OPINION: To solve truck woes, infrastructure upgrades are a must
The late Leslie Lewis, longtime president of the 84th Precinct Community Council, which represents Brooklyn Heights, Downtown, DUMBO and Boerum Hill, was a fervent foe of truck drivers who violated regulations while driving through the area.
I remember him at precinct council meetings, talking animatedly about truckers exceeding the speed limit on Atlantic Avenue, which is a designated “through truck route” but still goes through residential areas. Sometimes, he would get NYPD’s Truck Enforcement Unit to visit the area unannounced and issue summonses, but the unit, of course, didn’t have the resources to visit every day. The size of these trucks was also an issue for Lewis — he pointed out that he saw some trucks on the streets that are larger than the city normally allows.
Based on recent interviews, it seems like some things haven’t changed that much since Lewis’ day. One co-worker from Bay Ridge, for example, said that many trucks that are supposed to use 65th Street or other truck routes often detour through smaller streets, causing congestion and potholes and sometimes speeding. “They just factor tickets [for violating the city’s truck rules] into the cost of doing business,” he claimed.