Photo by carlfbagge on Flickr

Starting this summer, New York City will create new hubs to make package delivery more sustainable and efficient, while also reducing truck congestion. As part of a pilot program announced by the Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, the new “microhubs” include dedicated curbside or off-street locations for trucks to unload packages onto smaller, energy-efficient vehicles or human-powered transportation like bikes and hand carts that will bring deliveries to their destination.

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Photos courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation

The city’s Department of Transportation this week unveiled the first restored medallions installed along the Avenue of the Americas on lampposts from 42nd Street to 59th Street. The medallions, which were first displayed in 1959, depict the emblems of each nation and territory in the Western Hemisphere. After years of neglect, the medallions had fallen into disrepair, leaving just 18 of the original 300 medallions remaining. Last fall, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced plans to create new medallions. On Monday, the city installed the first nine of 45 new medallions, representing the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Argentina, St. Lucia, and Uruguay.

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Queens’ 34th Avenue was recognized as one of the best Open Streets last year; Courtesy of Alfresco NYC

More than 300 blocks will be closed to cars for pedestrian use as part of the city’s 2022 Open Streets program, the Department of Transportation announced last week. This year’s program–considered the largest of its kind in the country–has expanded to include 21 new locations, with a total of 156 locations throughout the five boroughs. All of the open streets will be active by the summer of 2022.

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All images courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation

Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez last Friday announced the city will be piloting a new bike parking model this spring. DOT will be testing Brooklyn-based company Oonee’s “Mini,” a prototype of the company’s six-bike corral, at five high-traffic locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens over the next couple of months. The pilot program is part of the city’s broader effort to expand secure bike parking.

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