The city will receive a $5 million grant for a new freight research center

BAY RIDGE – CITY DEPARTMENT OF Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced Friday a $5.6 million federal grant from the federal DOT to establish the new Urban Freight Mobility Collaborativean innovation hub aimed at revolutionizing the movement of goods. The UFC will work with community, industry, government and academic partners to reduce truck traffic in polluted neighborhoods and industrial zones, with the goal of a 40% emissions reduction by 2032. Planned projects include delivery ‘microhubs’ and lockers, where trucks being able to unload freight at central locations; the promotion of delivery bicycles and scooters; electric freight vehicles; the development of a comprehensive freight modeling tool and the construction of maritime freight infrastructure to move deliveries from trucks to ships.

One of Brooklyn’s most affected neighborhoods by emissions is Red Hookintended for production. The growth of online shopping has significantly increased the number of delivery vehicles traveling back and forth between Amazon’s three major warehouses. This could lead to a potentially dangerous increase in air pollution for residents, prompting Amazon to seek more environmentally friendly delivery options.

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