The city plans to incentivize businesses to make deliveries during the overnight hours as the Big Apple prepares for the arrival of congestion pricing.
Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said Wednesday that his agency will allocate $6 million to provide incentives to businesses for receiving their deliveries overnight, when traffic is lighter and the congestion pricing toll will be 75% discounted. The move is aimed at reducing truck traffic in the Manhattan central business district, during the peak business hours.
“New Yorkers are receiving more deliveries than ever before, and we are making them cleaner, safer, and more efficient,” said Rodriguez. “This incentive program will support local businesses and benefit all New Yorkers by reducing the number of delivery trucks on our roads during busy daytime hours.”
Depending on their size, trucks will pay either $24 or $36 to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays, and between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends. Outside those hours, the toll will be heavily discounted, with truckers paying only between $6 and $9.
The DOT will incentivize deliveries during a bulkier time period, from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Recipients will be eligible for a lump sum payment aimed at making overnight deliveries more feasible for businesses, like “low-noise” equipment and security equipment like CCTV cameras. The DOT will also encourage suppliers to start using electric cargo bikes or other electric vehicles for their deliveries.
The gantries for collecting congestion tolls have been fully installed, and the program is expected to start in June, though the MTA could be forced back to the drawing board if judges rule in favor of plaintiffs in one of various court cases seeking to overturn it.
Business owners can attend two webinars on June 3 and 10 to provide input on the program.
DOT has overseen the off-hours delivery program since 2010 and has 27 business participants with over 1,000 locations between them, including Just Salad, Anheuser-Busch, and Whole Foods.
