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The state DOT installed temporary signs that warn drivers “TRUCKS MUST EXIT NOW” at both approaches to the King Street Avenue Bridge on the Hutchinson River Parkway.
The state also informed Westchester County that permanent highly visible signs are in the works.
“I’m pleased by this development, but we still have a lot of work to do. We also have to see if these new highly visible signs help the problem," Latimer said in a news statement.
In early June, as reported here by Daily Voice, after yet another truck-bridge collision on the Hutchinson River Parkway at the King Street Bridge in Rye Brook, Latimer called on the state Department of Transportation, the Trucking Association of New York and Rye Brook Village Officials to come together and find a solution once and for all.
On July 13, Latimer said that he pulled together officials from Scarsdale, Mamaroneck, Rye Brook, Rye, along with the state DOT, state elected officials and the Trucking Association to work together to find ways to stop bridge strikes on the Hutchinson River Parkway and other parkways in Westchester County.
Latimer said: “This is a problem and it is going to stop. We are going to make every effort we can to try to end this. This is a solvable problem. And, I confidently believe that rational people working together can make a difference.”
On Tuesday, Latimer said there isn’t going to be one solution, but rather many, including:
- State DOT agreed to do an immediate assessment of signage prior to the King Street Bridge on the Hutchinson River Parkway
- Trucking Association of New York will work with County Executive’s Office to establish an education program for users of all parkways and explain Westchester’s parkway system
- Outreach to mapping companies, like Google Maps and Waze, to update their software to add in warnings for trucks and other commercial vehicles
- Westchester County Police will gather a breakdown of the statistics on the bridge strikes and the NYSDOT to also share the data they have collected.
- Evaluate the location where the height barrier or so-called truck “head banger” system could be tested
- Review all bridge strikes on the Bronx River Parkway
- State DOT to alert local police in real time, along with County Police, of trucks entering parkways.
The state Bridge Strike Task Force is set to meet Aug. 22 at the Hudson Valley Traffic Management Center. That group includes the MTA; Port Authority, State Police as well as officials from New York City and Long Island.
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