To prevent traffic accidents in the city, the DOT is creating Loading zones

Double parking is a cause of traffic accidents in New York City. It is especially dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. For the cyclists because they have to go around the double parked vehicles and get in and out of  traffic. Double parked vehicles also cause visibility issues that can be especially dangerous for pedestrians crossing the road.

With online orders keeping on  growing, New York City traffic has changed and it is common to see USPS, UPS, FEDEX, FreshDirect, Amazon, and other delivery trucks clogging the streets of New York City, creating dangerous situations for road users.

The DOT has been working on looking for a solution to remediate this problem and recently announced that it was creating Residential Loading Zones.  These zones will allow trucks to effectuate their deliveries, residents to unload their car, car services and taxis to unload and pick up passengers.  A pilot program tested this concept back in 2019 in several NYC neighborhoods. The pilot was very discreet and the media were not aware of it until some residents whose car parking spaces had been used for loading zones got really upset and called the media after they continued to park their cars there despite the new no parking signs and had their cars towed away. While some neighborhoods were not happy with the new loading  zones others residents like those living on West End Avenue between 79th and 95th have been asking for such measures for years.

Recently the DOT officially announced that it was starting the implementation of  the Neighborhood Loading Zones Program by putting up “No Parking Monday -Friday from 7am to 7pm” signs and “Neighborhood Loading Zone” signs in multiple areas of the city including Chelsea and  the Upper West Side in Manhattan, Grand Concourse, Morris Heights and Fordham Manor in the Bronx, Park Slope, Sunset Park and Williamsburg in Brooklyn, Jackson Heights and Corona in Queens and St George in Staten Island.

More info here

New Neighborhood Loading Zone sign: Courtesy of DOT