New York City is offering businesses one-time cash payments to shift truck deliveries out of busy daytime hours and into the evening and overnight.
The city’s Department of Transportation’s “Off-Hour Deliveries” program will provide more than $500,000 in incentives to as many as 14 businesses during its first phase, according to a release. The program is being funded through the MTA’s congestion pricing tolling program.
Businesses looking to participate in the program are encouraged to receive deliveries between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. in order to reduce daytime congestion, cut down on double parking and improve traffic safety.
The DOT said the one-time payments could help cover the costs of making overnight deliveries possible, including low-noise equipment for delivery vehicles, security cameras and building upgrades “to enable unattended deliveries.”
“New Yorkers are receiving more deliveries than ever before, so we will be using tolling revenue to make deliveries cleaner, safer, and more efficient,” NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said in a statement. “This incentive program will support local businesses and reduce the number of delivery trucks on our roads during busy daytime hours.”
The city said the incentives are intended to help smaller businesses that face financial barriers to switching delivery schedules, although businesses of all sizes can participate.
The city currently has 27 known businesses conducting off-hour deliveries at more than 1,120 locations. The city’s DOT has set a goal of reaching 5,000 off-hour delivery locations by 2040, which it estimates would shift 62,000 truck trips away from peak hours each day.
The city plans to spend $5 million on the program over the course of several phases. The city is accepting applications on a rolling basis.