Number Of Overweight Trucks On BQE Reduced 60% After Weigh-In Motion Sensors Installed

By Idy Perl

NYC has been battling wear-and-tear on the BQE for years and a law passed in 2021 authorized automated weigh-in-motion (WIM) sensors to be installed in sections of the BQE to discourage overweight trucks from using the highway, which shortens the BQE’s lifespan even more. 

Today, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez released a report that shows that the number of overweight trucks on the BQE decreased 60% since the WIM technology was installed in 2023. 

“Modern problems require modern solutions, deploying cutting edge technology is the key to addressing our city’s most complex infrastructure needs,” NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said. “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.”

The technology is currently deployed on Queens-bound direction of the BQE but will be expanded to the Staten Island-bound direction in 2025. The DOT is also seeking to broaden the current legislation in order to install the sensors on other roadways, such as the Washington Bridge.