NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The New York City Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday that it’s looking to shift more freight traffic to the city's waterways to reduce traffic on roads.
The move aims to tap into New York City’s network of waterways for more sustainable goods movement.
“New York is a city of islands, yet less than 10% of our freight moves via waterways,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “This initiative aims to enhance the sustainable movement of goods across the city and significantly reduce the number of delivery trucks on our streets.”
The agencies released a Request for Information and Expressions of Interest to gather insights and suggestions from private sectors to better understand industry challenges and opportunities.
Initially launched under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Blue Highways program received approximately $18 million in funding at the end of 2021, and an additional $5.2 million in federal grant money in the previous year.
These funds are for improvements at six East River piers, including the 23rd St. Pier, Pier 36, Stuyvesant Cove, and the Downtown Heliport in Manhattan, Oak Point in the Bronx, and the 29th Street Pier in Brooklyn.
The NYC DOT is also pursuing changes to allow four-wheeled electric delivery bikes on city streets and is planning to establish cargo hubs across the city. These hubs would serve as transfer points where freight could be moved from large trucks to electric vans or bikes for local deliveries, taking off trucks from the roads.
Depending on the feedback received from the RFEI, the City might consider further capital investments. These could include updating marine terminals, providing more opportunities for maritime shippers and receivers, and collaborating with private businesses on activating marine highways.
"New York City is surrounded by water, built because of the water, and has thrived because of the water,” said Michael Stamatis, the president and CEO of Red Hook Terminals. “Throughout our history, we have depended on the water to move people, goods, and connect us to the world. We must now look back to the water to help solve some of our most urgent challenges to reduce truck traffic and congestion, emissions reduction, and climate change mitigation.”