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City inks $1M contract for tech to catch overweight trucks on BQE
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Apr 12, 2023
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By
Stephen Nessen
Published Apr 12, 2023
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The city approved a $1 million contract Tuesday to move forward with the installation of equipment on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that automatically tickets overweight trucks.
The contract was awarded to NYU’s C2SMART Center to put in so-called “weigh in motion” sensors on the crumbling triple-cantilever section of the BQE between Sands Street and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn Heights.
Those sensors are to be used to identify trucks on the highway that exceed its legal weight limit of 40 tons. Under the program, trucks that are too heavy will automatically be issued fines of up to $7,000.
“Such excessive weight can do serious damage, with consequences for the roadway’s structural integrity,” noted a 2020 press release from the city's transportation department.
State legislation passed in 2021 authorizing the ticketing program noted that about 11% of the trucks on the Queens-bound side exceeded 40 tons — and some were double that weight.
The automated ticketing program was supposed to be up and running by the end of last year. City officials pushed back the launch date, citing issues with calibrating the weight sensors to meet federal requirements.
It's still not clear when ticketing will begin. DOT officials said the contract approved Tuesday includes some work to install weight sensors on the Queens-bound side of the triple cantilever, and said the Staten Island-bound lanes would get the scales this spring.
“We need weigh in motion technology implemented immediately to automate enforcement in order to get dangerous, overweight trucks off the BQE triple cantilever," said Councilmember Lincoln Restler, whose district includes the area of the roadway where the sensors will be installed. "I hope the C2Smart team can help DOT can get this delayed project back on track.”
The deteriorating roadway still needs to be replaced — but city, state and federal officials must first choose a design and construction method. Officials are also working on a plan to manage effects on traffic while the BQE is overhauled.
DOT spokesman Vin Barone called the area of the BQE "one of the most closely monitored structures in New York State."
"We look forward to our work together to continue advancing the nation’s first automated enforcement program against overweight trucks as this administration develops a long-term fix for the BQE," Barone said.
The city is still considering whether to restore the roadway's third lane or continue keeping traffic reduced to just two lanes — a shift put in place by former Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2021, shortly before he left office.
This spring, the DOT plans to launch extensive interim repairs to shore up the stretch of the BQE until the larger construction project launches.
Tagged
new york city
transportation
brooklyn
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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