For Immediate Release: September 29, 2026
Media Contact: Lisa Thomas, lisa@alignny.org, (347) 415-6431
New Data Shows Amazon Endangers All New Yorkers
ALIGN releases the Amazon Delivers Danger Map, revealing Amazon’s 14,000+ street safety violations in the last 5 years,
across all 51 City Council districts, including thousands of speeding citations in school zones
New York, NY — Today, ALIGN: The Alliance for a Greater New York released the Amazon Delivers Danger Map, an interactive ArcGIS storymap tracking the rampant street safety hazards of Amazon’s delivery operations.
ALIGN reviewed New York City citation records for 637 license plates identified from the NYC Open Data idling-violation database, as associated with Amazon-related companies registered in Seattle, Washington, from July 2021 to June 2025. During that time, Amazon-associated vehicles amassed a staggering 14,210 street safety violations citywide. These citations included:
- 3,602 citations for blocking bus lanes or other public-transit access
- 2,689 citations for obstructing curb access
- 2,366 citations involving traffic and intersection safety
- 2,162 citations for speeding in school zones
- 2,051 citations for obstructing emergency-response access
- 1,340 citations for blocking pedestrian or cyclist space
These violations create a variety of hazards for New Yorkers. Blocking a fire hydrant can be highly dangerous — even seconds of delay in fire response time can have fatal consequences for victims and firefighters. Blocked bus lanes, bike lanes, and crosswalks, along with double parking and obstructed curbs can reduce visibility for pedestrians and force cyclists and motorists to make unexpected lane changes, increasing the risk of collision. Finally, school zone speeding is enforced by camera when vehicles travel more than 10 mph over the posted speed limit — 20 mph at the time of citations. If a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle traveling at the legal speed limit, the risk of fatality is 5%. At 30 mph, the risk of fatality increases to 45%.
Amazon-associated citation records also show that no community is spared from the impacts of a rapidly growing last mile delivery system — citations for delivery vehicle hazards have been issued in all 51 City Council districts.
“Amazon is notorious for their terrible working conditions, but New Yorkers deserve to know that their lives — and their kids’ lives — are in danger, too,” said Daisy Chung, ALIGN Campaigns Director. “Amazon’s business model relies on speed, not safety, and this map is a wake-up call that our communities have become a casualty.”
Package deliveries have surged in New York City, growing from 1.8 million a day prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to 2.5 million a day in 2024. At least 1 million of those are Amazon’s. A race to execute faster deliveries cheaper puts immense pressure and stress on workers across the logistics industry, leading to dangerous conditions for workers and the general public. These conditions produce high turnover rates and put less experienced delivery drivers on the road, further increasing risks of injuries and accidents.
Amazon subcontracts their massive last-mile delivery workforce — the workers responsible for packages’ final stop on their journey to a customer’s door — through third parties known as Delivery Service Partners (DSPs), and thus are not directly responsible for their drivers or damages caused. However, Amazon retains control over often-grueling delivery routes, influences hiring and firing decisions, and supplies workers with Amazon-branded uniforms and vehicles.
“Amazon’s business model is built on the routine violation of traffic laws,” says Matt Multari, a former Amazon delivery driver. “Amazon surveils you and tracks you to the minute, forcing you to go faster. You don’t have time to look for parking. If Amazon’s AI notices that you are going slower than what they expect, you can get penalized, or eventually terminated.”
The New York City Council is considering the Delivery Protection Act (Int. 518), legislation that would require last-mile delivery warehouses to obtain a license from the City and directly employ workers over whom they exercise control. Introduced by Council Member Tiffany Cabán, the bill has 34 co-sponsors and has been endorsed by Mayor Mamdani.
“Package Delivery is hard and dangerous work. Our members at UPS have the protection of the Teamsters to protect against unsustainable production standards and unsafe working conditions, while also enjoying union pay and benefits. At Amazon, drivers have no protection, limited to no training, unfair and unsafe conditions, faulty equipment, and constant fears of reprisals or retaliation. All of this puts the public in danger as well,” said Vincent Perrone, President, Local 804 IBT.
“Working-class neighborhoods and communities of color are bearing the brunt of Amazon’s reckless delivery quotas, which pressure drivers to prioritize speed over safety and turn our streets into high-risk testing grounds for fast shipping,” said Renae Reynolds, Executive Director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “The Delivery Protection Act is about putting community safety first, stopping corporations from sacrificing lives for speed, and holding them accountable for the dangers their business practices bring to our roads.”
“We’re witnessing a safety crisis that permeates the last-mile delivery industry, and ALIGN’s new map demonstrates just that,” said New York City Council Member Tiffany Cabán. “Companies like Amazon are using subcontractors to shield themselves from their responsibility to keep workers and New Yorkers writ large safe. That’s why I’m proud to be the lead sponsor of the Delivery Protection Act, which would create a licensing system for last-mile deliveries, force companies to take responsibility for their drivers, protect against unfair retaliation and firing of workers, and require real training for workers.”
“ALIGN’s dynamic new map reveals a powerful narrative about the danger exploitative subcontracting brings to New York City’s workers, streets, and neighborhoods,” said DCWP Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine. “The data is clear: an economy that rewards exploitation and shields powerful corporations from responsibility causes real harm to our communities. DCWP looks forward to the passage of the Delivery Protection Act and will use every tool to protect workers and fight for safe streets.”
“Amazon’s exploitation lands most heavily on its delivery workers. But this data proves how unjust working conditions impact all of us through increased pollution and traffic danger,” said Sasan Saadat, Senior Policy Analyst with Earthjustice. “Protecting our health, safety, and climate is inseparable from protecting workers. New York City must pass the Delivery Protection Act.”
“The hazards that Amazon’s workers face in their warehouses have spilled into the streets, putting delivery workers and the public at risk,” said New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. “The results of a reckless focus on speed over safety are clear on this map, and Amazon should be held responsible for the consequences of their business model. Passing the Delivery Protection Act will prioritize the well being of all New Yorkers– both delivery workers and the public – over pure profit.”
“Passing the Delivery Protection Act is the best way to protect New Yorkers and ensure that our City controls our streets, not Amazon,” said Chung. “It’s time to bring this bill to a vote.”
About ALIGN
ALIGN (The Alliance for a Greater New York) brings together labor, climate, and community organizations for a more just, sustainable New York. Working at the intersection of economic and climate justice, ALIGN builds coalitions with those most impacted and uplifts worker and community voices to fight for dignity in the workplace and a just path to a renewable energy economy for all.
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