New York City will soon launch a last-mile delivery service that uses its waterways and e-bikes to connect ferry services with bike couriers, to create an efficient and eco-friendly cargo transport. DutchX – a New York-based logistics firm – is working with the e-bike company Fernhay for the service. This pilot project has the goal of reducing emissions associated with package and grocery deliveries in New York City – particularly for customers such as Amazon Fresh.
With the new service, packages brought by ferry from a warehouse located in New Jersey to Manhattan will be picked up by bike couriers for the remainder of the delivery. Boxes will be securely packed inside compact shipping containers, which are designed to fit behind the four-wheeled electric bikes manufactured by Fernhay. These eQuads resemble miniature delivery trucks but are designed to navigate bike lanes efficiently. Once in the city, DutchX’s bike couriers will retrieve the containers and proceed with door-to-door deliveries. To date, DutchX relies on approximately 250 electric bikes for deliveries within the city, but must still use trucks for bringing cargo into the city.
DutchX plans to assess the cost-effectiveness of this approach on a per-package basis, and will explore additional locations adjacent to the Hudson River and East River that could serve as suitable hubs. The long-term goal includes extending this green delivery system to other riverfront warehouses and retail stores in areas including New Jersey and Brooklyn.
“We are thrilled to be pioneering this ground-breaking delivery model with Fernhay to change the future of last-mile deliveries,” said Marcus Hoed, co-founder of DutchX. “With years of industry experience, we are familiar with the challenges that come with last mile deliveries. Shifting deliveries from the roadways to waterways can spark positive change for our clients, our community and the environment.”