Routes for NY trucks will be renewed for the first time in 50 years

A new state bill will require the Department of Transportation to redesign the truck route system for the first time since 1970.

The bill passed on November 15 by a vote of 44-1 and received support from environmental groups and transportation advocates.

New York’s truck routing system was created in the 1970s and there were only minor changes since then.

“Since the pandemic, our neighborhoods saw  an increase in the number of properties flooding our streets with truck traffic,” said New York City Council member Alexa Aviles, who represents Sunset Park, an area with some of the most congested streets in the city.

Since 2000, many distribution centers for e-commerce companies such as Amazon, Federal Express and UPS moved to areas with low real estate values.

The truck routing system now requires vehicles serving these companies to pass through areas where they regularly cause traffic jams.

Congestion, in turn, can lead to an increase in heart disease, asthma and other health problems, as well as increased conflicts between pedestrians and traffic. city leaders and environmentalists.

About 120000 delivery vehicles hit the streets every day, delivering more than 3 million packages and envelopes to the public. This means that 90% of the city’s total freight delivery volume comes from trucks. A total of 68% of traffic accidents occur on truck routes throughout the city – routes that span more than 1300 miles of city streets across the five districts.

Surely, freight routes are vital to the industry, and any decision must be informed by the views of logistics firms, associations and last-mile delivery companies.

The Trucking Associations of New York (TANY) generally supports the goals of the legislation.

“The truck route network is a key safety tool, and we must ensure trucks stay on the route,” said Zach Miller, TANY director of metropolitan operations.