City Council Committee Tackles Truck Safety on City Streets

By SHANNYCE LASHLEY

Trucks are three times more likely to kill pedestrians and cyclists than any other vehicle, according to testimony at a City Council Committee on Transportation hearing on Tuesday.

The hearing was held to see what improvements still need to be made by the Department of Transportation to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists on the congested streets of New York City.

“While the City’s Department of Transportation has increased their focus in this over the past decade, looking for ways to manage truck traffic, it still remains a fact that trucks continue to present a danger to pedestrians and cyclists on our city’s streets,” said committee chairman Ydanis Rodriguez, chairman.

One bill under consideration would require the DOT to conduct a study every five years on the safety of pedestrians and cyclists on truck routes.

“We hope after today’s testimony the Committee recognizes that DOT is already studying the problem in a comprehensive fashion through our Vision Zero efforts and specifically with the release of our borough plans,” said DOT Deputy Commissioner Ryan Russo. o

Another bill would require the department to conduct a study every three years on whether trucks are complying with route rules. “While we understand and agree with Council member Vallone’s desire to combat illegal truck traffic, this bill would establish impractical requirements,” said Russo in response.

Russo said that the department was working with some businesses in Manhattan to shift their delivery windows to between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. to reduce the impact of trucks on the city’s streets.