New York City is testing a public locker program to help with package deliveries
New York City wasn’t built for online shopping (see: countless parking tickets on delivery trucks, endless congestion, all the stolen packages from unattended lobbies). Daily, 90,000 packages are reported stolen or lost in transit, according to NYC Department of Transportation (DOT). Despite that, at-home deliveries have surged in the city: 80% of households receive at least one delivery per week and 20% expect four or more deliveries. Seeing this, the city is testing a solution to the common problems that come with constant package deliveries to help cut down on road congestion and theft: Lockers.
LockerNYC is a new pilot program by the DOT, launching this summer. The year-long test is designed to help New Yorkers receive and send packages via secure lockers on public sidewalks, accessible 24/7. Lockers will be available across multiple delivery carriers, including UPS, DHL, and Pitney-Bowes and anyone who is interested.
Currently, private carriers, like Amazon and UPS offer lockers to paying customers, but these locations will differ in that they're public, almost like mailboxes. GoLocker, which currently operates private lockers in the city, will be the city's vendor for this project.
Fifteen lockers will be installed around the city as part of the pilot. Security cameras, LED lights and anti-theft protection will help keep the contents safe.
LockerNYC aims to reduce theft while also centralizing truck drop-off points, which results in fewer trips, lower emissions and better public safety. Locations have yet to be announced, but they’ll be selected with factors including NYPD package theft data, the concentration of buildings lacking package rooms, smooth pedestrian flow, fire safety and more.
“As the number of at-home deliveries has surged in recent years, so have the number of large delivery trucks on our city streets,” NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in a news release. “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.”
As the pilot kicks off, it will be interesting to see how New Yorkers respond to the change. Will using the lockers be preferable to a home delivery, even if that delivery may be stolen? Will the lockers be used for illicit drop-offs and pick-ups? Will the slight inconvenience of walking to a locker remind New Yorkers that they can typically book it to the bodega for essentials instead of ordering online?
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