Delivery Speed Vs. Driver Safety Tackled By NYC

NEW YORK, NY— A proposal to regulate New York City’s last-mile delivery industry, the network of local warehouses, vans and drivers that move packages from distribution hubs to doorsteps, set off a sharp clash over worker safety, neighborhood pollution and the future of delivery jobs.

City officials pointed to mounting concerns tied to the sector’s rapid growth.

A November 2025 comptroller report, “Fast Shipping, Slow Justice,” documented rising traffic crashes and injuries near distribution hubs, along with worsening air pollution in neighborhoods such as Hunts Point in the Bronx and Red Hook in Brooklyn. The report also cited high rates of worker injuries.

At the center of the debate is Intro 518, a bill that would require licensing for last-mile delivery companies and shift subcontracted drivers into direct employment.

What This Means For Workers

Supporters argue the change would close loopholes that allow large companies to avoid responsibility for worker safety and neighborhood impacts.

Opponents warned the measure could dismantle an entire segment of the city’s economy.

Rudy Cazares, owner of Pelham Bay-based Cazar Logistics LLC, one of Amazon’s top subcontractors, testified at the hearing.

“I think we start from scratch,” he said. “This bill did not go through any real process to really, truly understand: How do we make it about the workers and not special interests?”

Councilmember Harvey Epstein, who chairs the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, backed the measure.

“I’m going to stand with workers and stand with this union and these union brothers and sisters, and say this is enough,” he said. “People deserve to work in safe conditions.”

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso pointed to reforms in the trash carting industry as a model, arguing stronger regulation would not drive companies out of the city.

“The least you can do is have a standard that matches your profit margins,” he said. “Make it so that you’re the greatest company in the city of New York.”

What This Means For Customers

If New York City passes the proposed last-mile delivery rules, customers would still receive packages, but the companies behind those deliveries could change how they operate.

Supporters say stronger licensing and worker protections could improve safety standards for delivery drivers and reduce pollution in neighborhoods with high concentrations of warehouses and distribution hubs. That could mean cleaner air and safer streets in areas near facilities in places like the Bronx and Brooklyn.

Critics warn the changes could raise costs or disrupt service if companies are forced to restructure how they hire drivers and manage subcontractors. They argue that shifting workers into direct employment could increase operating expenses that may be passed on to consumers.

The proposal would not directly change delivery options for customers, but it could reshape how quickly, safely and at what cost packages move from warehouses to doorsteps across the city.

Carlos Ortiz, chief of staff at the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, said the subcontractor model has “shielded” companies from liability.

Licensing, he said, would provide a mechanism to hold bad actors accountable while requiring careful implementation.

Workers and former employees described a system driven by speed and lacking oversight.

One former delivery worker, who said he worked with Amazon from 2019 to 2025, described “a daily disregard for the safety of workers and the public,” citing frequent near misses and chaotic loading conditions.

“Safety at Amazon does not exist unless they’re using it to discipline workers,” he said. “This act will save lives.”

The hearing marked the bill’s first public debate, drawing hundreds of participants and hours of testimony, with no clear consensus.

Lawmakers are expected to continue negotiations before advancing the bill to a committee vote.