Report: E-commerce is taxing infrastructure

The rise of e-commerce is having a negative impact on traffic, roadways and pollution around the world, according to a New York Times special report.

Millions of groceries and other packages from businesses that sell over the internet are transforming the fabric of major urban areas around the world. According to the Times, delivery trucks operated by UPS and FedEx are double-parking on streets and blocking sidewalks as well as bus and bike lanes.

For example, the main entryway for packages into New York City, leading to the George Washington Bridge from New Jersey, has become the most congested interchange in the country, according to the Times. Trucks heading toward the bridge travel at 23 miles per hour, down from 30 mph five years ago.

According to the Times, officials are racing to keep track of the numerous warehouses sprouting up, to create more zones for trucks to unload and to encourage some deliveries to be made by boat as the city struggles to cope with a booming online economy.

Last week Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos addressed the company's perceived environmental impacts, which have been getting a bit of negative attention, in its third quarter fiscal report.

“Although it’s counterintuitive, the fastest delivery speeds generate the least carbon emissions because these products ship from fulfillment centers very close to the customer — it simply becomes impractical to use air or long ground routes,” Bezos said.

Read the New York Times article here.