New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced on June 30 that the agency will launch LockerNYC, a pilot program this summer to cut down on package theft and reduce delivery truck trips. The LockerNYC pilot program, which will run for one year, will allow New Yorkers to conveniently receive and send packages using secure lockers on public sidewalks, DOT officials said.

 

The pilot will include 15 locations and offer customers free 24/7 access, according to DOT officials. They said the program will be available to anyone who is interested and, unlike other delivery lockers, the LockerNYC program will be available across multiple delivery carriers, including UPS, DHL, and Pitney-Bowes.

 

The program was supported by New York City Mayor Eric Adams who said, “New Yorkers deserve convenient deliveries without rampant theft and unhealthy pollution. With the LockerNYC pilot, our administration is delivering a creative solution that address all three.” He added, “Shared lockers are a proven model that will serve our economy, our health, and our quality of life – and this is just the beginning.”

 

Meanwhile, NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said, “As the number of at-home deliveries have surged in recent years, so have the number of large delivery trucks on our city streets.” He added, “The LockerNYC initiative will help reduce the number of trips delivery trucks make each day while also providing a secure place for New Yorkers to receive packages.”

 

The number of at-home deliveries have surged in New York City in recent years, with 80% of households receiving at least one delivery per week and 20% receiving four or more deliveries, according to DOT. The LockerNYC pilot program is designed to alleviate problems associated with this surge in deliveries, including a spike in truck traffic and the chronic challenge of package thefts.

 

DOT officials said each day, 90,000 packages are reported stolen or lost in transit in New York City, with many apartment buildings lacking secure areas for package deliveries.

 

As reported, at recent meeting of Bedford Mosholu Community Association, package theft was discussed with BMCA president, Barbara Stronczer, saying she had been advised that a resident with a disability living at 326 East 201st Street had had packages stolen from in front of her door, and that across the street at a Co-op on 325 East 201st street, a man was photographed stealing mats from the hallway. “I mean, it’s crazy, just crazy,” Stronzer said. There were some jokes made later about people literally taking the word “welcome” too far.

 

Stronzer added that the issue had been reported to police. “He came with a shopping cart and just loaded the shopping cart,” she said. Police Officers Boland and Arias from the 52nd Precinct, who were present at the meeting and who deal with 311 complaints, confirmed they received an email about the issue and were following up. It was mentioned that a mirror had previously been stolen also.

 

The new lockers made available under the new DOT program will centralize drop off points, allowing carriers to make fewer truck trips. This is expected to reduce the amount of time delivery vehicles are on our roads, which will lessen safety risks and cut down on harmful vehicle emissions.

 

To ensure security, all locker locations will be equipped with two security cameras, LED lighting, and anti-theft mechanisms on locker compartments, DOT officials said. The lockers will be operated and maintained by GoLocker, the vendor selected by the city for this initiative, which will oversee customer support and overall management of the technology, they added.

 

Locations will be selected for the program based on land use, concentration of buildings lacking mail/package rooms, and NYPD package theft data, among other criteria, according to DOT. Sites will be chosen to provide adequate circulation space, avoid conflicts with street furniture, ensure smooth pedestrian flow, and avoid obstructing windows, fire escapes, or public art, among other considerations.

 

DOT officials said the pilot will be in place for a year, with the potential to extend the pilot upon evaluation, allowing DOT to test and evaluate the technology and delivery model. They said DOT welcomes additional program partners to foster a culture of best practices for safety and efficiency. They added that DOT will collect anonymized data on locker usage to assess the overall success of the pilot and the potential for expansion.

 

According to DOT, shared use locker programs have proven successful in other cities, yielding significant reductions in delivery vehicles travel distances, dwell time, failed deliveries, emissions, and congestion. A delivery locker pilot in Seattle found that carrier lockers can reduce the amount of time delivery trucks dwell at the curb by as much as 33% and reduce delivery times by as much as 78%.

 

City officials said the pilot is part of DOT’s efforts to reimagine freight delivery in the City, restructure freight distribution, and create a sustainable last-mile delivery system for getting goods where they need to go.

 

Earlier this year, DOT announced a local delivery hub pilot program to reduce negative environmental and safety effects of truck deliveries. The department is also expanding the number of dedicated loading zones across the five boroughs, with over 2,000 installed in the past two years. In May, DOT announced a platform that allows New Yorkers to report areas where double-parking and blocked bike and bus lanes commonly occur due to vehicle loading and unloading.

 

Norwood News readers recently weighed in with their thoughts and frustrations over double-parking in The Bronx.