This week, officials in New York City made an announcement about a groundbreaking system that will automatically spot and penalize excessively heavy trucks on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE).
In a statement released on August 7th, Mayor Eric Adams of New York City revealed that the city is set to initiate the utilization of this innovative automated enforcement setup starting from August 10, 2023. There will be a 90-day period of giving warnings, followed by full enforcement starting on November 8, 2023.
This program employs sophisticated “weigh-in-motion” (WIM) sensors to gauge the weight of trucks that are using sections of the BQE owned by the city. The system employs cameras that can read license plates, and it issues citations to any trucks found to be exceeding weight limits.
Officials have stipulated that drivers will be liable for a fine of $650 for each violation.
Furthermore, the city authorities will collaborate with the New York Police Department to “pinpoint and focus enforcement efforts on alternative routes that overweight trucks might attempt to use as substitutes.”
Mayor Adams asserts that the purpose of implementing this automated system for controlling overweight trucks is to safeguard and maintain the aging infrastructure of the BQE.
“New York City is leading the country in protecting and reimagining our critical infrastructure, and this first-in-the-nation weigh-in-motion program will be a critical tool not only to protect the roadway but also to support our aggressive efforts to re-envision a safer and greener BQE,” said Mayor Adams. “The BQE is a critical driver of our entire region’s economy, and we will enforce the law to keep our city’s recovery moving full speed ahead. I want to thank Governor Hochul, Senator Gounardes, and Assemblymember Simon for their partnership on this legislation.”
“Managing overweight trucks is critical to improving safety on our streets and prolonging the lifespan of the BQE ahead of our redesign,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “I want to share my deep gratitude to Governor Hochul, Senator Gounardes, Assemblymember Simon, and Councilmember Restler for their tireless advocacy, which ultimately moved this legislation forward. With this win on WIM, New York City will be leading the nation on automated overweight truck enforcement.”
“Overweight trucks cause wear and tear that requires costly maintenance and reduces the lifespan of our roads and bridges. We need to keep overweight trucks off our streets, and New York City is leading on this with the first-in-the-nation automated weigh-in-motion enforcement system to issue violations to those who break the law,” said DOT Commissioner Rodriguez. “I thank Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Gounardes, and Assemblymember Simon for passing and enacting the legislation, and Councilmember Restler for securing the necessary approval from the City Council, allowing New York City to leverage this critical tool to preserve the lifespan of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.”
