Trucks in Whitestone, New York City are violating the local Truck routes network defined in Section 4-13 of the New York City Traffic Rules along a specific span. Illegal use of local roads not designated for truck traffic by private dump trucks, trucks with roll-off containers, flat beds, private buses, industrial trucks on 7th Avenue in Whitestone 11357 along the entire span between 147th Street and 151st Place terminating at Powells Cove Blvd and 6th Road.

Trucks traveling down this route create unsafe conditions such as speeding. Unnecessary noise is generated from trucks going over potholes, which causes major quality of life disturbances in a strictly residential area starting as early as 3AM. Numerous amounts of gravel is scattered at the intersection of 7th Avenue and Clintonville Street due to the frequent number of trucks passing through this residential area. These trucks contain 3 axels or more and are estimated to have an unladen weight 20-36 tons.

Use of 7th Avenue is a potentially major DOT violation as these trucks are not using the roads for local deliveries and this street along with surrounding areas are NOT a designated truck route. Trucks SHOULD use the designated truck route on Clintonville Street to travel north and south to their storage facilities (such as the old Grace property on Powells Cove Blvd) and to and from locations such as the Cross Island Service Road and beyond. These trucks are disobeying the enforced truck route designated for this area and several of the posted truck route signs along 7th Avenue have been illegally removed. In addition, several of these trucks are coming from the Third Avenue Exit #17 on I-678 and cutting across making several turns through solely narrow residential streets. All of these trucks are not servicing local residents or local businesses they are just using the roads to save time traveling to and from jobs and their private yards or depots.  

An investigation is necessary to resolve this issue and remove the trucks from traveling across residential streets. Enforcement of trucks to exclusively use Clintonville Street should be upheld by the city authorities. This area was not approved for use as a truck route by DOT. Please also note that this issue was presented to local city council and no solution to the problem has materialized thus far.

The stretch of 7th Avenue, where the trucks are barreling down, is a street containing more than 50% of NO SIDEWALKS on either side. It becomes extremely dangerous for pedestrians to walk on the street, go to a store, walk their dog or visit a park.

Why is this important?

This stretch of road is not designated for this type of traffic and is causing a major safety and quality of life issue for homeowners who have invested in this area for decades. The neighborhood and the streets, which are being illegally overrun by these trucks, had previously been known as quiet and safe - have now turned into a hazard. Any resident along these streets would campaign for this push for the proper authorities to do their jobs, enforce the law and ensure the safety of the residents of our community). There is a designated truck route along Clintonville Street (the legal designated truck route which contains a double yellow line and mixed commercial zoning) is not being used exclusively as the law requires. The convenience of these businesses that operate these trucks, only to save a few minutes back to the yard, shouldn't come at the inconvenience of any resident which lives along a non-designated truck route. Any resident affected by this quality of life issue would support this petition. Trucks operate as early as 3 A.M. and as late as 9 P.M. creating incessant noise, volume, impassable streets and road hazards. No reasonable person would have purchased their homes on any of these streets in our neighborhood given such conditions had ever existed.