URBAN FREIGHT

INITIATIVES
New York City Department Of Transportation

Sep. 2015
nyc.gov/dot
 2 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

LETTER FROM THE

COMMISSIONER
Dear Fellow New Yorkers,

I am pleased to share with you highlights of Urban Freight Initiatives compiled by our Office of Freight
Mobility as a guide to help you learn about our current freight strategies and how we design, manage,
and govern our streets.

In New York City, more than 91% of all goods are delivered via trucks. Vibrant cities can only be
sustained by regular and efficient deliveries of goods and services. Pickups and deliveries travel both
horizontally – across city streets, and vertically from a delivery truck to an office or residence in a multi-
floor building. Therefore, we experience many challenges specific to the “last mile delivery” because
most urban freight deliveries are smaller and require some form of personal touch. Our Office of
Freight Mobility is responsible for balancing a variety of stakeholders’ interests in how freight moves
through the City and supports our economic competitiveness.

By improving truck routes through geometric design and signage, we have reduced conflicts between
trucks and vulnerable users in various neighborhoods via some of the highlighted special strategies.
By creating delivery windows on truck routes as well as along our Select Bus Service routes, we have
ensured faster bus service, and made curb space available for delivery trucks, reducing double-
parking, and reducing congestion. Our truck weigh-in-motion projects provide key information on
trucks volumes and truck weights in the City to allow for more informed planning and policies.

This booklet highlights examples of the broad collaboration for the management of freight mobility
alongside municipal and multi-State agencies, community, and industry partners, in planning,
engineering, education, and enforcement. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to
achieve our goal of significant and sustainable progress towards the vision of improved livability,
safety, and mobility throughout New York City.

Sincerely,

Polly Trottenberg
 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2
2 LETTER FROM COMMISSIONER

4 OVERVIEW
4
7
7 REGIONAL AND STRATEGIC PLANNING

8 PLANNING
8
12
12 SAFETY AND OPERATIONS

14
14 POLICY

16
16 ENFORCEMENT

19
19 SAFETY

20
20 ENVIRONMENTAL

22
22 RESEARCH

23
23 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
 4 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OVERVIEW
NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
NYC DOT’s mission is to provide for the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement
of people and goods in the City of New York. This includes maintaining and enhancing the
transportation infrastructure, crucial to the economic vitality and quality of life of our primary
customers - City residents.

Our agency’s work is guided by: Sustainable Streets, the Strategic Plan for the New York City
Department of Transportation. We are customer-driven in all our activities. We seek opportunities
to create partnerships in the provision of transportation services through appropriate relationships
and alliances. To accomplish our mission, the Department works to achieve the following goals:

• Provide safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of pedestrians, goods, and
vehicular traffic on the streets, highways, bridges, and waterways of the City’s transportation
network;
• Improve traffic mobility and reduce congestion throughout the City;
• Rehabilitate and maintain the City’s infrastructure, including bridges, tunnels, streets, sidewalks,
and highways;
• Encourage the use of mass transit and sustainable modes of transportation; and
• Conduct traffic safety educational programs.

NYC DOT has jurisdiction over the transportation infrastructure throughout the five boroughs of
New York City. However, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT) leads the
building and maintainance processes for federal and state highways which traverse the city.

The over 4,500 employees of NYC DOT oversee one of the most complex urban transportation
networks in the world. Staff manage an annual operating budget of $900 million, a five-year $6.3
billion capital program, 6,000 miles of streets and highways, over 12,000 miles of sidewalk, and 789
bridges and tunnels. Installation and maintenance are conducted for over one million street signs,
12,700 signalized intersections, over 315,000 street lights, and 69 million linear feet of markings. NYC
DOT promotes the use of sustainable modes of transportation and also designs bicycle facilities,
bus lanes, and public plazas.

NYC DOT operates the Staten Island Ferry, which serves over 22 million people annually and
oversees ferry operations on City-owned piers. Education is provided Citywide to students and
adults about street safety. Staff issue parking permits to people with disabilities, not-for-profit
agencies, and governmental entities. Commercial vehicle permits for are issued trucks alongside
construction permits; and Staff also manage the City’s Adopt-a-Highway program.
 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 5

OVERVIEW
PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY
The Port Authority’s area of jurisdiction was initially called the Port District in 1921, a region within a
radius of approximately 25 miles of the Statue of Liberty. It was created to promote and protect
the commerce of the district and to undertake port and regional improvements. The Port Authority
of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) conceives, builds, operates, and maintains infrastructure
including America's busiest airport system, marine terminals and ports, the PATH rail transit system,
six tunnels and bridges between New York and New Jersey, the Port Authority Bus Terminal in
Manhattan, and the World Trade Center.

NYMTC Region

NEW YORK METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL

Since the 1970’s, Federal transportation legislation has mandated that all urbanized areas with a
population over 50,000 must have a designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in order
to qualify for federal transportation funding. Created in 1982 as the MPO for New York City, Long
Island, and the lower Hudson Valley, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC)
provides a collaborative planning forum to address transportation-related issues from a regional
perspective; undertakes studies for transportation improvements; forecasts future conditions and
needs; pools the resources and expertise of its member agencies to plan for transportation and
development in the region; and makes decisions on the use of Federal transportation funds. The
NYMTC planning area covers 2,440 square miles and a population of 12.4 million as of 2010, which
was approximately 64% of New York State's population at the time.
6 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 7

REGIONAL AND
STRATEGIC PLANNING
The Regional & Strategic Planning sub-division of the Division of Transportation Planning and
Management is led by an Assistant Commissioner. The sub-division is tasked with generating,
assessing and supporting innovative strategies, policies, and programs for sustainable, safe, and
efficient transportation system operations in the City of New York. This includes coordination
related to OneNYC, sub-regional planning, resiliency planning, freight mobility initiatives,
alternative fuels, environmental sustainability programs, and strategic policy analyses on priority
issues for the agency. Examples of statutorily mandated research publications include the Mobility
Management Resource Guide, the Urban Mobility Report (formerly named: Sustainable Streets
Index), the Freight Mobility Report, etc. The sub-units consist of:

The Metropolitan Planning & Grants (MP&G) Unit ensures integration of the Agency’s plans with the
Regional Planning framework of the Metropolitan Planning Organization; manages the agency’s
Traffic Information Management System (TIMS) in coordination with the Modeling & Data Analysis
Unit and the Division of Traffic Operations; manages the Agency’s Mobility Management Program
to improve access to transportation programs along with; services for persons with disabilities and
older adults; and coordinates grant-funding activities.

The Office of Freight Mobility is responsible for advancing policies and programs that mitigate the
adverse impacts of trucks on infrastructure and communities, while also improving truck delivery
efficiency with an overall mission of supporting the City’s economic competitiveness.

The Alternative Fuels Program develops incentives, policies, and funding mechanisms, education,
and outreach to increase adoption of clean vehicles and fuels in support of NYC laws and Mayoral
Executive Orders, with conscious attention to environmental justice communities.

The Special Projects Unit manages a variety of programs and planning initiatives, including
transportation demand management (TDM) programs, neighborhood transportation studies,
Safe Routes to Transit initiatives, while providing policy support to the division and agency on
sustainability, resiliency, and related multi-modal transportation program issues.
 8 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

PLANNING
TRUCK ROUTES
During the past fifty years, plans and regulations have been developed to accommodate
commercial vehicles on New York City streets and highways in an efficient manner, while trying to
minimize the impacts to local citizens, and rationalizing the efficient movement of these vehicles.
The primary result of these initiatives is the New York City Truck Route Network, which covers nearly
10 percent of the City’s Streets and has been in place for nearly a quarter of a century. The
existing Truck Route Network and the regulations in place today are nearly identical to those put
in place in 1981 at the end of the Citywide Truck Studies. Over the past 25 years, there have been
some amendments to the route system, although these are localized in nature and impact.
The laws governing the movement of trucks and commercial vehicles within New York City are found
in the Traffic Rules of New York City1. Although this document applies to all roadways and street
users, there are several key sections which focus on commercial vehicles and truck regulations.
These include definitions; restrictions on movement; rules pertaining to parking, stopping and
standing; along with designation of truck routes and limitations upon dimensions and weights of
vehicles. Educating truck drivers about the proper routes is one of DOT’s top priorities. Each year
the agency distributes approximately 80,000 copies of the truck route map which is also posted on
the agency’s website2. DOT has produced a new map in collaboration with other city, state, and
federal agencies. Feedback from the trucking industry was also incorporated, including requests
for translations into other languages which is currently underway.

1 http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/traffic_rules.shtml

2 http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/2015-06-08-truck-map-combined.pdf
 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 9

PLANNING New York City Department of Transportation

TRUCK ROUTE SIGNAGE Truck Route Signage Pilot

Hunts Point, Bronx
In 2003, NYC DOT embarked on its
first comprehensive investigation
into the truck route system in nearly
20 years. This federally funded study
sought to develop an improved
management framework to
improve the operation, efficiency Existing Truck
Prohibitive Sign
of truck movements, and quality
of life for residents. One of the
initiatives from this effort was a
truck route signage pilot. NYC DOT
coordinated with FHWA on an Existing Truck
Route Sign
easily identifiable sign that allowed Experimental Truck Route Sign with Green Circle
for improved identification of the

Pilot Overview
Truck Route Network. The pilot was launched and completed in the Hunts Point area of the Bronx.
A control site adjacent to Hunts Point was used to compare compliance with existing truck route
signage. The conclusion of the study is that the color green, universally associated with positive
In the spring of 2003, the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT)
guidance, furthers the recognition of (andembarked
adherence to) the truck route sign.
on its first comprehensive investigation into the truck route system in nearly
20 years. A federally funded study, the “Truck Route Management and Community
Impact Reduction Study,” sought to develop an improved management framework that
the Department could use to improve the operation and efficiency of truck movements
while also improving the quality of life for residents. One of the initiatives from this
effort is a truck route signage pilot. NYC DOT is coordinating with FHWA on an easily
identifiable truck route sign design that will allow for improved identification of the
Truck Route Network. The pilot has been launched in the Hunts Point area in the Bronx.
A control site adjacent to Hunts Point is being used to compare compliance with truck
route signage to the project area.

The current truck route sign includes a black side-view of a single-unit truck with the
words Truck Route placed to the right of the symbol. The experimental truck route sign
includes a black side-view of a single-unit truck within a green circle with the words
Truck Route placed to the right of the symbol. The green circle directly contrasts the
trucks prohibited sign that includes a red circle and diagonal. The hypothesis of the
study is that the color green, universally associated with positive guidance, will improve
the recognition of (and adherence to) the truck route sign. The pilot also includes the
removal of all non-conforming truck route signage and replacement with the
experimental sign at standardized locations.

September 1, 2010
 10 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

PLANNING
CRASH DATABASE
NYC DOT maintains a comprehensive
crash database in a variety of formats. In
coordination with NYSDOT, NYS Department of
Motor Vehicles (NYSDMV), NYC Department
of Finance, and the New York City Police
Department (NYPD), NYC DOT compiles and
records incidents, accidents, and fatalities,
for those which are transportation-related.
Records are separated by the NYC DOT’s
Research, Implementation and Safety Team
(RIS), for those that are pedestrian, cycling,
bus, and freight-related. A Traffic Safety Data
Viewer provides statistical breakdown relative
to boroughs and specific street corridors.
Users can pinpoint potentially affected areas,
and incorporate databases into their work to
obtain a firmer understanding of current incident, accident, and fatality rates. Data is broken
apart into injury, fatality, street segment, severity, and those specifically reported by the NYPD.
Current automatic exports provide data from 2001 to 2014 .

TRAFFIC INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (TIMS)

NYC DOT routinely collects high volumes
of traffic count data to serve many
diverse project and analytical needs. The
Traffic Information Management System
(TIMS) is designed to standardize how
the agency processes and posts data,
help reduce time consuming searches,
and eliminate the collection of duplicate
data. TIMS is a real-time, centralized,
standardized and expandable data
warehouse, with fast and graphical user
interface for access of existing traffic
counts and planned/scheduled counts.
 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 11

PLANNING
MODELING
NYC DOT’s Modeling & Data Analysis Unit supports the agency’s internal planning, project
development, analysis, and technical review processes, while also coordinating with external
agencies on regional projects and planning. Support work includes but is not limited to:

• Analytical support focusing on traffic flow and capacity;

• Static and dynamic simulation;
• Statistical analysis;
• Collection and evaluation of historic and real-time ITS data; and
• The development of analytical techniques.

The Modeling & Data Analysis Unit also manages and analyzes historic and real-time traffic
datasets to support and advance the agency’s planning activities. In this role, the unit uses
sophisticated traffic simulation tools and statistical software packages to provide detailed
analyses and guidance to other agency units.

Synchro/ Data Analysis

Aimsun Vissim
SimTraffic Methods
 12 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

SAFETY AND OPERATIONS

DELIVERY WINDOWS
Many of the City’s commercial corridors lack adequate curb space for deliveries. Most retailers
and grocery stores do not have off-street loading docks and on-street parking is typically occupied
by passenger vehicles. The objective of delivery windows is to make curb space available for
delivery trucks and thus reduce double parking and traffic congestion, and support the City’s
economy by improving the efficiency of truck deliveries.

Development of delivery windows includes public outreach to merchants and through curb
utilization surveys. The data is used to determine the peak demand time and duration for truck
deliveries. It also aids in developing curb regulations that balance passenger vehicle parking
and commercial deliveries. Typically, these initiatives are developed alongside other NYC DOT
efforts to manage curb access reduce conflicts between trucks, bicycles and pedestrians. These
initiatives include but are not limited to: Bus Rapid Transit (Select Bus Service), curbside bike lanes,
Park Smart peak-rate parking programs, plazas and congested corridors programs.
Map of Delivery Window Locations
40 parking spaces dedicated to truck deliveries Mon - Fri N O S TA N D I N G
EXCEPT TRUCKS
LOADING & UNLOADING
Ocean Ave
E 19 St
E 16 St

E 17 St

E 18 St

E 21 St
7A M - 1 2 PM
M O N THRU F R I

1 HOUR PARKING
1 2PM - 7PM
M O N THRU F R I

Church Avenue
8A M - 7P M
S AT U R D AY
D E P A R T M E N T O F T R A N S P O R TAT I O N

Example:
Delivery Window
Regulation Sign

Delivery Window spaces from 7AM - 12PM, Monday-Friday

Delivery Window spaces from 7AM - 3 PM, Monday-Friday

Delivery Windows give space to delivery trucks in the morning and NO

open up parking for cars in the afternoon. This encourages deliveries S TA N D I N G

OFF-HOUR DELIVERIES
EXCEPT TR U CKS

to be made earlier in the day, reduces double-parking, reduces traffic 7A M -_ 1 2 PM

MON FRI THRU

congestion, improves air quality and supports the City’s economy.

Delivery
The Window
program is aspaces
win-winwill be identified
solution by curb regulation
that benefits signs
carriers, receivers, and urban
Example:communities,
and parking meter decals (examples shown to the right). Delivery
enhancing quality of life, economic development, and environmental sustainability.
Window Meter A recent

initiative resulted in more than 400 businesses across Midtown and Lower Manhattan shifting
To sign up for e-updates on this and other projects, visit www.nyc.gov/dotnews
portions of their deliveries to the off hours. The estimate includes businesses of various sizes that
For additional information, contact the DOT Office of Freight Mobility at:
shifted after the 2010
sfreight@dot.nyc.gov pilot andorthrough
or 212/839-6670 the at
visit our website implementation
www.nyc.gov/dot phase. It is also estimated that 40-50
daily delivery tours in Manhattan have switched as a result of this project, for a total carrier savings
of over $2,250,000/year.
 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 13

SAFETY AND OPERATIONS

WEIGH IN MOTION
The New York City Truck Impact Study recommended use of weigh in motion devices to collect
and analyze truck weight data. The information will be used to inform future policies and
regulations impacting the City’s truck route management. NYC DOT in cooperation with NYSDOT
and PANYNJ has installed a single load cell weigh in motion site within the $415 million project
to rehabilitate the Alexander Hamilton Bridge. The project is the first single load cell weigh in
motion site in the State of New York. 190,000 vehicles travel daily over this bridge, which acts as
a prime feeder of the George Washington Bridge incline, to and from New York and New Jersey.
Communication cables and wireless devices will be used to connect equipment along with hard
line conduit cables.
 14 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

POLICY
PlaNYC
In 2007, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg released the first PlaNYC, which focused on responsibly
meeting the city’s growing population and infrastructure needs. Titled ‘A Greener, Greater New
York’, it included the City’s initial sustainability strategy, and became a model for other large
global cities. PlaNYC outlined measures to address the city’s aging infrastructure, support parks,
improve the quality of life and health for New Yorkers, and for the first time ever, commit to a goal
for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In 2013, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy of October
2012, the City released PlaNYC: A Stronger, More Resilient New York, which documented the
lessons learned from Sandy, developed a strategy for the city to build back, and developed
recommendations to adapt the city to the projected impacts of climate change, including
rising sea levels and extreme weather events.

OneNYC
On Earth Day, April 22, 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio launched OneNYC. OneNYC differs from PlaNYC
in that it focuses on equity, sustainability, and resiliency. With regards to freight, OneNYC supports
the growth of a greener trucking sector, and the expansion of freight movement via rail and
water. It also aims to reduce the impacts of trucks that must bring ‘last mile’ freight to the market
through the use of alternative fuels, clean technologies, off hour deliveries, mobile applications,
a Smart Fleet Rating System, and the facilitation of delivery of construction-related cargo by
water. Expanding John F. Kennedy Airport’s air freight activity is also noted through interagency
efforts with the Port Authority, as well as improving the physical infrastructure across city spans.
 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 15

POLICY
VISION ZERO
The elimination of traffic fatalities within ten years is an ambitious goal but Mayor de Blasio,
intentionally set that bold target in order to compel immediate action and deliver quality results.
In response, NYC DOT launched a Vision Zero Truck Safety Task Force to focus on improving safety
with respect to crashes that involve commercial vehicles. The task force includes city, state,
federal agencies, and trucking industry partners.

The New York City’s Vision

Zero Action Plan outlined
63 separate initiatives
that the Mayor’s
Office and a number
of City Agencies are
undertaking, to reduce
fatalities and serious
injury on our streets. Vision
Zero initiative has been
working in communities
across New York City.
Pedestrian safety plans
have been developed in
each borough. Ongoing
forums and workshops
provide New Yorkers with
a chance to learn about the Vision Zero action
plan, to provide recommendations, to improve
intersections and streets in their boroughs, and to ask
questions about Vision Zero.

The first year of Vision Zero in New York City proved

successful; after two years of increases, the city
experienced the lowest number of pedestrian
fatalities since record keeping began in 1910. In
2014, the city lowered its speed limit to 25 MPH,
completed 62 major safety engineering projects,
and expanded traffic enforcement dramatically.
 16 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

ENFORCEMENT
NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT MEMO INSERTS

NYC DOT promulgates the City’s Traffic Rules including rules on truck routes, truck size and weight,
and parking of commercial vehicles. The NYPD is responsible for enforcing all of these rules.
To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of truck route enforcement, NYC DOT developed
an insert to the NYPD officers’ memo books for all police precincts, detailing truck route rules,
regulations, and the routes on a precinct-by-precinct basis. Developed in 2008, the NYPD Memo
Insert Program heightened awareness of officers’ understanding of the truck route system. Also,
the NYPD added truck route summonsing to their TrafficStat program as well and these efforts
Thave
together R Icontributed
M A to WanAincrease
Y in truck route enforcement.

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 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 17

ENFORCEMENT
NYPD BLITZES

In 2015 NYC DOT, NYPD, and NYS DOT teamed

up to conduct several truck enforcement blitzes
focused in Brooklyn. Additional blitzes in Brooklyn
and Queens will continue throughout the year.
Focus is on strategic areas of concern raised by
the community and as a result of inter-agency
data collaborations. Generally, the State focuses
on inspections of the vehicles, while the NYPD
focuses on illegal route usage. NYC DOT focuses
on garnering information from freight users and
companies, to understand origin-destination
patterns, while also obtaining feedback about
the existing truck route network infrastructure.

CCTV CAMERAS

DOT’s Traffic Management Center, located

in Long Island City, Queens, receives
feeds from Closed Circuit Television
Cameras (CCTV) trained on major arteries,
allowing operations staff to monitor traffic
conditions at key locations in the City.
DOT’s traffic cameras can be seen 24
/ 7 across various local news networks.
The cameras are an aid in decisions to
activate Variable Message Signs (VMS)
for temporary rerouting of traffic such as
in response to over-height trucks striking a
bridge, and also to identify trucks traveling
in non-designated Truck Routes.
18 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 19

SAFETY
SIDEGUARDS
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in 2015 that New York City will begin retrofitting 240 City trucks
with side guards, which are rails between the front and rear tires of a truck that can protect
pedestrians and bicyclists from being caught under the vehicle in case of a turning incident
/ crash. Widespread adoption of side guards in the United Kingdom is credited with reducing
fatalities and severe injuries in side impacts by 61 percent for bicyclists, and 20 percent for
pedestrians. If the initial rollout goes as expected, every new City truck will be designed to include
a sideguard before 2024, tied to the replacement cycle for the municipal and private sector fleet
operating within NYC.

TRUCK’S EYE VIEW

NYC DOT facilitates an education opportunity,
called ‘Truck’s Eye View’, where focus is placed
on creating mutual understanding between road
users, particularly trucks, cyclists, and pedestrians.
The goal of the Truck’s Eye View program is to
provide education on the limited visibility and
blind spots commonly found in and around freight
vehicles. Participants sit in the driver’s seat of a truck
and share safety experiences with a professional
truck driver, who explains the vehicle’s blind spots.
Taking a seat in a truck allows participants to better
understand the visibility constraints in a truck and
the complex nature of driving large vehicles.

CROSS-OVER MIRRORS
Due to the height of large trucks, it can be difficult
for truck drivers to see what is happening directly in
front of their vehicles. Cross-Over Mirrors, installed
in front of the cab of a truck, are a simple way of
eliminating a truck driver’s front ‘blind spot’ and
allowing the driver to see any person at least three
feet tall and passing one foot in front of the vehicle.
They are now required by New York State Law.
 20 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

ENVIRONMENTAL
AIR AND NOISE
New York City seeks to reduce air and noise
impacts through its diverse Urban Freight Initiatives
and Alternative Fuels Programs. The New York
State Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA) has provided funding to
develop a low noise truck demonstration for
NYC. NYC DOT is exploring noise monitoring
technologies to be used in areas where the
expansion of Off Hour Deliveries is planned.
US DOT USDOT, Beyond Traffic

ALTERNATIVE FUEL PROGRAMS

New York City Aternative Fuel Unit promotes

the use of clean transportation technologies
and alternative fuels vehicles in the
movement of goods and people within the
public and private sectors of New York City.
The Unit works with the Citywide Municipal
Fleet to study and promote new initiatives,
and partners on purchases of transportation assets that help reduce the City’s carbon footprint. The
Program began in 1992 in the municipal fleet with ‘percent of vehicle purchase’ requirements and
in 2005 graduated to ‘cleanest in class’ requirements through successive legislation. A concurrent
program goal is to assist private fleet early adopters to help reduce costs through grant programs
and give operational support when the fleet switches to newer advanced technology. It’s mission
includes the development of incentives and funding mechanisms to assist with the procurement
of clean technologies. NYC DOT is expanding the use of biodiesel, compressed natural gas and
hybrid electric vehicle technology throughout our fleet. Nearly 700 of our 3,000 vehicles use this
technology already.
 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 21

ALTERNATIVE FUEL PROGRAMS

A significant proportion of greenhouse gas emissions released through transportation sources in the
City are from privately owned fleets. To address this issue, the Alternative Fuels Unit operates a program
to accelerate the deployment of newer diesel, as well as alternative fuel technologies, on heavy duty
trucks through the Hunts Point/Port Morris Clean Truck Program (HPCTP). The Hunts Point communities
are situated on a peninsula in the South Bronx and live side-by-side with the largest regional food
distribution center in the world. The Markets (Meat, Fish, and Produce) generate 15,000 truck trips
every day, impacting the quality of life for all residents nearby. The NYC DOT Clean Truck Program
has funded nearly 450 trucks that reside in or traverse this environmental justice community, with the
goal of reaching 500 trucks. The Program requires Automatic Vehicle Locators (AVLs) which ensure
Program compliance, and provide NYC DOT with a window to study the regional goods distribution
network. The HPCTP has reduced Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) emissions by 97% (13.34 tons per year
reduced) and 89.2% (241.20 tons per year reduced) for Nitrogen Oxides (NOx). As a result of less fuel
burned through more efficient trucks, Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs) are reduced by 4,477 tons
per year.

The AVL data gives NYC DOT the opportunity to visualize freight flow patterns throughout the City,
including time of day, on/off route trucks, and seasonal variations, both locally and regionally, and
can help to monitor Truck Route Compliance regulations promulgated under Local Law 57/2015, as
well as Local Law 60/2015 which requires NYC DOT to monitor Cyclist and Pedestrian safety on truck
routes. These key indicators will become useful to the agency as it seeks out new and improved rules,
guidelines and programs to help create freight delivery efficiencies, programs geared toward on-
street safety, and a healthier environment for the movement of goods and services.

A diesel hybrid-electric utility/bucket truck within the NYC DOT fleet

 22 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

RESEARCH
Improving freight access across the region is a key initiative for the City and our regional partners.
NYC DOT is actively engaged in research and analysis related to freight movement and hosts
delegations from around the world for peer exchanges on traffic management and urban freight.
NYC DOT is currently supporting urban freight research alongside a number of academic partners
with focus on cargo cycles for last-mile freight delivery, urban freight consolidation centers,
curbside management, remote sensing, and off hour deliveries.

NYC DOT is conducting the Off Hour Deliveries Program in cooperation with the Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute (RPI), which began as a small research idea in 2003 with funding from NYSDOT,
in response to a request from a logistic trade association in New York City. In 2006, the support of
the NYC DOT helped catapult the project to a new level. NYC DOT is a core city partner for the
VOLVO Center of Excellence (COE) on Sustainable Urban Freight Systems (SUFS). The COE consists
of an international network of cities and researchers who play key roles in fostering systemic and
long lasting changes on the way urban deliveries are made.

Peer Exchange with New York City and delegation from Brazil
 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 23

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
New York City Department of Transportation’s Office of Freight Mobility would like to thank the
following individuals, agencies and organizations that helped make this report possible.

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Polly Trottenberg, Commissioner, DOT
Lori Ardito, First Deputy Commissioner, DOT
Ryan Russo, Deputy Commissioner, DOT
Charles Ukegbu, Ed.D, Assistant Commissioner, DOT

URBAN FREIGHT INITIATIVES TEAM

Stacey Hodge, Director, DOT
Faheem Afridi, DOT
Abdoul Karim Barry, DOT
Cuiya Li, DOT
Jurry-Sylvia Ononuju, DOT
Neel Patel, DOT
Fernando Miguel Zingler, DOT

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS
Michael Marsico, P.E., Assistant Commissioner, DOT
Erickson Cabrera, Print Shop, DOT
Madeleine Ehrlich, Deputy Chief of Staff, Commissioner’s Office
Katherine Gallagher, Executive Assistant, Commissioner’s Office
Seth Hostetter, Research Implementation and Safety, DOT
Benjamin Killen, Graphics, DOT
XinJian Ma, Print Shop, DOT
Susan McSherry, Alternative Fuels, DOT
David Moidel, Graphics, DOT
Denise Ramirez, Metropolitan Grants and ,DOT
Mark Simon, Alternative Fuels, DOT
Andrew Weeks, Modeling and Data Analysis, DOT
24 NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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New York, NY 10041 Email: sfreight@dot.nyc.gov

212-839-6670 Phone: (212) 839-6670