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Lawmakers push for first redesign of NYC truck routes since 1970s
By
Giulia Heyward
and
Stephen Nessen
Published Apr 10, 2023
Modified Apr 10, 2023
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Richard Levine/Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
and
Stephen Nessen
Published Apr 10, 2023
Modified Apr 10, 2023
Share
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New York City's trucking routes would be overhauled for the first time since the 1970s under legislation proposed by the City Council.
Council members pushed for the change during a hearing on Monday, telling Department of Transportation leaders the current trucking route map has grown outdated. Lawmakers said environmental and climate justice organizations should be brought in to consult on a redesign.
“Residents are not only seeing high asthma rates, but seeing their commutes prolonged with trucks obstructing roadways, blocking visible crosswalks for pedestrians and taking much needed parking spots as they continue to park on our residential streets overnight,” Bronx Councilmember Amanda Farias said during a news conference before the hearing.
DOT Deputy Commissioner for Transportation Planning and Management Eric Beaton said during the hearing the number of trucks on city streets has sharply increased in recent years as online deliveries have boomed. Beaton said his agency is working on the problem, and pointed to an incoming program to establish delivery hubs where large trucks can unload boxes onto smaller, low-emission vehicles that will make deliveries to people’s doors.
But Beaton agreed it’s time for the city to re-think the trucking route network as a whole.
"We think taking a fresh look in light of changing delivery patterns makes sense,” said Beaton. “If there's a port facility or an industrial business zone, we know that trucks are going to be traveling there, but we want to make sure they're on streets that are appropriate for trucks.”
Beaton took issue with one of the proposed bills that would require the DOT to conduct a study on street designs that could keep commercial vehicles from driving on residential streets, saying “the additional effort in report writing would be better spent focusing on solutions in specific locations.”
The legislation to require the DOT to redesign the truck route network was introduced last September and is sponsored by 40 of the City Council’s 51 members.
Correction: A previous version of this story included a quote that was inaccurately attributed to Councilmember Amanda Farias.
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Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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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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