New NYC truck weight limits expand due to BQE issues

The city is intensifying efforts to limit the number of overweight trucks on a crumbling section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). Starting Monday, new weight restrictions will apply to trucks heading towards Staten Island, in addition to those already enforced for Queens-bound vehicles. This decision follows a significant reduction in overweight trucks. The city recorded a 60% drop after enforcing an 80,000-pound weight limit on the BQE's triple cantilever over a year ago. However, the roadway has remained in poor condition for years, and no solid plans have been made for repairs. Beginning Monday, a 90-day warning period for overweight trucks will start, with fines of $650 set to be issued from the end of June. Trucks exceeding the weight limit will be identified using scales and license plate readers installed along the road. This technology, described as “weigh-in-motion,” is touted as the first of its kind in the country. Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez emphasized the importance of these measures, stating that heavy trucks cause damage to the roads, leading to costly repairs. Before enforcement began, approximately 8,000 overweight trucks used the Queens-bound stretch of the BQE daily. When the triple cantilever was built in the 1940s, truck weight limits were about 11% lighter than current limits. As it stands, state law allows the city to use the weight sensors until the end of the year, unless the state Legislature extends the program. Officials believe this technology is essential to safeguard the highway's deteriorating infrastructure.