Commercial Vehicles On Westchester County Parkways

[x635 4,066]

I commute on the Taconic/Saw Mill/Sprain parkways several times a week. Lately, I've been seeing numerous commercial vehicles on the parkway, and in the past 2 weeks, I've even seen 2 tractor trailers on the Saw Mill in Irvington....County PD was on it and stopped the trucks before they could do any damage. Besides the tractor trailer, did anything else change in the past 4 years that allows smaller commercial vehicles on the parkway?

One of the common factors I'm seeing is GPS, which I'm convinced some people would drive into the Hudson River if the GPS told them to.....they are so focused on the GPS they don't pay attention to anything else.

I really think there needs to be some more effective signage at each entrance to the parkways. Some don't even have any signage.

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

I don't think that commercial vehicles are allowed in the Hudson river ?

[JM15 386]

They have the writing plastered all over the actual roads down county now also

[helicopper 1,050]

Tractor trailers are definitely not authorized.

DOT has issued a lot of permits to bus companies (school and Liberty Lines) so they're on the parkways more than ever.

Small trucks (pick-ups/vans/etc.) with commercial plates are still prohibited but as they cut police patrols on the roads they take advantage and roll the dice that they'll get away with it.

[psyanide 11]

Just this morning I saw a Class4-sized pickup truck towing a 2 axle trailer northbound on the saw mill parkway between Thornwood and Pleasantville. The gear on the trailer was roughly 7 feet high and covered in tarps. It was clearly low enough to fit under the Grant St Bridge, but it was far too wide, long, and illegal to be there. New within the past few months (in both directions) the saw mill has huge on-pavement signage stating no trucks/low bridge that lead up to the two bridges in Pleasantville. Based on where he was, the driver clearly drive right over the signage, and didn't exit. GPS is partly to blame, but only partly. When signs are clear, where does the rest of the problem lie?

I'd agree that part of the problem is people being too-reliant on GPS. GPS eliminates the absolute requirement to look at a map and have "the way" sketched in your mind prior to leaving. It promotes lazy navigation, last minute lane changes, ignorance of road rules. Do Thornwood/Pleasantville have to put up one of those over-the-road signs w/ dangling chains that says "if you hit these chains, you'll hit that bridge"? (I know that would never happen).

[foreman1923 22]

Instead of chains put a huge I beam reinforced with concrete across the road 2-300 feet before the bridge it's alot easier to clean up when it's hit and I gaurantee it knocks the GPS off the windshield and common sense into the driver

[psyanide 11]

Haha! That's a great idea Foreman. If you can invent -anything- that can literally knock common sense into people, patent it immediately and produce asn many units as possible. I'll take two (one to knock common sense into me at times).

[x129K 1,393]

I was always curious of how while at Empress, commercial ambulance agencies were "allowed" to use the parkways for non-emergency use.

[JackEMT 77]

I'd agree that part of the problem is people being too-reliant on GPS. GPS eliminates the absolute requirement to look at a map and have "the way" sketched in your mind prior to leaving. It promotes lazy navigation, last minute lane changes, ignorance of road rules. Do Thornwood/Pleasantville have to put up one of those over-the-road signs w/ dangling chains that says "if you hit these chains, you'll hit that bridge"? (I know that would never happen).

Boston has these bars with dangling chains (Storrow Drive and Memorial Drive on the Cambridge side) and they do little to deter a driver from getting on the roadway. In fact, just this morning a truck got stuck on Memorial Drive under the Mass Ave overpass. Usually these kind of events are reserved for Labor Day and students with rental box trucks, but it does happen with larger commercial vehicles during the year. [ http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/boston/12009500519933/truck-stuck-under-mass-ave-bridge/ ]

Shortly after Hurricane Sandy, I saw a convoy of out of state utility workers being lead by a foreman (in a pickup truck) getting on the SMRP at Thornwood and heading SB. I am hoping they were going to the Thruway. Though they probably could have made it all the way to Yonkers (did they replace that pedestrian walkway south of Dobbs Ferry?)

[x4093k 654]

When returning from the Academy Graduation last week with my uncle (who's a DI for NYPD) we were driving back to his precinct and noticed a loaded lumber trailer traveling about 30mph in the left lane.. He got over the air and called for Highway 1, we pulled him over (took approx 2 minutes for him to acknowledge us even trying to get his attention, another problem with them) and once HW1 arrived we left, but the driver used the "GPS told me to" line, but numerous overhead signs with the NO TRUCKS symbol on them..

You can try and try, you can never fix oblivious drivers.

[peterose313 345]

A good amount of the problem lies on driver stupidity but at the same time part of it lies on the state for not doing more to prevent this (not sure what they can do to curb this) and part lies on the trucking companies. All too often these companies are supplying their drivers with residential type gps devices instead of commercial, if at all.

[voltage1256 42]

I saw an RV towing a bobcat on a 20ft trailer on the Merrit on Monday, CSP got his a$$ though!

[x635 4,066]

Here's some good information from my friend Google:

http://www.hudsonvalleytraveler.com/perl/ParkwaysExcerpts.pl

[helicopper 1,050]

Shortly after Hurricane Sandy, I saw a convoy of out of state utility workers being lead by a foreman (in a pickup truck) getting on the SMRP at Thornwood and heading SB. I am hoping they were going to the Thruway. Though they probably could have made it all the way to Yonkers (did they replace that pedestrian walkway south of Dobbs Ferry?)

During Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, and Tropical Storm Lee, the DOT authorized the use of the parkways by utilities due to the nature of the emergency and to expedite their transit to affected areas.

[helicopper 1,050]

I was always curious of how while at Empress, commercial ambulance agencies were "allowed" to use the parkways for non-emergency use.

Ambulances are not in the restricted vehicle category. They also have ambulance plates, not commercial, and the fly-cars now have regular passenger plates so no foul there either. The "commercial" ambulance designation is more of an industry term than a DMV term. There's no distinction between commercial ambulance, volunteer ambulance, etc. as far as the vehicle goes.

From the NYS CRR Section 182.31

The following type vehicles are not permitted on the Parkways within the Parkway system, unless authorized under an agreement with the New York State Department of Transportation:

(a) bicycles;

( buses;

© commercial;

(d) golf carts;

(e) hearses, except those operated by or for a licensed funeral director or undertaker while traveling to or from a funeral, interment, cremation, place of death or other destination for the acceptance and shipment of the body or remains of a deceased person;

(f) house coaches;

(g) motor-driven cycles;

(h) school buses;

(i) semitrailers;

(j) snowmobiles;

(k) tractors;

(l) trailers;

(m) trucks.

[helicopper 1,050]

Instead of chains put a huge I beam reinforced with concrete across the road 2-300 feet before the bridge it's alot easier to clean up when it's hit and I gaurantee it knocks the GPS off the windshield and common sense into the driver

They've talked about that for years but I think they were dismissed because they're not esthetically pleasing. At least that was the popular rumor at the time.

I'm pretty sure they were on Long Island parkways for a while years back.

[x129K 1,393]

Interesting. Ever consider a career in VTL enforcement?

[helicopper 1,050]

Interesting. Ever consider a career in VTL enforcement?

Hmmm... That may be fun. It'd be fun to try something new!

[SOUSGT 357]

Hmmm... That may be fun. It'd be fun to try something new!

How about mounting a few stingers on the bird. You know "death from above". Smoke a few trucks on the parkways and the word will get around.

[Bnechis 3,961]

don't think that commercial vehicles are allowed in the Hudson river ?

The USCG does not restrict commercial activity on a navigatable water way

Unless, maybe splitting hairs between a commercial vehicle and commercial vessel.

[x129K 1,393]

The USCG does not restrict commercial activity on a navigatable water way

Good thing too.

This could have been ugly if they tried to issue UTT's to the good Captain!

[INIT915 1,119]

Good thing too.

This could have been ugly if they tried to issue UTT's to the good Captain!

No, that wouldn't have been unlawful, as quod est necessarium est licitum, for what is necessary is lawful under the law. Landing that plane in that spot, at that moment, was most necessary, and by extension, most lawful. He would be free of UTT's!

[Bnechis 3,961]

Lawer representing U.S.Airways:

"judge, we acknowledge the laws regarding navigatable waters, but we believe the the laws of gravity and of physics take precedent in this case"

[x129K 1,393]

Yeah, I figured...I was gonna post that too, but I dont know spanish so well.

[INIT915 1,119]

Yeah, I figured...I was gonna post that too, but I dont know spanish so well.

Or Latin :-)

[khas143 13]

They've talked about that for years but I think they were dismissed because they're not esthetically pleasing. At least that was the popular rumor at the time.

I'm pretty sure they were on Long Island parkways for a while years back.

Actually I belive it was because of liability issues associated with proposal.Although the esthetically pleasing part of it may be the real reason.

[50-65 205]

Not that I often go on parkways, but it always amazed me that my pick-up, with 4 doors and a covered bed has to be registered as commercial and therefore is not permitted on parkways, but if I drove a much larger H2 or Expedition, I would be allowed.

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

I have been driving a ext cab from 1994 to 2005 then a 4 door 2500 short bed and always had reg plates and they are registered to my corp .

[cas2383 22]

You will never fix stupidity, last year we had the same driver strike the King St. overpass on the Hutchinson/Merrit Parkway not once but TWICE in a one or two month period....the only joke is which state gets the cleanup job depending how far the driver makes it under the bridge without spilling the cargo.

[SOUSGT 357]

Not that I often go on parkways, but it always amazed me that my pick-up, with 4 doors and a covered bed has to be registered as commercial and therefore is not permitted on parkways, but if I drove a much larger H2 or Expedition, I would be allowed.

Yet ConEd a commercial enterprise is permitted to register its vans and small vehicles as passenger vehicles and can use the parkways. Go figure!