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1.5M Packages a Day Bring Chaos to NYC Streets

nytimes.com

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Re: 1.5M Packages a Day Bring Chaos to NYC Streets

#101

Post by acdha »

Aperocky wrote: post #72
crazygringo wrote: post #40

The problem isn't trucks -- obviously, it's hugely more efficient for a single truck+driver to deliver 100's of packages in a single day than for 100's of individual people to spend an hour each going to/from a store, and even worse for congestion if even more than a few are taking individual vehicles. The problem is parking. And the solution is obvious: multiple truck-length parking spaces along each and every block…

> Most misleading quote of the article: "“What percent of your deliveries are truly urgent — 5 percent or 2 percent?” said Mr. Holguín-Veras, the Rensselaer professor." Good call out, 80% of the outrage machine have no basis in numbers and uses erroneous logic like this.

Is that really erroneous? It seems quite reasonable to me: is every truck 100% loaded or do they have many trucks traveling now with whatever needed to go out to hit the promised deadlines? Extra time gives them the ability to improve utilization of each truck, better route scheduling, and the possibility of off-hours deliveries avoiding peak congestion times.

Re: 1.5M Packages a Day Bring Chaos to NYC Streets

#102

Post by deegles »

crazygringo wrote: post #40

The problem isn't trucks -- obviously, it's hugely more efficient for a single truck+driver to deliver 100's of packages in a single day than for 100's of individual people to spend an hour each going to/from a store, and even worse for congestion if even more than a few are taking individual vehicles. The problem is parking. And the solution is obvious: multiple truck-length parking spaces along each and every block…

Running to the store... which also got its inventory delivered by truck! So the urgency argument is even less apt.

Re: 1.5M Packages a Day Bring Chaos to NYC Streets

#103

Post by shkkmo »

CydeWeys wrote: post #56
crazygringo wrote: post #40

The problem isn't trucks -- obviously, it's hugely more efficient for a single truck+driver to deliver 100's of packages in a single day than for 100's of individual people to spend an hour each going to/from a store, and even worse for congestion if even more than a few are taking individual vehicles. The problem is parking. And the solution is obvious: multiple truck-length parking spaces along each and every block…

> Which, logistically, would be relatively trivial to implement -- just painted lines and signs. Street parking needs to be reprioritized for the needs of 2019, not 1950. It's funny you picked that year, because the summer of 1950 is when over night on-street parking came into existence at all . Before that, all street parking was temporary. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/17/realestate/streetscapes-c...

Wasn't that exactly the point?

Re: 1.5M Packages a Day Bring Chaos to NYC Streets

#104

Post by Retric »

jliptzin wrote: post #66

Last month I was moving out of an apartment in midtown. My entire block, avenue to avenue, is a no standing zone for some reason. The doorman said it was just changed a couple years ago. I rented a moving truck, parked it in a garage for $60 while I finished packing up, moved the truck to the building entrance where UPS/Fedex trucks are constantly parking, put the hazards on and loaded up the truck with my stuff as f…

Carry your stuff to the parking garage. It’s slower, but depending on how much you value your time cheaper than a ticket. IMO, the larger issue is your apartment not having a loading dock, they are basically taking public space for private use.

Re: 1.5M Packages a Day Bring Chaos to NYC Streets

#105

Post by pengstrom »

teglsbo wrote: post #30
kweks wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On paper, it's a perfect system. In reality, failing businesses who want the extra income sign up to be package pickup spots, and then provide deplorable service. Some don't respect the opening hours that were published. Some literally climb over mountains of packages. Some have no organisation. Delivery companies realised that they no longer have to attempt deliveries so automatically dump their packages in the pick…

Let the receiver choose the pickup point. In Denmark it's usually possible to choose the pickup point in the checkout flow when ordering. In that way I can take my business elsewhere, if I don't like service.

We have the same system in Sweden and it works very well.

Re: 1.5M Packages a Day Bring Chaos to NYC Streets

#106

Post by joegahona »

jliptzin wrote: post #66

Last month I was moving out of an apartment in midtown. My entire block, avenue to avenue, is a no standing zone for some reason. The doorman said it was just changed a couple years ago. I rented a moving truck, parked it in a garage for $60 while I finished packing up, moved the truck to the building entrance where UPS/Fedex trucks are constantly parking, put the hazards on and loaded up the truck with my stuff as f…

Hire movers. Part of their job is to know these rules and absorb fees if they don't.

Re: 1.5M Packages a Day Bring Chaos to NYC Streets

#107

Post by majewsky »

kweks wrote: post #4
carrozo wrote: post #2

In Paris, freight trucks enter the city at night and deliver packages to smaller warehouses near homes. In the morning, bikes and electric vans haul them to people’s doorsteps. Some neighborhood convenience stores and flower shops double as pickup spots for packages. European model seems like a good one to copy here.

On paper, it's a perfect system. In reality, failing businesses who want the extra income sign up to be package pickup spots, and then provide deplorable service. Some don't respect the opening hours that were published. Some literally climb over mountains of packages. Some have no organisation. Delivery companies realised that they no longer have to attempt deliveries so automatically dump their packages in the pick…

The better system is what DHL is doing with their Packstationen in Germany: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packstation

Basically it's like a vending machine for packages. You address your parcel to one of these and the package deliverer will deposit them into a locker there. I then get a code by e-mail which I can use to open the locker whenever I get around to the Packstation. It's really nice for people who work during the day and thus have a hard time getting to the pickup shops during business hours. The only downside is that it only works for small to medium-sized packages, but those are the bulk anyway.

Re: 1.5M Packages a Day Bring Chaos to NYC Streets

#108

Post by majewsky »

MrBuddyCasino wrote: post #44
teglsbo wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let the receiver choose the pickup point. In Denmark it's usually possible to choose the pickup point in the checkout flow when ordering. In that way I can take my business elsewhere, if I don't like service.

Same in Germany. There is usually no problem at all with picking up parcels.

At least not on the level of "package is badly damaged" or "package gets lost/stolen". There's still the issue of limited opening hours which is a hard issue for people who are working themselves during business hours.

Also, the delivery companies that are not DHL have quite sparse pickup locations, which means more time lost on commuting.

Re: 1.5M Packages a Day Bring Chaos to NYC Streets

#109

Post by jacquesm »

Spooky23 wrote: post #36
CydeWeys wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is common in NYC. The biggest violators should be paying the most, but instead, they pay the least per violation because they bargain down the fines. Here's a pretty typical fine record for a truck that was illegally parked in the bike lane during my commute this week: https://twitter.com/CydeWeys/status/1188467550822293512 (expand all replies) And note how they're getting a reduction in fines: https://twitter.c…

What are they supposed to do? There’s a difference between the letter of the law and reality. You need deliveries and couriers to make a city work, and NYC is no different.

After repeat offense: impound the vehicle.

Re: 1.5M Packages a Day Bring Chaos to NYC Streets

#110

Post by stefan_ »

vageli wrote: post #51
CydeWeys wrote: post #5

A few thoughts as a bike commuter in Manhattan who sees this first hand every day: The congestion tax can't come soon enough (and it should have no carve-outs, certainly not for people who live here). We need to get rid of lots of free on-street parking in the city and replace it with loading zones so that taxis/Ubers and trucks have free spaces on every block to conduct their business without blocking travel lanes o…

> And the second solution is make the penalties on trucks meaningful. Have the fine amounts escalate with every violation within a certain period, with no cap (so that a ticket could eventually cost tens of thousands of dollars for a particular scofflaw truck, rather than the current ignorable amount of around a hundred). And tow/confiscate trucks that have enough tickets. Part of the reason these companies can get a…

This seems to be a recurring theme here, as if a parking violation is some kind of murder/capital crime situation that requires a diligent team of prosecutors and lots of hard evidence.

Except, it's not. A parking violation is strict liability for the registered owner of the car and trivially proven by a mere photograph. Odds of beating it in court are very very small.

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