The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Wednesday that truck weight limits will be strictly enforced on the Staten Island-bound side of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) starting June 22.
Owners of overweight vehicles face steep fines as the city expands its use of weigh-in-motion (WIM) automated enforcement technology on the BQE.
This sophisticated system operates by weighing trucks while they pass by and utilizing automated sensors that are synchronized with license plate readers.
Violators will incur a fine of $650 for operating overweight trucks, a significant penalty intended to deter such violations.
Currently, the automated enforcement program is active only in the Queens-bound direction of the highway, but this will change with the impending enforcement on the Staten Island-bound side.
In March, a 90-day warning period was initiated to inform drivers of potential violations of the state law, during which over 3,000 warnings were issued.
The new enforcement measures will be limited to the city-owned portion of the interstate, specifically between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street in Brooklyn, mirroring the ongoing enforcement in the opposite traffic direction.
DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez emphasized the importance of this program, stating that maintaining the integrity of the aging roadway is crucial to minimizing repair costs.
“Overweight trucks cause wear-and-tear on our roadways and we all pay the price through expensive repairs to our infrastructure,” Rodriguez remarked.
He added that the initiative positions NYC as a leader in tackling issues related to overweight vehicles on vital infrastructure like the BQE, highlighting the deployment of advanced roadway weight sensors for the Staten Island-bound traffic.
The initial phase of the WIM enforcement on the Queens-bound side has already proven effective, with a reported 60% decrease in the number of overweight vehicles.
Local politicians have generally backed the deployment of this sensor technology since its introduction on the BQE in 2023.
New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes, who sponsored the bill allowing the DOT to implement the system, noted its significance not only for the BQE but as a potential model for other critical infrastructure throughout the state.
WIM technology employs roadway sensors to weigh trucks as they pass, and adjacent cameras capture vital identifying details of any overweight vehicles.
Truck drivers may exceed weight limits by 10% before being penalized; for instance, a truck allowed a maximum gross vehicle weight of 40 tons can weigh up to 44 tons without incurring a violation.
The expansion of WIM enforcement into additional NYC roadways was authorized by lawmakers during this year’s legislative session.
This includes other bridges such as the Greenpoint Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue Bridges over Newtown Creek, the Manhattan, Queensboro, and Williamsburg Bridges, as well as the Hamilton Avenue Bridge over the Gowanus Canal and the Third Avenue Bridge over the Harlem River.
The increased enforcement comes in response to concerns raised by a coalition of local environmental and neighborhood groups.
These groups have urged both Governor Kathy Hochul and city officials to reconsider design plans aimed at rebuilding the heavily trafficked and deteriorating BQE.
Moreover, the DOT has indicated that a public comment period will be provided during the forthcoming environmental reviews, allowing community input on future decisions regarding the roadway.
image source from：amny
