Starting March 24, New York City Department of Transportation will begin enforcing overweight truck restrictions on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway for Staten Island-bound traffic, following a 60% decrease on the Queens-bound side. A 90-day grace period will be in place before $650 fines start on June 22. The city is using Weigh in Motion technology to monitor truck weights. Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeffrey Roth stated, "Our Weigh in Motion technology has been integral to our ability to extend this critical commercial transportation artery's life," according to the City of New York.
New York City's Weigh-in-Motion technology has reduced overweight vehicle detections on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway from 7,920 to 3,041 per month. Previous NYPD enforcement found vehicles exceeding the 40-ton weight limit by 100% or more. The New York City Department of Transportation is seeking state approval to renew its authorization, which expires on December 1, and to expand Weigh-in-Motion to other areas. As Commissioner Rodriguez stated, "That is why we are expanding our crackdown on overweight vehicles on the BQE by deploying roadway weight sensors for Staten Island-bound traffic," as reported by the City of New York.
State Senator Andrew Gounardes shared his views on the matter, stating, "Our transportation infrastructure is the nervous system that keeps our city and our economy running, and we need to take care of it to ensure it serves New Yorkers safely for the long haul." His sentiments resonated with those of State Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, who said, "The WIM program is not only extending the BQE's useful life but helps buy us time to re-imagine the BQE as a 21st-century corridor prioritizing climate justice while reducing carbon and the particulate matter that harms our lungs." Both officials' statements come from the City of New York press release. Meanwhile, City Councilmember Lincoln Restler praised the project's success: "Weigh-in-Motion technology has successfully eliminated 60 percent of the overweight truck traffic on the Queens-bound BQE."
