C2SMART Research Helps Lead to Passage of NY State Legislation

“This legislation is vital to extending the useful life of the BQE, and ensuring the safety of all drivers and passengers of vehicles that use this roadway,” said State Senator Brian Kavanagh. “The deployment of weigh-in-motion technology will effectively deter trucking companies from engaging in destructive and unsafe behavior, and is likely to become a standard enforcement tool.”

In 2020, C2SMART researchers installed WIM sensors to measure the impact of overweight trucks on the triple cantilever section of the BQE, allowing policymakers to understand the full effects of illegally overweight vehicles on the structure. This new legislation will allow the city to address this concern.

Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon said, “Creating 21st-century infrastructure is critical and the BQE is a linchpin of the NY Metropolitan area’s transportation network and the region’s economy. Illegally overweight trucks have contributed significantly to the deterioration of the BQE triple cantilever, so the importance of enforcing the legal weight limits cannot be overstated. Removing overweight trucks from the BQE will extend its lifetime and allow us time to envision a long-term solution for the entire BQE corridor that reduces reliance on polluting freight trucks and prioritizes climate justice.”

This legislation comes on the heels of Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYCDOT’s release of a comprehensive plan to extend the life of the Brooklyn-Queens