during peak tra ! c times . I expect the US to follow sut ,” he says . drone delivery into popular culture , but that spark has yet to ignite .
New York City ’ s plan to charge vehicles to enter the most congested part of the city during peak hours was initially scheduled to start on June 30 , 2024 , but was postponed . But , in November , New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that a revised congestion pricing plan would go into effect on Jan . 1 , 2025 . Those driving cars will be charged $ 9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours . Trucks will be charged $ 14.40 or $ 21.60 during peak hours , depending on their size . The plan faces potential opposition from the incoming administration , as President-elect Trump has pledged to cancel the program , so the future of the program is unclear .
Blue Highways
One of the most innovative ways to work around the challenges of urban deliveries doesn ’ t involve pavement . It involves water . Net Zero Logistics plans to use blue highways , i . e ., waterways . “ We ’ ll be taking deliveries from our warehouse in Brooklyn by barge to Governor ’ s Island and from there to Manhattan . Then our e-bikes , e-trikes and quads will deliver it . That will eliminate any trucks driving into New York City for that work ,” says Chiusano .
Drones – Not Next Year , But Coming
Talk of delivery by drone dates back to 2013 , when Amazon ’ s founder , Jeff Bezos , announced the company ’ s plans for Amazon Prime Air on “ 60 Minutes .” At the time , it brought the concept of
Fernandez doesn ’ t expect this to become a reality in 2025 , but he ’ s seeing the pathways toward making it happen being cleared . “ What keeps me up at night is what ’ s going to change in five or 10 years when it comes to drones ,” he says . “ We ’ ve already seen a loosening of restrictions as it applies to the general flying of drones within New York City and even on the federal level . So I think the acceleration of drone deliveries in densely populated areas is definitely on the horizon .”
The Ongoing Challenge of Urban Delivery
There ’ s no doubt that deliveries in our increasingly congested cities will become even more challenging in 2025 and beyond . These last-mile veterans forecast the need for out-of-the-box solutions to escalate in 2025 . “ Final-mile and same-day delivery has always been very challenging in highly densely populated urban areas ,” says Fernandez . “ Any of us that have operated in these environments have always looked for new ways to cope with its increasing complexity . I expect 2025 to be no different .”
“ In 2025 , e-bikes and low carbon logistics can redefine last-mile delivery , combining e ! ciency with sustainability to help create cleaner , less congested and greener cities ,” Chiusano predicts . CLDA
40 customized logistics & delivery Magazine I fall / winter 2024