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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2025
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov

Overweight Trucks on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway Dropped 60 Percent Since NYC DOT Deployed Roadway Weight Sensors

First-in-Nation Weigh-in-Motion Technology Issues Violations to Overweight Trucks and Has Brought Safer Conditions to Aging Half-Mile Portion of Busy Interstate Highway I-278

Based on the Success of the Program, NYC Dot Calls for the State To Reauthorize the State Law That Empowered NYC DOT To Create the Program and To Expand It Statewide To Protect Other Aging Infrastructure

NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today released a new report that found that the number of overweight vehicles on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) dropped 60 percent after NYC deployed first-in-the-nation weigh-in-motion (WIM) technology that uses roadway weight sensors to issue violations to overweight vehicles. A state law passed in 2021 granted NYC DOT the authority to use weigh-in-motion technology on the half-mile section of the BQE in downtown Brooklyn, known as ‘BQE Central.’ The law, Chapter 773 of 2021, will sunset on December 1, 2025, and Commissioner Rodriguez is in Albany today to discuss reauthorization and expansion of its use to other infrastructure statewide.

"Our nation leading weigh-in-motion technology continues to prove effective and efficient for keeping overweight trucks off of the BQE," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. "We're hopeful this progress makes the case for wider adoption of these in ground sensors to protect roads and bridges across the state. Thank you to our state and local elected officials for enabling this impactful program."

"Modern problems require modern solutions, deploying cutting edge technology is the key to addressing our city's most complex infrastructure needs," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "I hope our productive partnership with legislative leaders and the governor to bring weigh-in-motion to New York City, and the results it has yielded, can serve as a national model for other cities and states, including the rest of New York State."

Overweight trucks, especially those with severely overloaded axles, can cause serious wear-and-tear on aging infrastructure, hastening the need for expensive repairs and rehabilitation. When BQE Central was first constructed in the 1940s, trucks weight limits were approximately 11 percent lighter than current legal loads. Earlier NYPD weight enforcement along the BQE had found that some out-of-compliance trucks were exceeding the 40-ton (80,000 lbs.) maximum weight limit by 100 percent or more.

Since the agency began WIM enforcement in 2023, the system has proven an incredibly effective tool at deterring overweight trucks from using the roadway. As of November 2024, overweight vehicles detected on the roadway with the WIM system installed had decreased by 60 percent.

The complete WIM system technology utilizes roadway sensors to weigh passing vehicles in conjunction with adjacent cameras to capture the identifying information of vehicles that are overweight. Using this technology, those that violate the state maximum weight limit for their truck's weight/vehicle class are issued a $650 violation. For example, WIM legislation grants a 10 percent gross weight overage -- so a truck whose maximum gross vehicle weight is 40 tons is allowed to weigh 44 tons before a violation is issued. (Otherwise, violations of axle weight limits are specifically prescribed by state law -- and can only be issued when those limits are exceeded by 20 percent.) Prior to the use of this technology, NYC DOT found an average of 7,920 overweight vehicles driving in the Queens-bound direction on the city-owned portion of the BQE each month. During the first year of the use of WIM technology, this figure dropped to 3,041 vehicles on average.

The report published today covers development and implementation of the WIM automated enforcement program, and data summarizing the first year the program issued violations, between November 2023 and November 2024.

Deterring freight companies from travelling on the BQE with overweight trucks is part of a larger suite of efforts undertaken by the NYC DOT to extend the useful life of the aging structure. As the city works to develop a long-term solution for the structure NYC DOT will continue to leverage the WIM automated enforcement system.

The system is currently active in the Queens-bound direction and will be expanded to include the Staten Island-bound direction in 2025, further protecting the roadway.

Weigh-In-Motion Expansion

Given the success of the technology, NYC DOT is seeking broader legislative authority to allow WIM systems to be deployed elsewhere in New York State. Among possible infrastructure being targeted by NYC DOT for WIM technology is the Washington Bridge over the Harlem River, which connects Washington Heights to Highbridge in the Bronx. WIM would help protect the long-term future of the Washington Bridge, which is also a designated local truck route.

Expanding the system will help reinforce existing vehicle weight restrictions citywide and protect additional pieces of critical infrastructure. NYC DOT will work with New York State agency partners and the New York State Legislature to explore these opportunities.

"Our transportation infrastructure is the nervous system that keeps our city and our economy running, and we need to take care of it to ensure it serves New Yorkers safely for the long haul," said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. "I was proud to pass the first-of-its-kind bill to enable NYC DOT to use weigh-in-motion sensors to prevent overweight trucks from damaging the BQE, and I'm glad to see it working so effectively. This tech is helping us preserve the BQE as we work toward a long-term solution for the roadway's future, and it makes sense to use it on other vital infrastructure across the state. I'm grateful to Commissioner Rodriguez and NYC DOT for their hard work to make this program a success."

"I'm thrilled that our first-in-the-nation WIM program has successfully reduced the number of illegally overweight trucks - that means fewer large trucks causing significant damage to the BQE triple cantilever and to our health," said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon. "The WIM program is not only extending the BQE's useful life but helps buy us time to re-imagine the BQE as a 21st-century corridor prioritizing climate justice while reducing carbon and the particulate matter that harms our lungs. As we look toward reauthorizing this successful program, I am proud of the collaboration between the city and state to implement this system and grateful to the NYC DOT and the BQE expert panel for their work on this initiative."

"Weigh-in-Motion technology has successfully eliminated 60 percent of the overweight truck traffic on the Queens bound BQE," said Councilmember Lincoln Restler. "I am pleased WIM is finally being implemented on Staten Island bound lanes and hope to see a similar reduction in illegal, overweight trucks to extend the lifespan of the triple cantilever structure."