Brooklyn Pol Calls for Fewer Trucks After Her Bill Inadvertently Expanded Truck Routes - Streetsblog New York City

"“We want to see a removal of trucks from the streets,” said Council Member Alexa Avilés (D-Sunset Park), who sponsored the 2023 bill requiring the city to study and redesign the truck routes, at a rally on Monday. “[This bill] was never done with the intention of adding more [truck routes] to the network.”"

"That process would add two miles of truck routes in Manhattan, four miles the Bronx, 13 miles in Brooklyn, 14 miles on Staten Island and 16 miles in Queens. Streetsblog could not find evidence that adding or subtracting miles from the truck route map impacts total big-rig-miles-traveled, which was one of the stated goals of Avilés's legislation."

"In New York City, 90 percent of goods reach their final destination by truck, while a growing number of “last-mile” warehouses feed New Yorkers' insatiable demand for same-day and next-day delivery. Since 2018, distributors have opened 21 new warehouses in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island."

"Avilés's 2023 bill prompted the city to evaluate its freight network and redraw its truck route map for the first time since the 1970s. But the Council member now expresses skepticism that merely updating a decades-old map will magically end the city's toxic relationshi"

The Mamdani administration will continue a plan to expand New York City’s truck route network and begin official rulemaking for a new truck route map. Council Member Alexa Avilés, who sponsored a 2023 bill requiring a study and redesign of truck routes, said the goal was removing trucks from streets and not adding more routes. The city’s freight system relies heavily on trucks, with many goods reaching destinations by truck and growth in last-mile warehouses increasing delivery demand. The proposed expansion would add miles across multiple boroughs, including Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens. Evidence was not found that changing route miles affects total big-rig miles traveled, and alternatives like maritime blue highways, microhubs, and smaller delivery vehicles are suggested to reduce impacts.

Read at Streetsblog New York City