From traffic and congestion to limited parking options, delivering Amazon packages in big, dense cities like New York needs to be approached differently to address their unique complexities and characteristics. With New Yorkers receiving over 2 million deliveries daily, Amazon began exploring new and innovative ways to reach customers’ doorsteps—or in this case lobbies, mail rooms, and stoops—aligned with efforts to deliver with fewer emissions to reach its commitment to The Climate Pledge and to continue delivering at our fastest speeds ever for Prime members.

In 2019, Amazon announced its goal to roll out 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from Rivian, and started rolling out alternative delivery methods, like E-bike deliveries, to help relieve congested city streets, avoid tailpipe emissions, and create jobs. In 2024 alone, more than 60 million packages were delivered to Amazon customers through these programs in New York City.

From bikes and on-foot deliveries to local stores, watch and learn about the creative ways Amazon partners are delivering packages for New York City customers:

E-Bikes

Amazon began testing e-bikes for grocery deliveries in New York in 2019. Today, the majority of Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh grocery deliveries in Manhattan are now completed via e-bikes. The e-bike pilot was expanded in Brooklyn in 2023, with Delivery Service Partner Delivery (DSP) Associates delivering thousands of Amazon packages to customers every day.

An Amazon delivery driver walks away from an e-cargo bike with a package.

Photo by CAITLIN OCHS

Amazon continues to invest in its e-bikes as it works to scale its micromobility operations in the city. In 2024, Amazon started testing a new model of e-bikes in Brooklyn and, in May, the company announced it was rolling out more than 250 of these e-bikes in the city this year to deliver next and same-day packages to customers in Manhattan.

Amazon collaborates closely with the New York Department of Transportation to add protected cargo bike corrals, where bikers can safely load customer orders and store their bikes.

“Amazon has demonstrated real leadership and commitment to innovative and safe micromobility solutions, especially bike delivery," said Tom Wright, president & CEO, Regional Plan Association. "These micromobility solutions significantly advance the city and region's sustainability goals by avoiding vehicle emissions and preventing traffic congestion. These are important and positive steps towards the larger goals of making New York a safer, healthier, more sustainable, and equitable city."

Amazon deliveries reach customers on hundreds of bikes across New York, joining the over 60 micromobility hubs serving more than 45 cities in Europe, including the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Amazon delivery worker with package next to autonomous vehicle on city street

On-foot deliveries

In New York, many customer orders are delivered by DSP Delivery Associates on foot. More than 1,300 Delivery Associates in Manhattan and a small area of Queens use pushcarts to deliver packages to Amazon customers every day. In 2024, they delivered up to 250,000 packages daily, reducing the need for hundreds of vehicles on the road every day.

This model has also been adopted in cities across Europe, like London and Paris.

Small businesses

Small businesses, from coffee shops to bodegas, have been delivering Amazon packages to customers in Manhattan since 2023. The Hub Delivery program is a flexible way for small business owners to boost their bottom line, and be more connected to their local community. Each Amazon Hub Delivery partner in Manhattan delivers about 30 packages every day, within a few-block radius of their store, working with their existing staff, and around their business’ operating schedule.

The Hub Delivery program is currently available in India, Japan, Mexico, and Spain and is looking for partners in rural areas and big cities in the U.S.