(Bloomberg)
—Amazon.com Inc. will bring free same-day delivery to the Bronx — the only New York City borough now excluded — following criticism from elected representatives that the company’s data-driven service boundaries unfairly left out minority communities.

The Bronx is at least the second area the online retailer pledged to serve following an analysis of Amazon same-day delivery areas by Bloomberg Businessweek that highlighted racial disparities in where the service was available in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York and Washington. Amazon pledged to serve the predominantly black Boston neighborhood of Roxbury on Tuesday following criticism of its exclusion.

“We are actively working to enable service to the Bronx in the coming weeks,” Brian Huseman, Amazon’s vice president of public policy, said in letters obtained by Bloomberg News. “Once completed, Prime members in every zip code in New York City, including the Bronx, will receive Prime Free Same-Day Delivery.”

The letter was sent to Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and New York State Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, whose district includes the Bronx, who both complained about the borough’s exclusion from the service. Dinowitz called for investigations of how the delivery boundaries were determined.

Delivery Criteria

Amazon started its free same-day service last year as a perk of Amazon Prime membership, which costs $99 a year. It’s now available in 27 metropolitan areas. Service boundaries were determined by the concentration of Prime members in each area, proximity to warehouses where goods are stored and the company’s ability to find delivery partners to serve an area.

Race played no role in the process, Amazon said. In many cities, including Philadelphia, Seattle and San Francisco, Amazon provided the service throughout the area and there were no disparities.

Unintended Bias

Amazon has emphasized it is a new and growing service with boundaries that are expanding over time.

The Bloomberg Businessweek analysis highlighted how some decisions based on data can have racially disparate outcomes. Data scientists are studying this more closely to try to avoid such unintended bias.

Diaz and Dinowitz said they were pleased Amazon is expanding the service to the Bronx.

“The over 1.4 million residents of The Bronx deserve the same level of service and amenities as their neighbors,” Diaz said. “I will continue to hold businesses and entities of all kinds accountable when they slight my constituents.”

Dinowitz said, “I am hopeful that this decision means Amazon will take a second look at the several other cities with excluded neighborhoods.”