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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s Department of Transportation\u2019s \u201cOff-Hour Deliveries\u201d 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\u2019s congestion pricing tolling program.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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 \u201cto enable unattended deliveries.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNew 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. \u201cThis incentive program will support local businesses and reduce the number of delivery trucks on our roads during busy daytime hours.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The city currently has 27 known businesses conducting off-hour deliveries at more than 1,120 locations. The city\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n