New York City, plans to Convert Six Waterfront Sites in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, to Maritime Freight Hubs, to Reduce the City’s reliance on Trucks and, once Operational, help Companies adjust to increased Costs due to New Congestion Pricing.
The Six Sites are intended to “jumpstart” the Boroughs’ Marine Highways for Local Goods, according to a Request for Proposals (RFP) published by the Economic Development Corp. (EDC) late last week. The City does Not have a set Schedule to launch the Hubs, but says after Contracts and Approvals have been Secured, Construction would likely unfold over a year.
The Initiative seeks to build Floating Platforms at Six Sites in Lower Manhattan, Gowanus, and Hunts Points, so that Goods can be Barged in and sent to their Final Destinations on Cargo Bikes or other Small Vehicles. Some 90% of Goods enter and move around New York on Trucks, which contributes to Clogged Streets, Poor Air Quality, and Traffic Safety issues.
Transportation and Freight Advocates say the Adams Administration’s "Blue Highways Initiative", could go a long way toward helping the City handle the recent boom of Ecommerce Deliveries throughout the Five Boroughs.
“New York has a history of using the waterfront for transportation and so in this regard the city is really returning to more of that and realizing that waterways are a strong asset,” said Tiffany-Ann Taylor, Vice-President of Transportation for the Regional Plan Association (RPA), and former Deputy Ddirector of Freight Programs at the City’s Department of Transportation (DoT).
With this in mind, the City’s request for Proposals seeks an Engineering Firm to design Floating Platforms, where Vessels can Dock and Connection points for Cargo Bikes and other Small Delivery Vehicles, to Transport Goods to their Final destination.
The Specific Sites include:
- Stuyvesant Cove in Gramercy Park.
- Pier 36 on the Lowest East Side.
- Downtown Manhattan Heliport in the Financial District.
- McGinnis Cement Terminal in Hunts Point.
- 23rd Street Basin.
- 29th Street Apron in Gowanus.
The Sites were chosen because of “known interest by private cargo companies and maritime operators to serve local customers by water,” according to the City’s RFP.
Among those Companies is: International Shipping Giant UPS. Mitch Polikoff, Director of UPS Media Relations, said the Company has been involved in the Blue Highways Program since its Inception, and is keen to utilize the City’s Waterways to lighten the Load on its Trucking Fleet.
“We are open to exploring all modes of transportation possibilities, including waterways, to complement our urban operating plan and minimize additional delivery vehicles needed for future shipping demands,” Polikoff said in a Statement.
In 2012, approximately $318 billion worth of Freight moved In, Out, and within the Five Boroughs, and the EDC says it expects that figure to grow to $745 billion by 2045.
More than 2.3 million Packages are Delivered in the Five Boroughs each day, up from 1.5 million Packages before Covid-19, according to DOT Data. Prior to the Pandemic, 60% of Deliveries were made to Commercial Customers, and 40% to Residential Consumers. Currently, about 80% of Deliveries go directly to Residential Customers, DOT Data shows. The Result is more Trucks clogging Residential Streets than ever before.
Taylor emphasized that Sustainability must be at the Core of the City’s Maritime Freight efforts moving forward, otherwise the City will merely “transfer harm” from Roads to Waterways.
“We want to make sure that the marine facilities and all of the equipment required at the waterfront is either some type of low-carbon emission or electric, so we’re not just transferring the harm in air quality because we’re changing the mode,” She said.
The Blue Highway Program also works to Complement other City Initiatives that elevate the Role of Micromobility in Package Delivery. Last summer the City began Piloting 20 so-called Microdistribution Centers, where Trucks unload Goods onto Smaller, Low-Emission, or Human-Powered Vehicles, for Delivery.
Zach Miller, Director of Metro Region Operations at the New York Trucking Association, said a Comprehensive Planning approach is Key to streamlining the City’s Freight systems.
“Our goal is to make sure that freight moves as safely and efficiently as possible in New York City, and we look at something like Blue Highways as a way to really increase that efficiency, same thing with micro hubs,” said Miller. “Our hope is that these efficiencies are planned holistically to really get the ball rolling on making our delivery network a lot more efficient.”
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
No comments:
Post a Comment