{"id":359986,"date":"2026-09-29T18:42:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T18:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/359986\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T18:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T18:42:10","slug":"delivery-danger-amazon-vehicles-rack-up-nearly-15000-violations-on-nyc-streets-as-retail-giant-touts-safer-standards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/359986\/","title":{"rendered":"Delivery danger? Amazon vehicles rack up nearly 15,000 violations on NYC streets as retail giant touts safer standards"},"content":{"rendered":"

NYC politicians and advocacy groups are accusing Amazon\u2019s<\/a> delivery system<\/a> of making NYC streets unsafe while calling for the passage of the Delivery Protection Act on Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN)<\/a>, a coalition of climate, labor and community groups, released the new Amazon Delivers Danger Map, tracking what it describes as the \u201crampant street safety hazards\u201d of the online retailer\u2019s delivery operations.<\/p>\n

According to the report, ALIGN reviewed NYC citation records tied to 637 license plates associated with Amazon-related companies from July 2021 to June 2025, finding a staggering 14,210 street-safety violations citywide, across all the boroughs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Notably, over 2,000 Amazon-related vehicles were involved in blocking emergency-response access (such as blocking a fire hydrant); drivers of another 2,162 delivery vehicles were given citations for speeding in school zones.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmazon is notorious for their terrible working conditions, but New Yorkers deserve to know that their lives \u2014 and their kids\u2019 lives \u2014 are in danger, too,\u201d said Daisy Chung, ALIGN campaigns director. \u201cAmazon\u2019s business model relies on speed, not safety, and this map is a wake-up call that our communities have become a casualty.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

ALIGN\u2019s data map also shows that nearly 4,000 citations were given out for Amazon vehicles blocking bus lanes or other public-transit access. The review comes as the MTA ramps up automated camera enforcement on bus routes across the city to improve service, issuing fines to vehicles that improperly use busways and bus lanes or block bus stops.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nearly 2,700 citations were given for obstructing curb access; 2,366 citations involved traffic and intersection safety; and 1,340 for blocking pedestrian or cyclist space.\n<\/p>\n

Amazon says it works to deliver safely
\n\"AnAn Amazon truck exits the company\u2019s JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, Nov. 25, 2020.REUTERS\/Brendan McDermid.\/File Photo<\/p>\n

Leigh Anne Gullett, an Amazon spokesperson, said delivery service partners are responsible for following traffic laws.<\/p>\n

\u201cSafe and responsible delivery practices are always a top priority,\u201d she said. \u201cDelivery service partners are local, independent businesses, responsible for their own operations and for following the traffic and parking laws in the communities where they operate, including addressing any citations.\u201d<\/p>\n

But she added that Amazon also works with DSPs to promote driver safety and alternative delivery methods.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe work closely with them to promote safe delivery practices, from hands-on driver training to in-vehicle safety technology, and we continue to invest in solutions like our e-cargo bike and on-foot delivery programs that reduce the need for vehicles on city streets and help us be a good neighbor in the communities we serve,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

ALIGN, which made the new map with support from Teamsters 804, said package deliveries have surged in NYC in recent years.\n<\/p>\n

According to the NYC Comptroller\u2019s office<\/a>, package deliveries in the Big Apple rose from 1.8 million daily in 2019 to 2.5 million in 2024. Many of those deliveries are transacted through Amazon, owned by multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos, the world\u2019s second-richest person, according to Forbes<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The comptroller\u2019s data also shows that in Maspeth, Queens, crashes near two major FedEx and Amazon warehouses rose by 53% and 48%, respectively. A cluster of four East New York facilities also saw a sharp increase in crashes within a half-mile radius, per the comptroller\u2019s report.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Use of third-party contractors<\/p>\n

Amazon has made public that it relies on third-party delivery service partners (DSPs), which employ drivers who make last-mile deliveries on the company\u2019s behalf. The DSP program<\/a> is where independent entrepreneurs launch their own package delivery business with Amazon. (Last-mile generally refers to the final leg of a package\u2019s journey from a nearby delivery facility to the customer\u2019s door.)<\/p>\n

In fact, the company partners with more than 40 locally owned and operated DSPs in the city who have thousands of employees who deliver to Amazon customers across the five boroughs.\n<\/p>\n

Amazon, in the meantime, is not directly responsible for its drivers or any damages caused.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

But ALIGN claims Amazon is in a \u201crace\u201d to make deliveries fast and cheap, putting pressure on workers that could also lead to dangerous conditions for the general public.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAmazon\u2019s business model is built on the routine violation of traffic laws,\u201d Matt Multari, a former Amazon delivery driver, explained. \u201cAmazon surveils you and tracks you to the minute, forcing you to go faster. You don\u2019t have time to look for parking. If Amazon\u2019s AI notices that you are going slower than what they expect, you can get penalized, or eventually terminated.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Delivery Protection Act<\/p>\n

To regulate Amazon\u2019s delivery operations and help keep streets safe, the NYC Council is considering the Delivery Protection Act. The bill would require last-mile delivery warehouses to obtain a license from the City and directly employ workers over whom they exercise control.<\/p>\n

NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams applauded ALIGN\u2019s new data map and said passing the City Council\u2019s Delivery Protection Act would help make streets safer while protecting workers.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe results of a reckless focus on speed over safety are clear on this map, and Amazon should be held responsible for the consequences of their business model. Passing the Delivery Protection Act will prioritize the well-being of all New Yorkers\u2013 both delivery workers and the public \u2013 over pure profit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Council Member Tiffany Caban (D-Queens), a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), sponsored the bill.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cCompanies like Amazon are using subcontractors to shield themselves from their responsibility to keep workers and New Yorkers writ large safe,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to be the lead sponsor of the Delivery Protection Act, which would create a licensing system for last-mile deliveries, force companies to take responsibility for their drivers, protect against unfair retaliation and firing of workers, and require real training for workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amazon has repeatedly said there are \u201cmisconceptions\u201d around its delivery operations when it comes to the Delivery Protection Act. In its testimony <\/a>on the proposed bill, it has highlighted ways delivery has become safer in recent years without regulation, including an improved incident rate since 2019 and a more than $2.5 billion investment to advance safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vehicles, including vans and cargo bikes, have also become safer and more frequently used, respectively, the company said.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Manhattan and Brooklyn, DSPs have deployed more than 800 electric cargo bikes that bring packages and groceries to customers, reduce traffic congestion, and produce lower tailpipe emissions,\u201d Amazon said in its testimony. \u201cThese e-cargo bikes \u2014 which cannot travel faster than 12 miles per hour \u2014 are particularly well-suited for New York City\u2019s dense urban environment, allowing for efficient last-mile delivery while supporting the city\u2019s sustainability goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Historically, opponents of the bill have said it could threaten businesses and workers, with some saying the legislation could even put thousands of jobs at risk<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the meantime, the Delivery Protection Act has 34 co-sponsors, but is currently laid over in the council\u2019s committee on consumer and worker protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NYC politicians and advocacy groups are accusing Amazon\u2019s delivery system of making NYC streets unsafe while calling for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":359987,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[133885,586,589,8073,592,9,56,63,65,64,594,142],"class_list":["post-359986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-align-ny","tag-amazon","tag-delivery-protection-act","tag-jumaane-williams","tag-last-mile-delivery","tag-new-york","tag-ny","tag-nyc","tag-nyc-headlines","tag-nyc-news","tag-tiffany-cabu00e1n","tag-transit"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=359986"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359986\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/359987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=359986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=359986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=359986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}