NYC Explores Plan to Shift Trucking to the City’s Waterways

C.G. Hoffman

In a new, ambitious plan to reduce congestion and improve the environment, the NYC Department of Transportation has announced a pilot program to shift much of the City’s truck traffic to its waterways.

Close to 90% of goods being delivered in NYC are delivered by truck. The Department is placing special focus on the “last mile,” meaning the last mile that goods have to travel before they reach their final destination. The last few years have seen a dramatic increase in demand for shipping, thus placing thousands more trucks on our highways, leading to greater increases in pollution and in highway congestion.

The plan, still in its pilot stage, aims to shift much of the freight traffic to the city’s waterways by investing in maritime infrastructure and building more marine facilities. The NYCEDC (New York City Economic Development Corporation) has recently been awarded over $5 million in funding to improve water freight service and transform the way goods are moved into and throughout the city. The City hopes to develop what it is calling a “Blue Highway” and to utilize the City’s abundant waterways as a faster, more efficient, and environmentally friendly way for New Yorkers to receive their deliveries.