Bike Tour: Six Miles of "Last Mile"

In the context of Newtown Creek’s 200+ year history of logistics infrastructure, from horse-carts and rails to barges and trucks, this bike tour will focus on the expanding infrastructure of commodity circulation, and the real-world footprint of e-commerce.

The rise of e-commerce has seen a rapid increase in last-mile developments in the industrial business zones, like those surrounding Newtown Creek. These mega facilities bring significant amounts of increased truck traffic to overburdened communities leading to higher levels of congestion, worsened air quality, urban heat island impacts, stormwater runoff, as well as ongoing issues with worker protections, fair wagers, and labor rights. NYC is now working to implement a special permit process to curtail the proliferation of last mile facilities, thanks in large part to the advocacy from elected leaders and the Last Mile Coalition (of which NCA is a member).

We encourage those joining to be fairly comfortable bicyclists – this route has adverse street conditions and frequent truck traffic. We ask that attendees fill out a liability waiver and photo consent form prior to joining, found. Please bring a water bottle, snacks, and weather-appropriate clothing. We will have limited staff in attendance to navigate and provide support.

Start Location: Cooper Park, Maspeth Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

End Location: Borden Avenue Street End, Long Island City, NY 11101

Along the way we will see, firsthand, the scale and significance of numerous last mile facilities (many of which have been constructed within the past decade).

This program is made possible through generous support from the NYC Green Fund administered by City Parks Foundation.

Host or Publisher Newtown Creek Alliance