five boroughs, like Just Salad, ABI (Anheuser Busch-Inbev), Wegmans, Odeko, and Whole Foods Market.
Increasing freight efficiency with an expanded OHD program promotes sustainable business practices with multiple benefits – from the reduction of daytime roadway congestion and double parking in active bus lanes to advancing the City’s Vision Zero goals with fewer truck-pedestrian conflicts.
The NYC DOT is working to reduce the city's reliance on trucks for deliveries through a variety of initiatives, including its joint Blue Highways program with the city's Economic Development Corporation to shift more freight off of streets and onto the city's waterways; NYC DOT's commercial cargo bike program to promote deliveries by bicycle; and the agency's Microhubs program to create central last-mile delivery transitions from trucks to bikes and handcarts.
