Public Hearing - October 25, 2012
1 BEFORE THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE
STANDING COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
2 ------------------------------------------------------
3 PUBLIC HEARING
4 TO REVIEW THE BRIDGE VEHICLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND
EXAMINE WHAT STEPS NEW YORK STATE CAN TAKE TO PREVENT
5 FUTURE BRIDGE STRIKES BY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
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7
Farmingdale State College
8 2350 Broadhollow Road
RTT Room T-101, Lupton Hall
9 Farmingdale, New York 11735
10 October 25, 2012
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
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12
PRESIDING:
13
Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr.
14 Chair
15
16 SENATE MEMBERS PRESENT:
17 Senator Martin Malavé Dilan (RMM)
18 Senator Jack M. Martins
19
20 ASSEMBLY MEMBERS PRESENT:
21 Assemblyman David G. McDonough
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23
24
25
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SPEAKERS: PAGE QUESTIONS
2
Dr. Anil Kumar Agrawal 5 22
3 Professor of Civil Engineering
The City College of New York
4
Phillip Eng., P.E. 50 57
5 Asst. Commissioner, and Chief Engineer
NYS Department of Transportation
6
Sergeant Ira Promisel 67 78
7 Chief Technical Sergeant
New York State Police;
8 Also, State Coordinator
Regional Bridge Strike
9 Mitigation Task Force
10 Kenneth Tirone 102 113
Chief Operating Officer
11 Hub Truck Rental Corporation;
Also, Board Member
12 NYS Motor Truck Association
13 Kevin McCaffrey 126 134
President
14 Teamsters Local Union 707
15
Jeffrey Frediani 138 144
16 Legislative Analyst
Christopher McBride
17 Community Transportation Specialist
AAA New York
18
19 ---oOo---
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1 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: [Inaudible/technical
2 difficulties.]
3 And to my right, who will soon be here, is
4 Senator Martin Dilan, who is the Ranking Minority
5 Member of the Transportation Committee.
6 I would also like to thank SUNY Farmingdale
7 president, Dr. Hubert Keen, for allowing us to host
8 this Transportation hearing here today.
9 Just for the record, today we are here to
10 discuss a very real problem facing drivers of
11 commercial vehicles and affecting all drivers on our
12 roadways: commercial bridge strikes.
13 Commercial trucks are prohibited from driving
14 on our state parkways because the bridge overpasses
15 do not provide sufficient clearance for them to fit
16 under.
17 However, many trucks are still --
18 Hello, Senator.
19 However, many trucks are still entering the
20 parkways and striking these bridges. These bridge
21 strikes pose a danger and a major inconvenience to
22 all drivers.
23 They often cause extensive damage which
24 results in lane or road closures which can back up
25 traffic for several hours. Some bridges may even be
4
1 weakened over time due to the multiple strikes.
2 Currently, there is no specific state law
3 which prohibits striking a bridge.
4 Driving a truck or commercial vehicle on a
5 parkway is a traffic infraction punishable by only a
6 $150 fine.
7 These strikes have been a continuing problem.
8 There have been over 2,000 bridge strikes
9 since 1993.
10 Since 2005, there have been nearly 200 such
11 strikes a year, according to New York State
12 Department of Transportation, and Long.
13 Island is being particularly affected by this
14 problem.
15 More than a quarter of all the bridge strikes
16 from 2010 to 2011 have occurred right here on
17 Long Island, according to a recent "News Day"
18 report.
19 86 percent of all commercial bridge strikes
20 since 1993 have occurred in either in Long Island,
21 New York City, the Lower Hudson Valley, and Buffalo.
22 And just yesterday, a truck slammed into a
23 bridge overpass on the Saw Mill River Parkway in
24 Westchester, spilling debris and diesel fuel all
25 over the road.
5
1 The result was a closure of the northbound
2 lanes near the accident and massive traffic delays
3 for hours and hours.
4 We're here today to examine the problem.
5 Discussions today will include, but not
6 limited to:
7 The recent influx of bridge strikes by
8 commercial vehicles;
9 Findings from the Bridge Vehicle Impact
10 Assessment Task Force;
11 How commercial vehicle bridge strikes can be
12 prevented;
13 And how the current laws, if necessary, can
14 be enhanced to mitigate occurrence of the bridge
15 strikes.
16 At this time, let me welcome our first
17 speaker, Dr. Anil Kumar Agrawal.
18 Just for the record, will you please state
19 your name and your title, and thank you so much for
20 being here.
21 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Good morning.
22 Thank you, Senator.
23 My name is Anil Kumar Agrawal.
24 I'm a professor of structural engineering,
25 bridge engineering, at The City College of New York.
6
1 I'm also chair of the ASCE committee on
2 bridge inspection, management, and rehabilitation.
3 And, also, I'm chief editor of the
4 ASCE "Journal of Bridge Engineering."
5 We -- I was the principal investigator for
6 this project, which was started by New York City DOT
7 in 2008. And, the primary goal of the project was
8 to find the factors which were leading to multiple
9 impacts on the same bridge by the trucks.
10 You know, single impact is considered a freak
11 accident, and we're not really -- you know, we could
12 do something. But what New York State DOT was
13 seeing was, that there were multiple impacts on the
14 same bridge, and that was one goal.
15 Another goal was, of course: What are the
16 possible approaches to mitigate, you know, bridge
17 strikes?
18 Like I said, the project was started in
19 February 2008, and we submitted the final report
20 this year, January.
21 And during this course of the project, I also
22 got involved with the Bridge Strike, you know,
23 Mitigation Task Force, which is led by
24 Sergeant Promisel.
25 So, my discussion -- or, my testimony will
7
1 be, actually, primarily on the study we did: What
2 are the factors which are leading to the bridge
3 strikes?
4 So the first thing we did was, you know,
5 New York State DOT provided us the data.
6 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Can you just pull your
7 microphone closer to you.
8 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Our first goal was
9 to analyze the data on the bridge impacts.
10 New York State had been collecting the data.
11 We analyzed the data, like you see the chart
12 there.
13 That, New York State actually started looking
14 at the data from 1993, but really the systematic
15 collection of the data started somewhere up around
16 2004, 2005.
17 When -- and we see that during that period,
18 on average, there have been, like, 200 strikes a
19 year on the bridges.
20 But we also wanted to study, you know, if
21 this is a problem only to New York, or is it a
22 nationwide problem?
23 So during the course of the study, what we
24 did was, we prepared a very detailed survey that we
25 sent to all the state DOTs across the country, to
8
1 see if they have done something, they have some
2 data, if this is a problem they also face.
3 And what you see, this map, that, you know,
4 you see, the "red" ones, they indicated that it was
5 a major problem for them.
6 And the "green" ones, they say: Well, we do
7 have a problem, but we are not really very concerned
8 about it.
9 And the "yellow" ones really did not respond.
10 So what we see is, that this is not a problem
11 isolated to New York State. It is a nationwide
12 problem.
13 But what it is noteworthy is that, you know,
14 this study, the amount of data that has been
15 collected, and the analysis that was not done.
16 This is the most comprehensive analysis among
17 all the DOTs.
18 No other DOT had actually conducted this kind
19 of study, you know, spent effort, and then find the
20 factors which lead to, you know, bridges strikes,
21 you know --
22 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: I must say, that in this
23 political environment that we're experiencing right
24 now, I never thought that New York and California
25 would be a "red" state.
9
1 [Audience laughter.]
2 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Boy, did I throw you for
3 a curve.
4 [Laughter.]
5 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: So, we -- and
6 essentially, you know, you see the states, they have
7 been experiencing a lot of hits.
8 Some states actually, like Missouri, have
9 more than 2,000 hits, and they still do say that,
10 you know, they don't have a major problem.
11 Other states, they have lesser hits. Like,
12 Florida has a lesser number of hits, but they have
13 damages, a lot of damages, because of trucks.
14 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: So we're experiencing a
15 national problem here.
16 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: It's a national
17 problem. It's not a, you know, local problem.
18 And I think the solution also has to be at
19 the broader scale -- local scale, but at the broader
20 scale also.
21 Then what we did was, we started looking at
22 the data, and we wanted to see that -- well,
23 New York State said, Well, let's's see where exactly
24 in New York State is the problem.
25 So we, you know, wanted to see, and the goal
10
1 was, actually, to look at the multiple impacts, not
2 single impact.
3 So we plotted the bridges on the, you know,
4 left-hand of the chart, the bridges that have been
5 hit most of the time.
6 And what you see on the right-hand side is
7 the total number of hits on these bridges.
8 So if you look at the area like Long Island,
9 you know, which is -- you know, Hauppauge, so, you
10 have 53 bridges that have been hit.
11 And this is the data till mid- or sometime
12 2011, that 53 bridges have been hit 341 times.
13 And if you go to Westchester County area,
14 which is New York State DOT Region 8, then what you
15 see is, 77 bridges that have been hit 741 times.
16 So if you add only these two regions, and,
17 you know, count the total impact, you have more than
18 50 percent of the problem that you have all in the
19 [unintelligible].
20 So during the first year of the study, this
21 was the focus, you know: Look at all the data, all
22 the possible factors which lead to, you know,
23 impact.
24 And, you know, this one trend that we found.
25 And, you know --
11
1 Can you go further?
2 Okay, go further.
3 You missed some slides.
4 Go back.
5 And, you know, I think there's some mixup
6 with the slides, but, what we wanted to do was, that
7 we wanted look at further, you know, what -- what
8 area of the New York State we really have a problem.
9 And what we found was, that the four regions
10 of New York State -- you have the Poughkeepsie area,
11 which is the Region 8; you have the Hauppauge area,
12 which is Region 10; and New York City region area;
13 and then, if you go all the way to Buffalo -- that
14 this portions of New York State, if you account for
15 the hits, they account for more than 90 percent of
16 your hits. These are multiple hits.
17 If you look at the Westchester County area,
18 then the hits are on the parkway bridges.
19 Again, Region 10, in the Hauppauge area, you
20 know, most of the hits, you have 95 percent of the
21 hits are on the bridges which are over the parkway,
22 by the over-height trucks.
23 Same as in the New York City area.
24 If you go to Buffalo, then the problem is
25 slightly different.
12
1 In Buffalo area you have these railroad
2 bridges [unintelligible], and these are like
3 low-height bridges. These bridges are also in the
4 vicinity of the industrial area, where, you know,
5 you have, you know, a serial problem.
6 So, that's what we are finding, that, you
7 know: Did these four regions of New York State, if
8 we really focused, and if we looked at the, you
9 know, the [unintelligible] of the truck from the
10 parkway, which is the [unintelligible] mitigating
11 factor.
12 Over the parkway -- the bridges over the
13 parkway, they're low-height bridges.
14 So the two factors, you know, low-height
15 bridges and, you know, parkway, they go with each
16 other.
17 And this is the factor which is leading to
18 95 percent of the impacts on the bridges that we
19 have.
20 Also, you know, there's another factor, which
21 is very interesting, and, you know, I saw a YouTube
22 video: In New York State, if the height is less
23 than 14 feet, then the State underreports the height
24 by a foot.
25 Now, there's a YouTube video, where the
13
1 driver is actually recording himself, and he's
2 saying, that: I know this bridge height. And my
3 cargo height is more than the bridge height, but I'm
4 going to go under the bridge anyway. And if I make
5 it, that is good. If I don't make it, then it's
6 going to be messy.
7 And as he is, you know, recording himself, he
8 passes through the bridge, and he says: Well, I
9 made it.
10 The only lucky thing for him was, that I
11 recalculated the distance, was that because
12 New York State underreports, you know, this height
13 by 12 inch, when -- if it less than 14 feet, and his
14 cargo, the difference was only, like, 2 or 3 inches.
15 But this is creating a confusion, because
16 what is happening is, if you look at the state, we
17 did the survey of other states, next to New York is
18 the Montana, which is underreporting by 6 inch, and
19 all other states, they're underreporting by
20 3 inches.
21 So I think where there's confusion, there's a
22 distrust on the part of the drivers, that when they
23 see the sign, they believe that, no, it's actually a
24 height maybe more than that.
25 They don't always know the rule, but they
14
1 believe that the actual height may be more, but if
2 there's nobody around, I'll just make it.
3 So, that's another factor which is, you know,
4 leading to the problem.
5 Now, New York State troopers, led by
6 Sergeant Promisel, they have been collecting a lot
7 of data.
8 And, you know, what they do, actually, if
9 there's a bridge strike, the State troopers go to
10 the site, he has a form, he collects the data.
11 And the data has been very useful. You know,
12 we wanted to see what really is the other
13 contributing factor.
14 So if you look at the chart, you have, on the
15 left-hand side, is a chart with, you know, what kind
16 of mapping technology that were used.
17 So one chart shows that, you know, they
18 have -- you know, the left-hand chart is for the
19 trucks that have hit the bridge already, and the
20 right-hand chart is for the trucks that were counted
21 by the State troopers on the parkway before they hit
22 the bridge.
23 And what you see is, that in both the two
24 charts, the ones who were using the GPS, the
25 consumer GPS, are the ones, like [unintelligible].
15
1 You know, 84 were the ones who hit the bridge, and
2 66 are those who did not hit the bridge.
3 But they are very predominantly using the
4 GPS, consumer GPS. And consumer GPS is not
5 programmed to consider the low height of the
6 bridges. And, that may be taking the drivers, you
7 know, when they don't intend to, but, the GPS may be
8 taking the drivers to the parkway and then, before
9 they realize, they go and hit the bridge.
10 Sometimes they see the bridge, but they have
11 no way, they keep on going, and then they may be
12 hitting the bridge.
13 Also, we wanted to see, you know, where the
14 trucks are coming.
15 So if you look at, again, you know, the
16 left-hand side, that's the trucks that have hit the
17 bridges; right-hand side, they don't hit the bridge,
18 but they were stopped.
19 And if you look at the licensing of the state
20 of the truck, you have only 5 percent trucks are
21 from New York State, the ones who hit the bridges.
22 All the trucks, they come from all over the
23 country. And, there, the 12-inch-high difference
24 may be playing a role, you know, because, you know,
25 their states, it's a lot different. You know, some
16
1 states do not underreport at all. It's,
2 zero inches, three inches, and six.
3 And New York State is 12 inches all the way.
4 So that's -- and if you see the ones who are
5 caught in the parkways, there are only 7.4 percent
6 of the drivers are from the New York State.
7 All other drivers are from the other states.
8 We also looked at the mitigating options.
9 I think this is a problem which is not, you
10 know, a simple problem. It involves many
11 complicated factors. It's not a problem where you
12 can find a quick fix. It has to be a very
13 broad-based solution.
14 We did do a study, and we felt that you need
15 to look at, from a regulatory point, from
16 technological point, and from educational point,
17 where we could change the mind -- psychological
18 mindset of the truck drivers.
19 They have been using the consumer GPS a lot.
20 So this would be some [unintelligible] to
21 make so they don't use their consumer GPS.
22 Either prohibiting -- or, you know, through
23 the outreach, or one of [unintelligible].
24 The fines and penalties, again, should be
25 such that it becomes, you know, unattractive for
17
1 them to go on the parkway. Or, if they are on
2 parkway, then they get off immediately before they
3 hit or they [unintelligible].
4 One thing we talked about, that, you know,
5 there's a test. Like, you have a CDL test, a
6 commercial driving-license test. Or, you know, you
7 have a continuing education.
8 But, I'm an engineering. You know, engineers
9 are required to take their continuing-education
10 credits for every three years.
11 So if they have a continuing education, and
12 there's a course there, or some model there, where
13 they are, you know, exposed to the risks and
14 problems, and problems related with the consumer
15 GPS, on all these bridges strikes, I think that's
16 going to help in changing the psychological mindset
17 of the drivers.
18 Other thing I was thinking was, that, you
19 know, if you see now that on the parkways and
20 other -- if there's a reckless driver, sometimes I
21 see the sign that: If there's a reckless driver,
22 dial #77 to report, that trucks are not supposed to
23 be on the parkway.
24 So if you could have some kind of system,
25 where, when the people call in, and they say, okay,
18
1 you know, there's' a, you know, truck on the
2 parkway, I think that can be helpful.
3 And then, so for the technological
4 approaches, I think there are over-height detection
5 systems, which are, you know, basically like a
6 electronic beam. They're laser beams you put over
7 the highway.
8 If the beam is broken by the over-height
9 truck, it will flash the red-light signal, it can
10 inform the police, you know, it flash a sign for the
11 truck to stop.
12 But can be done a lot to actively warn the
13 driver of the risk.
14 So, you know, and that can be very helpful.
15 And what we look at is, that they are a
16 limited number of bridges which are being hit a lot,
17 so, there's a certain geographical region of the
18 state which is being hit a lot.
19 So if we do further study, we collect more
20 data, then we can actually pinpoint which are the
21 entrances where the drivers are entering more, to
22 hit certain bridge, and then we can install these
23 systems on those, you know, ramps.
24 There's a truck GPS already. It's developed
25 by Rand McNally. You know, it costs only $500, and,
19
1 you could be updating with the maps and your
2 low-height bridge data, probably $20 per month.
3 That's what the company told me.
4 The thing is, if you had this GPS being used
5 in the truck, then the GPS will automatically guide
6 the driver away from the parkway.
7 It can be programmed. It's not something
8 very complicated.
9 Remember, the regular GPS, actually, you
10 could take, and there are open source GPS, you know,
11 we could sit down and write a program which will,
12 you know, move the drivers away from the parkway.
13 So that's another, you know, very effective
14 solution, because now they are being warned that,
15 you know, you have to get out from here.
16 Signs are good.
17 Long Island is little. You know, if you go
18 to Long Island, you having extensive number of
19 signs.
20 I drove on Long Island, one of the ramps, to
21 the [unintelligible] Parkway. I counted 14 signs,
22 but the drivers are still crossing. They're still
23 crossing and going to hit the bridge.
24 So signs, you know, stop being effective at a
25 certain point, but this active approach of, like,
20
1 you know, the GPS warning in real time to the
2 driver, can play a major role beyond that point.
3 There are a number of different approaches.
4 You can have a bridge-strike mitigation
5 website;
6 Outreaching motor carrier associations;
7 Or outreaching independent operators;
8 Like I talked about, the CDL test;
9 We could have education materials be for,
10 like, the trucking companies, so that they know what
11 are the risks;
12 Driving school can be a very good source.
13 When there's -- you know, people who want to be
14 truck drivers, they go to driving schools.
15 And this is [unintelligible] for nationwide,
16 then a model, because this is a national problem.
17 So if, some way, we could introduce a model in the
18 driving school itself, that when they are going
19 through the training, they go through this course,
20 and they know the risks, and all these thing, what
21 they're supposed to do; what they can do, or what
22 they cannot do, this is really going to help.
23 And, finally, like annual safety course for
24 the drivers, you know, where they -- you know, they
25 look at the safety aspects. And, you know, one of
21
1 them can be [unintelligible] impact.
2 To conclude: I think the problem is very
3 complex. It requires a, you know, solution from
4 many angles -- multiple agencies, multiple states --
5 because the trucks come from other states, and they
6 hit the bridges in New York State.
7 So, you know, it has to be done at different
8 angles.
9 Certainly, I mean, the solution will require,
10 you know, committed, you know, resources, labor,
11 budget finance, because they're the measures that
12 have to be implemented by different state agencies,
13 and, you know, they need the resources.
14 I'm a member of this Bridge Strike Task
15 Force, which is, you know, right now, looking at all
16 these three, you know, approaches, and trying to see
17 what are the actions that we could formulate that
18 will be helpful in solving this problem.
19 So I want to thank you for invitation.
20 And I would like to close, finish my
21 testimony, at this point.
22 And, if you have any questions, feel free to
23 ask.
24
25
22
1 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Well, first of all, thank
2 you very much for your testimony.
3 Can you go back to the map of the
4 United States.
5 Right there.
6 This is obviously a national problem.
7 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
8 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: And we see this.
9 I just want to ask a few questions, and I
10 know my colleagues have a few questions.
11 Has anybody on the task force reached out to
12 Google?
13 And the reason I ask that is, we could Google
14 any address in the world now, and it tells you
15 specific things about that address.
16 Wouldn't it make sense to reaching out to
17 Google and making them aware that trucks are not
18 permitted on certain parkways?
19 Because, again, it is a national problem --
20 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
21 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: -- where, when that came
22 up on a Google map, there would be, obviously, a
23 warning which comes out now for certain other areas?
24 Has anybody on the task force reached out to
25 Google?
23
1 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Well, I mean, I got
2 involved in the task force much later in the study.
3 And the task force is -- again, you know, it's an
4 informal, you know, group of, you know, different
5 operators and agencies which are collaborating to
6 solve the problem.
7 But when we started studying this problem,
8 New York State DOT did outreach, I think NAVTEQ,
9 which provides the data to all the mapping
10 companies, on the low-height bridges.
11 We did have some discussion going, several
12 email exchanges, to NAVTEQ. And what their point
13 was, that, yes, it can be done. You know, the maps,
14 they can incorporate this truck option, where, you
15 know, the truck drivers, you know, can use that.
16 But we -- at that point, we're aware that,
17 you know, GPS is the one which people are using.
18 There very few people who are using the
19 Google maps.
20 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Right.
21 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Or one of these
22 maps.
23 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: You had mentioned in your
24 testimony, and just clarify for me, that the height
25 of the bridges are being underreported?
24
1 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
2 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: So if a bridge is
3 ten feet, it could be shown that it's --
4 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: A foot below that.
5 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: -- a foot below that.
6 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
7 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Okay.
8 Is that a national issue, or just the state
9 issue here in New York?
10 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: I think this is
11 creating a problem, or, at least there's a
12 perception that this may be creating a problem,
13 because we did the survey of all the states, and,
14 you know, it's in our report.
15 So, if you look at how the states underreport
16 the, you know, bridge heights, so, New York State
17 is, technically, the only one which underreports by
18 12 inches.
19 Now, there are states which do not
20 underreport at all. I mean, it's -- you know, the
21 actual height is posted there. So, there's no
22 confusion there.
23 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: And is there a reasoning
24 for that?
25 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: You have -- you
25
1 know, we -- generally, states want to underreport a
2 little bit, because you have the permanent height
3 change, and all those things, so you don't want the
4 trucks going, you know, to hit the bridges.
5 So what commonly the states do, they
6 underreport by 3 inches, which is done by a majority
7 of the states.
8 Beyond 3 inches, we saw Montana, which
9 underreports by 6 inches.
10 And then, you know, we go 12 inches, which is
11 in New York State.
12 Now, why we underreport that, I'm not aware,
13 but this has been for quite some time.
14 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Has anybody on the task
15 force asked the DOT?
16 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: We have been
17 discussing, and, you know, DOT is aware. And I
18 think DOT might have tried in the past to, you know,
19 have some -- it's a law, actually, so, you know,
20 have some action.
21 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: In your research, what
22 preventative measures have other states taken to
23 prevent trucks from accessing parkways and highways
24 where they shouldn't be?
25 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Well, parkways, you
26
1 know, mostly New York State phenomenon.
2 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Pardon me?
3 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: It's New York State
4 phenomenon. You know, we have lots more parkways in
5 New York State.
6 But if I -- so, I cannot say, specifically,
7 for what they have done to prevent, you know,
8 entering the parkways, but we did second-stage
9 survey.
10 So, first the stage was, actually, to
11 identify the key factors.
12 The second stage of the survey was to
13 identify what works, actually, in preventing the
14 bridges strikes.
15 And what we found was, that, you know,
16 14 states have used these over-height detection
17 system.
18 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Tell me about that.
19 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Now, this
20 over-height detection system is, basically, you
21 could imagine, it's a laser beam which goes from one
22 side of the road to the other side.
23 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Uh-huh?
24 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: And, you know -- so,
25 you know, one pole, it shoots the laser beam, and
27
1 the other pole is the sensor.
2 Now, if an over-height truck comes, and if
3 the height of the truck is more than this, you know,
4 beam, it will break the beam, and this will trigger
5 the sensor here, which will not get the signal.
6 And, in turn, what you could do, actually,
7 because we are in the high-tech area, so, it can
8 trigger the red-light signal ahead. It can send an
9 email to the police. It can send a call to the
10 police. It can light a message, further, that: Stop
11 here, don't go further.
12 So it could do all these things.
13 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: And that's happening now?
14 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Right.
15 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Let me ask you a -- what
16 I think is just a commonsense approach. And, I've
17 talked to my colleagues about this as well. And,
18 I've gotten e-mails, since "News Day" has started to
19 write articles about this, from people all over the
20 state.
21 When you enter a parking garage, there's a
22 bar.
23 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
24 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Like this.
25 And if you have a vehicle, a truck, that's
28
1 higher than that, you're going to hit the bar, and
2 the bar is generally lower than the garage entrance.
3 Has it ever been discussed with the task
4 force --
5 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
6 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: -- to put these bars,
7 whether they're made out of plastic, or wire, or
8 chain, whatever it is, that if a -- if an 18-wheeler
9 is on the -- entering the parkway, via this GPS
10 issue, which is a national problem, they won't get
11 on the parkway.
12 Because, the technology you're talking about
13 is good, they have to see the red light. By the
14 time the police could be notified, they're on the
15 parkway.
16 And the whole concept or idea of why we're
17 doing this hearing today, is to see how we prevent
18 them from getting on the parkway.
19 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
20 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: I don't want them on the
21 parkway and then the signal's going, and they say,
22 All right, I shouldn't be here. Well, it's too
23 late. Let me go forward, let me turn around.
24 Before we know, they're going to get stuck.
25 So this works.
29
1 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes. And --
2 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: It works.
3 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: -- this was
4 discussed during the course of this study.
5 And one of the concerns is that, you know, if
6 the truck driver is going at a certain speed, 20 or
7 30 miles per hour, and you have these beams which
8 are installed on the parkway --
9 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Well, I'm talking about
10 installing them on the entrance ramps.
11 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Oh, yeah.
12 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Okay?
13 So, the truck's not going to be going that
14 fast when they're coming on the entranceway, first
15 of all, incorrectly. We know that.
16 By the time they get on the entranceway, in
17 some areas, they're going start seeing the signs
18 while they're there.
19 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
20 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: If they have this
21 crossbeam, they're not going to get on it.
22 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
23 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Correct?
24 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
25 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Okay.
30
1 So is there a reason why this commonsense
2 technology shouldn't be applied?
3 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Well, I think the
4 primary reason --
5 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Because it's not
6 technology.
7 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yeah.
8 -- I mean, these beams, you know, and they
9 have another name. They're called a "headache-bar,"
10 because, you know --
11 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: "Headache-bar"?
12 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: "Headache-bars."
13 -- they give headache to truck drivers.
14 And we looked at another option, similar to
15 what you talked to with the parking garages.
16 And what we got, was that this is a liability
17 issue for the State.
18 That, you know, if -- you know, generally,
19 the truck drivers will be at lower speed. But if
20 somebody did come at, you know, a higher speed, and
21 what you are doing now is, that you have a bar,
22 where, you know, if somebody comes and hits at
23 certain speed, and part of the bar or, you know,
24 part of the, you know, truck can actually fly off
25 and, you know, go like a, you know, missile, and it
31
1 hit the nearby people, or some other car.
2 So it's a potential, you know, legal issue.
3 And that's -- for that reason, we did not pursue
4 that option.
5 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: But wouldn't you say that
6 many things that municipalities do -- and
7 Senator Martins is a former mayor -- could be a
8 potential liability issue?
9 But the overriding factor of preventing this
10 issue, which is a major issue here in
11 New York State, and, obviously, around the country,
12 wouldn't that outweigh it?
13 You know, when I get on the parkways,
14 sometimes, and I live here on Long Island, they have
15 dividers, plastic cones. They're break-aways.
16 They could be a potential liability issue to
17 a car if somebody hits them and it hits the other
18 vehicle.
19 I just -- I've heard that too much to be
20 taken as an excuse not to even try it as a pilot.
21 We would appreciate it if the task force
22 would look into that issue further, because it's
23 low-cost, it makes sense, it's effective, and it's
24 been in practice for many, many years in private --
25 in the private sector.
32
1 And I see no reason why it shouldn't even be
2 tried.
3 But, I'm going to end my questions there,
4 because I know my colleagues have some questions.
5 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Well, I -- you know,
6 just to, because I think I agree with that. You
7 know --
8 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Then you could end it
9 right there.
10 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: It could be
11 effective.
12 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Thank you.
13 Senator Martins.
14 SENATOR MARTINS: Thank you very much.
15 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Thank you, Doctor.
16 SENATOR MARTINS: I'm going to take up the
17 questioning right where Senator Fuschillo left off.
18 Just from a commonsense approach, if you have
19 these headache-bars there, at a position where the
20 truck is going, certainly, less than the 55 miles an
21 hour that we expect them to go when they're
22 impacting a bridge, if we take that, and bring it to
23 a point where we can actually control it, get the
24 truck off, and not have to deal with the impact of a
25 truck on a parkway and the potential dangers that
33
1 come with that to life and to property, I just see
2 it as a much more cost-effective, easy-to-implement
3 solution that's not going to take, you know, an
4 undue toll on a state that's already strained, and
5 their resources are already strained to the limit,
6 certainly.
7 I think we can all understand that.
8 The idea of putting a rope, a chain, a piece
9 of wood, just to remind somebody that they shouldn't
10 be where they shouldn't be, even though we have
11 15 signs that said that they shouldn't be there to
12 begin with.
13 Look, we always look for excuses as to why
14 somebody does something dumb.
15 Okay?
16 Why do truck drivers, who are -- have to get
17 their CDLs, have to follow certain procedures, we
18 make excuses for people.
19 But let's understand, and I think you
20 mentioned this during your testimony, there are
21 signs there. They're clearly marked.
22 Whether you live in New York; whether you're
23 driving a truck, and you live in Florida, or you
24 live in Colorado, or in California, or anywhere else
25 in the country, you still understand postings and
34
1 signs, and they're all standard.
2 Correct?
3 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes, that's correct.
4 SENATOR MARTINS: So, you know, what we're
5 doing here, is trying to come up with an alternative
6 to fix something that, for all intents and purposes,
7 doesn't need to be fixed, other than to get the
8 driver's attention.
9 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
10 SENATOR MARTINS: So the sooner or the closer
11 we put that to the entrance to a parkway, the better
12 off we're going to be.
13 Correct?
14 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: I agree with you.
15 If -- I mean, if liability, the State is not
16 concerned about the liability issue, then this is
17 going to be the most effective one, because it will
18 prevent the entry of the trucks right at the ramp
19 point.
20 SENATOR MARTINS: Well, Doctor, we're all
21 concerned with liability. I think, as a matter of
22 course, we live our lives concerned with liability.
23 But the reality is, and I would hope you
24 would agree, that the point where a truck, traveling
25 at 55 miles an hour, hits an immovable object like a
35
1 bridge, the liability, potentially, of not stopping
2 that truck from even entering the parkway is
3 significantly higher.
4 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes. Yeah.
5 SENATOR MARTINS: And, so, let's do what we
6 can to stop that truck where we can.
7 Are you familiar with the penalties in
8 New York State for a truck driver who enters a
9 parkway and strikes a bridge?
10 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: I -- not very
11 specifically, but I think it's not very high.
12 SENATOR MARTINS: Well -- and, again, I
13 would -- and maybe we can address that with some of
14 our speakers later this morning -- but I would think
15 that the opportunity is there to create a
16 disincentive.
17 You know, you talk about points on a license
18 for a CDL license holder, you talk about the ability
19 of that person to continue to earn a living and
20 drive a truck, you go to the very heart, I think, of
21 what motivates people in certain instances.
22 And, certainly, if we have the ability in
23 New York State to reevaluate the penalty structure
24 for somebody who strikes a bridge, and holds them
25 specifically and individually accountable, I think
36
1 will go a long way towards getting those numbers way
2 down.
3 And it may be a combination of a
4 headache-bar.
5 And I do like the term "headache-bar,"
6 Chairman, because I think, you know, we really
7 should make an effort to create a barrier right at
8 the entrance to the parkway.
9 But, also, for those people who don't get it,
10 and do enter the parkway and do strike a bridge,
11 make the penalty such that they're going to think
12 twice if they're going to ignore a posted height
13 limit on a parkway.
14 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: I agree with that.
15 This is going to be a very long-term
16 solution, because it's essentially going to the
17 psychological, you know, mindset of the driver,
18 that, they see that they are going to be penalized
19 heavily, they will remember that --
20 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Well, but there's also a
21 factor here, too, that the trucker doesn't want to
22 engage in this practice as well: getting on a
23 parkway where they shouldn't be, and driving under a
24 bridge and getting stuck there, losing their load,
25 and they're tied up for days, or hours. They could
37
1 possibly lose their truck as well.
2 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: If the penalty is
3 high, then they will make it a point that they don't
4 forget. That --
5 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: I'm not even talking
6 about the penalties; even, just, prohibiting them.
7 Because I'm sure they don't want to be there
8 either, stuck under a bridge, where they lose all
9 their goods and destroy their truck.
10 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
11 SENATOR MARTINS: I can guarantee you, that
12 when a trucker is driving on Long Island, they
13 understand fully well that the speed limit is
14 55 miles an hour.
15 When they're in Upstate New York, they
16 understand that the speed limit on the thruway,
17 north of a certain point, is 65 miles an hour.
18 And they understand how fast they can go, and
19 what their liability, personally, would be if they
20 were caught speeding.
21 To the same end, if we hold them accountable,
22 and there are real penalties in place, I think that
23 would be an incredible disincentive to professional
24 truck drivers.
25 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yeah, this is one of
38
1 our recommendations in the report; that, you know,
2 to look at -- to make the -- reevaluate the penalty
3 program.
4 An instructor said -- says that it is
5 unattractive and -- for them to be on the parkway.
6 And if they are on the parkway, then they will find
7 ways to get off immediately.
8 SENATOR MARTINS: And just one last point, on
9 the GPS.
10 If I were to use a standard GPS off the
11 shelf, there are settings on the GPS. If I want to
12 use -- if I want to travel the fastest route; if I
13 want to travel the least-expensive route, if I don't
14 want to enter a toll road, it can actually redirect
15 me around roads where there are tolls.
16 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
17 SENATOR MARTINS: I would -- you know, if I'm
18 a pedestrian, it has another setting for that.
19 I would think that there should be, rather
20 easily, a setting that would not allow for
21 commercial traffic, for example.
22 Because, not only are trucks too high, but
23 our parkways also don't allow for commercial
24 traffic, period.
25 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes.
39
1 SENATOR MARTINS: Have you had any
2 conversations, or has the commission or committee
3 had any conversations, with the GPS manufacturers
4 with regard to creating that setting as an
5 alternative, so that when you do have commercial
6 vehicles, they do understand that there is a route
7 that they can take and the parkways are not an
8 accessible route?
9 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Well, we had
10 discussions with the NAVTEQ in this, you know,
11 regard; that, you know, if the programming of the
12 GPS can be done, so that it is giving out for, you
13 know, the truck's route, you know, you can have an
14 option to [unintelligible] that.
15 If you want to follow a truck route in
16 New York, then it will automatically take care of
17 this, being not on the parkway, and all this thing,
18 it will implement.
19 I think it's not a technological challenge.
20 It's a business decision for the, you know,
21 GPS companies to put.
22 I don't think it's a lot of effort, also.
23 It's a very simple programming. You know, they
24 already have the algorithm.
25 What they have to do is, in the routing
40
1 algorithm, they have to put the parkways, then they
2 have to put the overhead-trucks' data that they get
3 from the State, and then do the routing on the
4 basis.
5 It's just a matter of programming, and, you
6 know, they could update their software.
7 There are also options where you have this,
8 what they call these "open-source GPS," where the
9 State can have its own, you know, model developed.
10 And anybody can buy those device and download the,
11 you know, software there, and run the open-source
12 GPS. And that will automatically program it, it
13 will automatically download the data from the
14 website for the low-height bridges.
15 But what we are looking at is a national
16 problem.
17 So, you know, if you provide the software
18 from New York, you know, the truck comes from other
19 states may not be using it.
20 So I think the ideal solution would be
21 actually what you mentioned, that, the truck
22 companies really providing either this option on the
23 GPS to use the truck route, or, not allowing the
24 truck GPS -- you know, this consumer GPS on the
25 trucks at all.
41
1 SENATOR MARTINS: And holding the drivers
2 accountable for these types of incidents.
3 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: And then if they do
4 use consumer GPS, then they are responsible.
5 SENATOR MARTINS: They're responsible.
6 Doctor, thank you very much.
7 Thank you, Chairman.
8 Thank you.
9 Assemblyman Dave McDonough?
10 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Thank you, Doctor,
11 for your testimony, and I think most of it has been
12 covered.
13 But I noticed in the one chart how many are
14 out-of-state drivers who may not have the GPS.
15 And I think the GPS is nice down the road,
16 but it's going to take a while to develop that.
17 I would subscribe more to the headache-bar or
18 the chains at the entrance ramp.
19 Now, all we have now, in some cases, is a
20 square sign that shows a truck with an "X" on top,
21 which is not enough of a warning.
22 The other point is, that in New York State,
23 especially on our parkways on Long Island, many of
24 our bridges are, I don't know how you would say it,
25 curved, or whatever.
42
1 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Stone-arch bridges,
2 yeah.
3 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: So, consequently, if
4 they're not in the center lane, and some of them
5 think they can be getting under it --
6 And you mentioned that bridges are reported
7 about 3 inches, average, under-height; right?
8 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: 12 inches.
9 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: 12 inches, okay.
10 -- but, still, some of them do it.
11 And then what happens, obviously, is, you
12 have the accident, you have the potential damage to
13 other vehicles, and, you have the closing of the
14 parkway.
15 And eventually, with so many strikes, as you
16 reported here, a tremendous amount of bridge repair
17 and cost.
18 So I think that the fastest way to do this,
19 for prevention, is to provide the "headache bar," as
20 the Senator called it, or the chains, to give them
21 the warning, and to give them an escape route before
22 they enter the parkway.
23 But, I think that's the first thing.
24 Education is obviously important.
25 I don't think any driver wants to lose his
43
1 load.
2 You know, I think it's mostly lack of
3 knowledge that makes them take that parkway. Either
4 the GPS or the map he's holding, or whatever, tells
5 him that's the shortest method there.
6 But, the damage and repair to bridges is
7 another factor that we have to consider also.
8 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yeah, I mean -- but,
9 you know, also, we have to understand, these
10 over-height bridges, our bigger damage is actually
11 traffic nuisance.
12 You know, every time you have a bridge strike
13 on the, you know, [unintelligible], and in the
14 Westchester County --
15 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: It stops. It stops.
16 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: -- it actually stops
17 the traffic for five or six hours, and that's the
18 much bigger damage.
19 Because bridges -- the stone-arch bridges,
20 they don't get damaged much. The trucks get
21 damaged.
22 But the traffic problem that we have, that I
23 think it's much bigger economic loss compared to,
24 sometimes, you know, the damages to the bridges.
25 But, absolutely, I agree with your point,
44
1 that, you know, if we could identify the ramps, or,
2 you know, as a blanket measure, I think you could
3 put the headache-bars on all the ramps.
4 So, you could identify some the locations,
5 based on the data that we are collecting, where you
6 could put the headache-bars.
7 Or, as an experiment, you know, the bridges
8 which are being hit a lot, you know, the ramps
9 nearby there, we could start with some of those
10 locations and see how it's affecting the impacts.
11 And then -- you know, so that could be one of
12 the, you know, studies, is to, you know, prevent the
13 strikes.
14 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Your "laser"
15 description, that's a good idea, but that's costly,
16 and would take much longer to get that installed
17 everyplace.
18 But I think the headache-bar or the chains
19 would alert them long before they get on the
20 parkway.
21 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Well, I mean, laser
22 system has been used by 14 states.
23 They have a service life of 15 years, from
24 the data that we get.
25 You know, there's one case in point, where
45
1 there was a tunnel in Maryland, where, you know,
2 these over-height trucks were going and they caused
3 massive damage.
4 And after they put these laser-eye detection
5 system, then, last five or six years -- they did
6 quite some time ago -- and after they installed this
7 system, they never had any single incident of, you
8 know, trucks hitting.
9 Again, 14 states that reported about the, you
10 know, this laser-eye detection systems, all of them
11 actually rated this system on the scale of 8 to 10
12 in terms of performance over the life.
13 Cost-wise, the cost, you know, you could --
14 if you are looking at the ramp on the parkway,
15 probably the low-cost system, you could customize in
16 the range of five, six, to ten thousand dollars,
17 plus installation costs.
18 But they go for, like, 10, 15 years. You
19 know, they are, relatively, free from defect.
20 Like, the headache-bar, you know, once the
21 truck hits, it's likely, you know, that the bar is
22 damaged, and you have to go to the site and replace
23 it.
24 The laser beams, you know, they are -- you
25 know, they will give the incentive to the driver
46
1 that, to stop, there's a red light.
2 There's a psychological barrier. You know,
3 if you see a red light, you want to stop.
4 That, every driver knows.
5 If he sees a red light, and sees a sign that,
6 you stop here until the help comes, then it's quite
7 likely to -- quite likely that he will stop.
8 There are some drivers that [unintelligible]
9 that think they will make it, but --
10 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: You know the
11 Nassau County issues about, ten, twenty thousand
12 red-light tickets every year? Maybe even more?
13 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Well, there's no
14 warning of those, that you're going to hit one. But
15 with the trucks, with the red light --
16 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: This will be
17 combined with either, the red light, and then, on
18 the side you have this message board, with a light
19 itself, saying, that, you know, there's a low-height
20 bridge ahead. You know, stop on the side and wait
21 for the help.
22 And at the same time, the message will be
23 sent to the --
24 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: And far enough back
25 to provide the driver with an exit, rather than just
47
1 stopping and staying there; right?
2 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yeah, far enough.
3 On the side of the ramp, you know, you
4 could --
5 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Thank you very much.
6 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: -- if you have so
7 much space, then you could ask them to wait till the
8 help comes, and then they could wait.
9 So, I mean, this system, the thing is, even
10 you have one truck which, you know, broke the beam,
11 you know, you physically don't damage the beam, so,
12 you know, the system is ready.
13 The headache-bar, once, you know, the truck
14 hits it, it's likely, if it's damaged, then you have
15 to go and replace it.
16 SENATOR MARTINS: Let me -- can I follow up
17 on just one point, Senator?
18 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Yeah, go ahead.
19 SENATOR MARTINS: The lifespan of this laser
20 beam is, you said 15 years.
21 The lifespan of a piece of wood, or of a --
22 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: That's what the --
23 SENATOR MARTINS: -- or a chain is
24 significantly longer than that.
25 But, did you say that it's going to cost
48
1 ten or fifteen thousand dollars per ramp, to install
2 the system that includes a red light, a digital sign
3 that tells people to pull over, or a red light that
4 tells them to stop, plus the laser beam that would
5 be installed?
6 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yes, that's --
7 SENATOR MARTINS: That's $15,000 per ramp?
8 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Yeah, that's --
9 SENATOR MARTINS: To get a red light
10 installed at an intersection, where it already
11 exists, costs us closer to $150,000 per red-light
12 installation.
13 I just -- I don't know where those numbers
14 are coming from.
15 But, I would think that it would be, not only
16 significantly higher than that, but astronomically
17 significantly higher than that, per ramp, to install
18 it.
19 I'm even wondering whether or not putting a
20 piece of wood up there is going to cost us $10,000,
21 between the cost of putting, you know, the pole, the
22 arm on the pole, and then hanging that piece of wood
23 at a height where it makes sense.
24 You know, we're talking about factors
25 exponentially higher than those that, one to the
49
1 other.
2 So -- you know, and when we put that --
3 And, certainly, we can get into the
4 testimony, Don, as we go through the hearing today.
5 -- the costs are just -- I understand there's
6 a preference here to go to go with laser beams, but,
7 frankly, Doctor, the costs to the State of
8 implementing a program like that, with the number of
9 ramps that we have on the parkways that we have,
10 northern state, southern state, Meadowbrook,
11 Wantagh, and we could go on and on -- it's just,
12 it's cost-prohibitive.
13 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Like I said, plus
14 the installation cost. The cost of the equipment
15 that I told you, it's right from the catalog from
16 the companies which we surveyed from the other
17 states.
18 So, you know, other states reported they had
19 the system. These are the systems they are using,
20 the most effective system.
21 Then we went back to the companies and we
22 looked at their system comparison.
23 And I'm talking about the minimum
24 configuration that they have. And that would be,
25 you know, just the catalog costs.
50
1 SENATOR MARTINS: Okay.
2 DR. ANIL KUMAR AGRAWAL: Then, of course, you
3 have the costs for the installation, and all the
4 those things. That's separate. And that depends on
5 the, you know, region of the contractor you're
6 hiring, and all those things.
7 So you might be very well, you know, correct
8 in the figure that you are telling, but I'm just
9 telling you the company cost.
10 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Thank you, Doctor.
11 Thank you very much for your testimony.
12 Phillip Eng.
13 Good morning, Phillip.
14 ASST. COMM. PHILLIP ENG, P.E.: Good morning.
15 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Assistant Commissioner,
16 and Chief Engineer, New York State Department of
17 Transportation.
18 Thank you very much for being here.
19 ASST. COMM. PHILLIP ENG, P.E.: Thank you.
20 Chairman Fuschillo, and members of the
21 New York State Senate Standing Committee on
22 Transportation, thank you for this opportunity to
23 discuss issues of bridge strikes on parkways and
24 highways across New York State.
25 I am Phillip Eng, Assistant Commissioner, and
51
1 Chief Engineer, for the New York State Department of
2 Transportation.
3 Under Governor Cuomo and
4 Commissioner Joe McDonald, we have been working on
5 corridor safety studies that, for the first time,
6 take a look at the corridor as a whole, providing a
7 more comprehensive view of potential improvements.
8 We have taken many steps in recent years to
9 investigate and reduce the number of
10 commercial-vehicle bridge strikes on our highways
11 and parkways.
12 Since 2009, New York State DOT has been a
13 member of a regional bridge strike task force that
14 has gathered and analyzed data from surveys of
15 commercial-vehicle drivers conducted during
16 ticket-enforcement campaigns.
17 Through this coalition of groups in the
18 metropolitan New York area, we assessed the data,
19 and share our best practices, regarding measures
20 taken to reduce the number of errant trucks on
21 parkways and subsequent bridge hits.
22 Ira Promisel, Chief Technical Sergeant for
23 the New York State Police, facilitates this task
24 force for State DOT, and he will be providing
25 additional details regarding that task force.
52
1 But as part of our ongoing participation,
2 State DOT has increased outreach to insurance
3 companies, map providers, GPS manufacturers, and the
4 motor-carrier and trucking industry, to collaborate
5 on solutions.
6 As a result, we have encouraged insurance
7 companies to offer discounts for independent
8 owner-operators who use commercial GPS systems that
9 have bridge-height layers on mapping displays.
10 State DOT also posts, on a monthly basis,
11 height- and weight-clearance information, as well as
12 parkway height restrictions to the 511NY developer
13 page, websites that use this type of information to
14 feed their applications, such as Google Maps.
15 And looking ahead, the Department is working
16 to provide this data in a real-time format via a
17 web-mapping service.
18 This format will allow developers to supply
19 their applications, such as websites, mobile apps,
20 and GPS, with the most up-to-date restrictions.
21 It will also eliminate the need for users to
22 download new information each month.
23 An important development right now, the 511NY
24 map is being updated this year to include layers for
25 truck restrictions.
53
1 This map layer will display all active bridge
2 and parkway height-restriction information across
3 New York State.
4 As a interactive layer, users will be able to
5 hover over and click on a particular restriction for
6 more information.
7 We've also distributed pamphlets of our
8 parkway restrictions for commercial vehicles and the
9 dangers of low bridges to commercial drivers
10 applying for tax I.D. numbers in New York State.
11 The brochure is posted on our website, and
12 handed out during random roadside truck inspections.
13 We have sent nearly 90,000 of these brochures
14 to trucking companies registered to do business in
15 New York State.
16 And State DOT is also increasing and
17 improving signage.
18 So to reduce the number of trucks illegally
19 traveling on Long Island parkways, the Department
20 has installed additional overhead and ground-mounted
21 signage, flashing beacons, portable and electronic
22 variable-message signs, alerting truckers to these
23 restrictions.
24 Additionally this year, State DOT has added
25 placard stickers on "exit" signs and on some access
54
1 roads leading to parkways that also indicate that
2 trucks are not allowed.
3 These signs display a "truck" icon with a red
4 slash through it.
5 In New York City, on I-678 southbound exit
6 ramp to the Jackie Robinson Parkway, we've installed
7 "Cars Only" pavement markings on the ramp -- the
8 deceleration lane of that ramp, to enhance the truck
9 restriction. That was done about three years ago.
10 Since its implementation, we have seen a
11 reduction in the number of hits and intrusions on
12 the Jackie Robinson Parkway.
13 As part of the City DOT's pilot project to
14 allow selected trucks on the eastbound
15 Grand Central Parkway, between the RFK Bridge and
16 the BQE I-278, we've also used "Cars Only" pavement
17 markings in the left-most lanes, that keep trucks
18 restricted to the two right-most lanes entering onto
19 the BQE.
20 With these positive results in New York City,
21 the State DOT is moving forward with similar
22 pavement markings at other key locations, including
23 the Hutchinson River, Saw Mill River,
24 Cross County parkways in Westchester County, the
25 northern and southern state parkways in Long Island,
55
1 and the FDR Drive, Marsh Hill, and Grand Central
2 parkways in New York City.
3 And in the Syracuse area, State DOT, last
4 year, prohibited all commercial vehicles from using
5 the Onondaga Lake Parkway.
6 Tractor-trailers and vehicles that were more
7 than 10-feet-9-inches high had already been banned
8 from the traveling parkway. And, now, State DOT has
9 extended the ban to all commercial vehicles,
10 following the completion of our traffic study that
11 recommended that measure.
12 Banning all commercial vehicles from the
13 Onondaga Lake Parkway strengthens our already
14 aggressive efforts to prevent over-height vehicle
15 crashes into the low-clearance CSX railroad bridge
16 over the roadway.
17 Commissioner John McDonald said, "This
18 prohibition, combined with a series of other
19 traffic-safety initiatives, is aimed at making the
20 Onondaga Lake Parkway as safe as possible."
21 And State DOT is also piloting new
22 technologies.
23 For example: The King Street Bridge over the
24 Hutchinson River Parkway, at the
25 New York-Connecticut border, was hit 17 times in
56
1 2006, and 13 times last year.
2 This year, we've had 6 hits to date.
3 Prior to -- that -- 2012, the bridge endured
4 the most hits in New York State.
5 But this reduction can be attributed to
6 treatments that we've installed at this location,
7 including a "CB Wizard" system for the CB radio,
8 that broadcasts recorded messages, at preset
9 intervals, about parkway restrictions for commercial
10 vehicles.
11 So moving forward, we are continuing to
12 monitor bridge-hit locations, review the existing
13 signage, to ensure that all existing signs are in
14 place and properly posted.
15 And we continue seeking opportunities to
16 supplement signage, pavement markings, and other
17 technologies and outreach.
18 Governor Cuomo has stated repeatedly that
19 "Government must work for the people."
20 And Commissioner McDonald has reinforced
21 that at State DOT.
22 In no areas is this more vital than in the
23 safety of our transportation infrastructure.
24 We fully understand that an efficient and
25 reliable system of highways and parkways will keep
57
1 goods and traffic flowing, strengthening
2 New York State's economy.
3 In every way, our Department, as a member of
4 the task force, and individually, is striving to
5 identify the reasons for these errant drivers, and
6 is continuously working to make our roads safer for
7 all those traveling throughout the state, and for
8 all New Yorkers.
9 Thank you for your time, and I'm happy to
10 respond to any questions.
11 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Thank you, Mr. Eng.
12 I appreciate you being here, and your
13 testimony.
14 Let me ask you a question.
15 What, if any, is in the works for a pilot
16 program?
17 You've heard certain suggestions, the
18 headache-bar; as you've heard, the laser technology,
19 you know, from our previous speaker.
20 This is a national problem.
21 Obviously, it's more prevalent here in
22 New York State, and seems to be ongoing.
23 Is there anything in the works that the DOT
24 is working on right now, similar to the suggestions
25 that the previous speaker had mentioned?
58
1 ASST. COMM. PHILLIP ENG, P.E.: Yes.
2 I think you heard from Dr. Agrawal, that we
3 have enhanced the signage at a lot of our entrance
4 ramps to the parkways and areas where there are
5 restrictions with regards to trucks or commercial
6 vehicles.
7 But, currently, we are looking to supplement
8 those signs, working on some successes that we had
9 in New York City, where we've used painted pavement
10 markings on the road itself.
11 On the Jackie Robinson Parkway, where we had
12 issues with truck intrusions and bridge hits, in the
13 15 months prior to the installation of these
14 pavement markings, we had six such incidents.
15 In the 30 months since then, we've had two.
16 So we're expanding that effort onto
17 Long Island to address some of the most frequent
18 areas on the northern state parkway and the southern
19 state parkways. The.
20 The text will be "No Trucks." It will on the
21 entrance ramps. It will be followed by "Low Bridge
22 Ahead."
23 And we believe that will be a good first
24 measure.
25 We're also going to do that, as I said in the
59
1 testimony, at other key locations across the
2 downstate area, particularly on the parkways where
3 we've seen a number of hits.
4 I know you've also talked, with the earlier,
5 with regards to some technology.
6 We are taking a look at potential areas where
7 technology can be used, but I think, as
8 Senator Martins mentioned, they are more costly.
9 We have used in the past some laser
10 over-height detectors, but we've not seen the
11 reliability of those systems that perhaps some of
12 other states have.
13 So, it's a matter of trying to find the most
14 cost-effective but successful measures, and then
15 implementing them across our highways.
16 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: You heard the terminology
17 today, the "headache-bar," by the previous speaker.
18 Has that been given any consideration?
19 Or, as a pilot program, to test it in certain
20 areas?
21 ASST. COMM. PHILLIP ENG, P.E.: Well, we have
22 discussed it.
23 There are concerns with the Department, with
24 regards to the potential hazard, if they do get
25 struck and pose a new hazard, trying to address the
60
1 current one.
2 But that doesn't mean that there might not be
3 opportunities to take a look at where such a device
4 would be acceptable.
5 However, our approach was to really try to
6 take a look at some of these other measures that
7 we've seen successes.
8 We hope that the pavement markings will
9 generate the same success that we've seen in
10 New York City.
11 We believe that, as the motorists, the
12 truckers, are seeing that -- they're looking at the
13 road ahead, so the painted pavement markings will be
14 in their line of sight; whereas, sometimes roadside
15 signs are off, and perhaps not picked up by the
16 motorist.
17 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Senator Martins?
18 SENATOR MARTINS: Thank you.
19 I often go back to my own experiences on the
20 road, and, you know, the kinds of things that we're
21 expected to notice when we're driving.
22 You know, you're expected to notice signage,
23 you're expected to notice speed limits.
24 Certainly, if you go and exceed the speed
25 limit and one of our local law-enforcement officers
61
1 happens to notice that you did, you're gonna get
2 pulled over. And if you say, "Well, I didn't see
3 the sign," I don't think they're going to be very
4 sympathetic.
5 I appreciate the fact that we're stressing
6 the need to put more signage and markings on the
7 ground.
8 But I would also encourage the DOT to
9 consider a pilot program similar to the program that
10 the Chairman just mentioned.
11 The opportunity exists, certainly, for a
12 pilot program in a closed environment, say, on an
13 island east of New York City, where we can identify
14 certain parkways where there have been bridges
15 struck. And there can be a mechanism -- mechanical
16 mechanism put in place, where there's a friendly
17 reminder in the form of a headache-bar, or something
18 along those lines, whether it breaks away, or
19 whether it just hits, you know, that portion of the
20 truck that is higher than would be there normally.
21 But I think if the alternative to a truck
22 hitting a piece of wood or hitting a chain is that
23 that truck is going to strike a bridge, and the
24 cost -- potential cost to life, potential cost to
25 property, as well as to the structural integrity to
62
1 bridge, I would think that the alternative of
2 putting a bar, with a piece of wood or a chain,
3 would be far more cost-effective, and effective,
4 period, Commissioner, than not doing anything at
5 all, and waiting to see whether or not these
6 markings actually work.
7 Is there an opportunity for us to explore
8 something like that?
9 ASST. COMM. PHILLIP ENG, P.E.: Yes, I
10 understand your interest in us pursuing it.
11 What we can do is, take a look, to see if
12 there are locations, perhaps, where a device -- and
13 not knowing the type of material that we might
14 choose, but perhaps a device and a location where it
15 won't pose the hazards that we're talking in
16 general.
17 So, maybe not to exclude it completely, but
18 to see if we can identify locations, we will take a
19 look at that.
20 SENATOR MARTINS: When we talk about things
21 like, enforcement, and the laws that exist, as
22 disincentives to truck drivers, under these
23 circumstances, getting into situations where they
24 may strike a bridge, does the Department of
25 Transportation work hand-in-hand with the Department
63
1 of Motor Vehicles in coming up with policies,
2 procedures, or recommendations with regard to
3 enforcement, that perhaps the Legislature can look
4 at?
5 Is that part of your review as well?
6 ASST. COMM. PHILLIP ENG, P.E.: We do take a
7 look at potential legislation.
8 One of the things you have been discussing
9 earlier was with regards to the -- how the mechanism
10 which New York State signs the vertical clearances
11 on our bridges.
12 Currently, under the Vehicle and Traffic Law,
13 we are required, for bridges 14 feet or less, to
14 sign them. And that signage is for 1 foot less than
15 the actual vertical clearance.
16 There has been discussion about potential
17 legislation to be more consistent with other states
18 with regards to signing for bridges that are
19 fourteen-six or less, and then that new signage
20 would be three inches below the actual clearance.
21 SENATOR MARTINS: Commissioner, we mentioned
22 that many of our bridges here on Long Island, and
23 certainly across New York State, have an arch to
24 them.
25 Is that measurement taken from the lowest
64
1 point or from the highest point?
2 ASST. COMM. PHILLIP ENG, P.E.: It is the
3 lowest vertical clearance on the drivable roadway,
4 yes.
5 SENATOR MARTINS: So it's a foot below the
6 lowest point on that arch, and not necessarily the
7 midpoint of the clearance under the span?
8 ASST. COMM. PHILLIP ENG, P.E.: Correct, it's
9 always the lowest vertical clearance point under
10 that bridge.
11 SENATOR MARTINS: Now, I understand, you
12 know, and we heard testimony earlier, about how
13 truck drivers can possibly not trust the
14 measurements. But I also understand that we have,
15 essentially, a fudge factor when it comes to giving
16 them some leeway. And there may be a need for it.
17 What you're suggesting, and what I heard
18 today, is that, we may actually want to reduce that
19 factor by three-quarters, simply because we want to
20 make them more, certain?
21 Is that what it is?
22 We want to send a message to truck drivers
23 that we really mean the heights that we say?
24 Or, do we really want to give them less of a
25 factor, when they may be off by a couple of inches?
65
1 I always saw that as a positive: You go a
2 foot below, what's the big deal? We're actually
3 giving people that extra leeway.
4 The previous testimony we heard today, and I
5 guess I'm hearing from you as well, is that that
6 factor may be counterintuitive?
7 It may be actually inducing people to take a
8 risk, and take a larger load through a bridge or
9 under a bridge that they shouldn't be traveling
10 under?
11 ASST. COMM. PHILLIP ENG, P.E.: Right, what
12 we're believing is, that over-height vehicles have a
13 distrust of those signs.
14 They know that we have a foot clearance, and
15 that they can sneak through on certain corridors.
16 And rather than looking for an alternative
17 route, where they should be, they can go through
18 what they think is the shortest route, we believe
19 they are trying to still pass under some of these
20 bridges.
21 SENATOR MARTINS: But if you change the
22 height, and you reduce that factor to three inches,
23 from a foot, the education necessary to transmit
24 that to every truck driver and every commercial
25 driver who has been accustomed to passing a high
66
1 load under it -- and -- or -- the level of -- or,
2 the number of hits that we're opening ourselves up
3 to, by reducing that height, has the Department
4 determined how they're going to communicate that,
5 and what the potential short-term impact, literally,
6 is going to be from taking such a measure?
7 ASST. COMM. PHILLIP ENG, P.E.: Well, we know
8 that if we were to get legislation to do that, we
9 would have to, obviously, change the signs very
10 quickly.
11 It would have to be a public-awareness
12 outreach, similar to what we're trying to do with
13 "No Truck On Parkways."
14 It would have to be, such that the industry
15 is aware that we've changed our signs to be more
16 consistent with the other states.
17 And the thought is, through consistency, as
18 truckers drive from one state to another, they will
19 not try to violate under these bridges.
20 SENATOR MARTINS: Thank you.
21 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Assemblyman?
22 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: No, thank you.
23 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Mr. Eng, thank you very
24 much for being here.
25 I appreciate it.
67
1 ASST. COMM. PHILLIP ENG, P.E.: Thank you,
2 Chairman.
3 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Sergeant Promisel.
4 Good morning, Sergeant.
5 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Good morning.
6 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Just your name and title,
7 please, for the record.
8 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: My name is
9 Sergeant Ira Promisel. I'm a chief technical
10 sergeant with the New York State Police.
11 Good morning.
12 I want to thank Senator Fuschillo and the
13 other members of the Legislature for the opportunity
14 to address this important issue, and to highlight
15 what has been done by the task force members.
16 My name is Ira Promisel. I'm a chief
17 technical sergeant with New York State Police, with
18 22 years of experience, working with the
19 New York State Department of Transportation at the
20 Hudson Valley Transportation Management Center in
21 Hawthorne, New York.
22 Through my current position, academic
23 experience -- I have two master's degrees, and I'm a
24 Ph.D. candidate -- and my roles as co-chair of both
25 the New York State Traffic Incident Management
68
1 Steering Committee, and I-95 Corridor Coalition
2 Incident Management Track, I have developed
3 expertise in the area of traffic-incident management
4 in a multi-disciplined environment, and how it
5 relates to bridge hits, in the areas of technology,
6 analysis, and operation.
7 And my role on the Bridge Strike Mitigation
8 Task Force is primarily as a facilitator and
9 coordinator of their efforts.
10 My testimony today will focus on an overview
11 of the regional approach to attacking the issue of
12 trucks striking bridges, including reasons for
13 recent increases, legal issues, background, the
14 task force's approach, lessons learned, and an
15 overview of several treatments.
16 Recent Increases:
17 There's been an increase in bridge strikes
18 and their effect, but it is not a new problem.
19 There are four primary reasons for the
20 increase:
21 An exponential increase in trucking traffic,
22 much of that's created from just-in-time delivery.
23 With more truck traffic, there's more opportunity
24 for errors.
25 Congestion, in general is also increased, and
69
1 this leads to more significant effects when there is
2 a crash.
3 The increased use of global positioning
4 systems, it's an aggravating factor, by directing
5 truckers onto these restricted roadways.
6 And, New York State DOT has also
7 significantly improved the collection of data
8 related to the bridge hits, giving them more
9 accurate representation of incidents.
10 How This Can Be Prevented:
11 There is no single measure that can prevent
12 this.
13 A layered approach, over time, includes:
14 Identifying mechanisms of how and why this is
15 occurring, descriptions of who's hitting the
16 bridges, and coordination between and among industry
17 and government.
18 Laws and Regulations:
19 Based on data and experience we've amassed,
20 the use of enforcement as a deterrent is unlikely to
21 assist.
22 The use of police is critical for the
23 collection of data, however.
24 And I must say, from a personal standpoint,
25 I'm all for enforcement, I'm all for writing lots of
70
1 ticket, ands have done so throughout my career,
2 including tickets in this case.
3 It just doesn't seem to have the deterrent
4 effect that we'd expect to see.
5 Mandatory equipment -- commercial-grade GPS,
6 receiver-transmitter devices -- may prove more
7 effective, but need to be addressed on a national
8 basis.
9 An example is outlined in U.S. DOT study on
10 Intelligent Dimension Evaluation and Alert Systems.
11 And that was done with New York State as
12 well.
13 The Bridge Mitigation Task Force:
14 In 2009, a number of efforts were brought
15 together into one task force. It is a cooperative
16 effort, with no separate funding or dedicated
17 personnel. It's comprised of various parties that
18 meet on an ad hoc basis several times a year.
19 Although it is primarily a regional entity, it has
20 national partners, such as the I-95 Corridor
21 Coalition.
22 Principles of the task force include:
23 Identifying the reasons for the hits;
24 Working regionally and nationally;
25 Gaining economies of scale and testing and
71
1 deploying solutions;
2 Focusing on safety -- doing no harm --
3 effectiveness, and cost.
4 And I will also say, it's not a policymaking
5 entity.
6 It's, we make recommendations. We try to
7 implement solutions, as best we can, on an agency
8 level.
9 What we've have learned from surveys and
10 treatments performed to date:
11 We've learned a lot about drivers.
12 Drivers overwhelmingly speak English.
13 And this is something that, in the past, was
14 one of the thoughts, that maybe they don't
15 understand English, and are from out of state.
16 It's either their first or second time in
17 New York.
18 They generally are not fleet drivers.
19 They tend to listen to their CBs, and tend to
20 be late adopters of technology.
21 The drivers claim they often do not see
22 signs, even multiple signs.
23 Our data indicates there's also no specific
24 time of day or time of year where there's a
25 significant increase or decrease in these bridge
72
1 hits.
2 GPS and Mapping:
3 There's a significant difference between
4 commercial and basic GPS systems. There appears to
5 be a dependence on the systems that then minimize
6 driver's interpretation of their surroundings.
7 Some fleet managers discourage GPS by drivers
8 because of errors and dependence issues.
9 Effective Treatments:
10 Pavement markings have shown promise as they
11 may be more apparent to drivers than signs alone.
12 The CB Wizard broadcasts out messages at
13 regular intervals, and seem to be effective by
14 warning drivers, and, I think more importantly,
15 creating conversation between drivers.
16 We've listened to these conversations, and
17 it's very interesting to hear them say: Oh, who's
18 that lady talking about the over-height bridge, and
19 what does that mean?
20 And some of the other drivers, locally, will
21 say: You idiot, get off the road.
22 And, so, that's -- seems to have put an
23 additional effect on it.
24 Comprehensive systems, including cameras,
25 variable-message signs, height detectors, and
73
1 integrated signs, have shown to be effective, but
2 have cost and maintenance issues.
3 Innovative signing also appears to have some
4 effects. Putting LED lights, for example, around
5 the signs.
6 Bridge Mitigation Task Force Efforts:
7 Outreach has been a key effort of this -- of
8 the Bridge Mitigation Task Force, and it has
9 included public and private entities, such as the
10 trucking industry, and that includes the rental
11 industry; the American Transportation Research
12 Institute, which is an arm of the trucking industry;
13 motor carriers, and risk managers; map providers;
14 other government entities at all levels.
15 A pamphlet-distribution effort, led by
16 New York State and New York City DOT, has been
17 underway for a number of years.
18 We've also engaged in discussions with other
19 states that have been looking at similar issues,
20 including Illinois' GPS Task Force.
21 On the-data analysis side, a DOT
22 CUNY-sponsored study was completed in 2011,
23 including an analysis of the problem, a nationwide
24 survey of DOTs, and potential solutions.
25 The task force also initiated a survey effort
74
1 of drivers as part of its initial ticket blitz,
2 which was later integrated into legacy surveys.
3 CUNY then developed and housed a database for
4 this information. It went online this month.
5 The task force coordinated with ATRI for a
6 willingness-to-pay survey regarding directional
7 devices.
8 That, actually, the survey went out
9 yesterday, was when they went live with it.
10 Height layers, mapping and GPS, are difficult
11 to complete and keep current.
12 New York State DOT, with funding and support
13 from I-95 Corridor Coalition, has developed a
14 process to share the height layer via 511, and are
15 in the process of adding other agencies' layers.
16 So, LIRR, the MTA, they have their own layers
17 of heights, and there's a significant problem with
18 rail bridges. That's where most of bridges across
19 the country are hit, they're actually the rail
20 bridges.
21 New York City DOT also has a height layer
22 that they distribute.
23 An automated process is being developed as a
24 continuation of this effort to improve dissemination
25 of this information to GPS mapping and trucking
75
1 companies.
2 I-95 Corridor Coalition will assist
3 New York State DOT in sharing this information on a
4 wide scale, and improve 511 and associated systems
5 nationwide.
6 We're reaching that national audience that we
7 need to.
8 Enforcement:
9 A mass enforcement effort to include data --
10 a data component of -- a data-collection component,
11 excuse me. Almost 300 tickets were written in one
12 week, took place.
13 The most promising result was that collection
14 of data, that allowed better targeting of
15 treatments.
16 Signs and Messaging:
17 A number of attempts have been made, or are
18 in the process of being made, to improve the
19 communication of the message to targeted roadways.
20 They include pavement markings, higher signs,
21 LED signs, posting additional height signs,
22 over-height detectors, and "No Truck" stickers.
23 Pavement markings will be added to three DOT
24 regions. These will be completed in this
25 construction season, and will include signing as
76
1 well as marking.
2 Technology:
3 Three main technology systems have been
4 examined and deployed.
5 Future deployments are being looked at in the
6 near and mid term.
7 These include video systems.
8 And this is one of the really -- real good
9 things is, leveraging existing "ITS" -- intelligent
10 transportation systems -- that are out there, and
11 using that for the bridge heights.
12 So some of them are video systems, like LPR,
13 the CB Wizard, and comprehensive over-height
14 notification systems.
15 Although these systems can make a huge impact
16 on all types of bridge strikes, including those that
17 involve over-height vehicles, due to improper
18 configuration, like a boom itself, or improperly
19 loaded, they can never totally eliminate the human
20 factor.
21 We just had a case on I-81 yesterday, I
22 believe, with a boom that was up, that struck a
23 bridge.
24 Technology -- or, excuse me. I already said
25 that.
77
1 Connected Vehicle Initiative:
2 The best solution, and the hardest to
3 implement right now, is related to the
4 Connected Vehicle Initiative.
5 CVI connects communication devices to
6 on-board systems of trucks to exchange real-time
7 events, including restrictions, between the vehicle,
8 infrastructure, and driver.
9 There are challenges, including cost,
10 infrastructure, and maintenance, especially to the
11 portions of the trucking industry that we're most
12 concerned of, which is your independent driver.
13 This will need to be a collaborative effort
14 between government and industry.
15 NYSDOT, working with I-95 Corridor Coalition,
16 has been a leading agency in examining the
17 feasibility of CVI.
18 Human Factor Studies and Treatments:
19 What do people see or not see when focusing
20 on GPS or other distractions?
21 Currently, there are a number of research and
22 deployment efforts underway, regarding distracted
23 drivers, from numerous entities related to this
24 issue.
25 We've been monitoring to this, and I think
78
1 that this is going to be a key element in solving,
2 not only this problem, but other over-height
3 restrictions, and other things, making people more
4 aware of their surroundings.
5 Some of the Successes:
6 There's been significant and measurable
7 reduction of bridge strikes at King Street,
8 Jackie Robinson Parkway, and the
9 Syracuse CSX Bridge, based on efforts made by the
10 task force members.
11 The task force, working with regional and
12 national groups, is working to replicate and improve
13 on these success.
14 Thank you again to Senator Fuschillo, and all
15 of those attending this hearing, for your attention
16 to this important issue.
17 I would be happy to answer your questions at
18 this time.
19 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Sergeant, thank you very
20 much. I appreciate your testimony.
21 Just a few basic questions.
22 Where do you work out of?
23 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: I work out of
24 Hudson Valley Transportation Management Center.
25 It's a facility similar to what you have on
79
1 Long Island, that looks at traffic throughout the
2 region. So, we cover the seven counties north of
3 New York City.
4 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: I'm going to ask you a
5 questions.
6 The first question is: Is there enough
7 personnel of the State Police Department to properly
8 enforce our roadways?
9 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: I would refer any of
10 policy-type questions like that to my higher
11 headquarters.
12 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: I thought you would.
13 [Laughter.]
14 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: You had mentioned in your
15 testimony, over-height detection systems.
16 Has there been any recommendations or
17 considerations to what you have heard today from one
18 of the previous individuals who testified with
19 regard to the headache-bar?
20 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Absolutely.
21 And that was one of first discussions that
22 we've had because, obviously, that's the number one
23 commonsense thing that immediately comes to mind.
24 We -- obviously, with -- and that's why I
25 prefaced some of our -- some of my testimony, saying
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1 we're not a policymaking entity.
2 We make recommendations.
3 If they tell us those recommendations,
4 whatever they happen to be, are not going to be
5 implemented, then we will -- are going to move on,
6 and we're going to implement all of things we can
7 implement.
8 In the case of headache-bar, what we had
9 looked at was a number of different efforts out
10 there. We want to make sure we do no harm, so
11 there's a lot of concern, particularly about chains
12 and heavy-duty pieces of material that could
13 potentially become dangerous.
14 There's other things that have been looking
15 at.
16 On the Henry Hudson Parkway, there's, right
17 now, some PVC pipe that's hanging.
18 I don't have any numbers on the effectiveness
19 in it, but I can tell you, from an anecdotal level,
20 seen on a number of occasions, coming back from
21 John Jay College, trucks hitting that and continuing
22 on their way.
23 So I don't know if that is the right
24 approach.
25 We also looked at a device that, basically,
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1 would be spring-loaded, at the exit -- or, be at the
2 entrance ramps, as you had discussed, which would be
3 the best place to put that.
4 It would be spring-loaded, the truck would
5 hit it, it would basically move aside so you're not
6 causing any damage, and then, as that truck exits
7 it, it would slowly return to the original position.
8 Again, there was some legal issues that were
9 concerned by the Department -- expressed by the
10 Department. And there was also some maintenance
11 issues on maintaining a device.
12 Those are the two primary issues that keep
13 coming up.
14 The bridge -- the task force would be happy
15 to look at anything and everything, and we have,
16 that we can -- that becomes available, but at a
17 certain point, it does become a policy issue for the
18 various agencies.
19 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Because it could simply
20 be a bar. It could just simply be, you know, a bar
21 coming down.
22 It doesn't even have to have chain or plastic
23 or wood, or anything hanging over it. And if the
24 bridge is 14 feet in height, this could be 14 feet,
25 you can't get on the entrance ramp.
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1 And I think that's really the goal here, is,
2 as I said before: How do we prevent the occurrence
3 of even getting on the parkway?
4 And if there's a disruption, I'd rather the
5 disruption be on the entrance ramp than on the
6 parkway itself.
7 And, you know, there are many things, as you
8 know, probably better than anybody on this panel,
9 that needs constant maintenance on all the highways,
10 whether it's signage, whether it's pruning of trees,
11 that could be a hazard or a liability.
12 You know, we travel on a weekly basis, when
13 we're in session, back and forth to Albany. And on
14 the thruway, they're constantly pruning trees.
15 They're constantly putting up fences, to prevent
16 deers from coming on roadways in certain locations.
17 On Long Island, it's the same issue here.
18 You know, years ago, they started to install
19 the sandbags and the sand buckets, so individuals
20 wouldn't crash into a bridge. Those needed
21 maintenance.
22 I mean, these are the jobs of, obviously, the
23 Department of Transportation, and their employees,
24 to provide maintenance of our roadways.
25 And I just think this would be something that
83
1 should be seriously looked at.
2 The technology of lasers as well, is that
3 something that the State Police, or your role in the
4 task force, you've considered?
5 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Yeah, absolutely. That's
6 something that we -- we actually have some devices
7 that are out there now.
8 As the chief engineer had mentioned earlier,
9 there is some reliability issues on the ones that we
10 currently have in place. Although, nationally, it
11 looks like, particularly, this company called
12 "Trigg," that was looked at in the study, has
13 produced some that have a more -- that seem to be
14 more reliable.
15 It definitely is something to look at.
16 There is also, along the same lines, video
17 analytics, which, since we already have a lot of
18 cameras on the highways, that, license-plate
19 readers, they're getting put out there.
20 Even loop detectors that can detect whether
21 it's a commercial vehicle, is if you've got the loop
22 set up the way they need to be.
23 Those detection devices could also be
24 utilized within existing messaging systems out
25 there, again, taking cost into the factor, and
84
1 leveraging existing technology that we have.
2 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: And, you know, they work,
3 and they do work, but they're just part of the
4 solution.
5 But I've noticed the installation of
6 illuminated signs at traffic intersections now, when
7 there is a red light, if -- the sign will come on.
8 Because, in certain areas, you can make a
9 right turn on red. But, now, they're posting in
10 certain areas, "when light is on, don't do it."
11 And it illuminates, and this is a new
12 technology that's being used, similar to what
13 Senator Martins had talked about, when -- at the
14 entrance.
15 I appreciate your work.
16 This is a serious problem.
17 And now that the task force has issued their
18 report, work needs to be done, and I'm sure you'll
19 agree.
20 And that's really the impetus of this
21 hearing, is to see what we can do, and how we
22 prevent this, because we can't just keep going on.
23 This is a major issue.
24 And, the economic impact is quite significant
25 as well to the State, but also to the goods and
85
1 services that are being shipped, and to the
2 individuals.
3 I mean, look at yesterday, the Saw Mill River
4 Parkway was just shut down. And, besides the
5 inconvenience, it's a major cost factor, to have,
6 you know, law enforcement out there to clean up, the
7 fire department, and everybody else, that has to
8 remediate that situation as well.
9 We're trying to prevent that.
10 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: We're doing a couple
11 things.
12 And if you don't mind indulging me on the
13 Saw Mill.
14 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Not at all.
15 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: I actually -- we've
16 instituted a new process within this.
17 One of things that we're trying to do on the
18 task force is, initially, it was looking at
19 recommendations, sharing information. Now we're
20 trying to operationalize a lot of the things that
21 are going on. That's with the pavement-marking
22 issue, and things like, where we actually can get
23 these things in the field.
24 One of things that we're doing, we found that
25 law-enforcement survey to be extremely valuable.
86
1 And now we're following up.
2 Even though less of the hits come from fleet
3 drivers, we have a real opportunity at working with
4 the industry, and then calling up those fleets.
5 So we've made it a practice now, each time we
6 have one of those hits, we reach out for the head of
7 risk or safety for those fleets.
8 I called the -- it was, FFD, was the company
9 that hit the bridge on the Saw Mill -- it was that
10 frozen-foods company -- and spoke to the head of
11 safety.
12 I'm waiting for a call back from the head of
13 risk. He wanted to interview the driver first.
14 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Sure.
15 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: But I found out some very
16 interesting information, and this goes to other
17 ones.
18 Number one, they had a commercial GPS on
19 board.
20 They have a system, not only -- it's not only
21 a commercial [unintelligible], it's an interactive
22 system that restricts them.
23 They have training where they talk about the
24 bridge heights.
25 There's a whole bunch of factors, that this
87
1 company was doing all the things right. And the
2 last fleet truck that hit as well, they actually
3 sent me a copy of their [unintelligible] dispatch
4 for the truck and in there is specific verbiage
5 about not getting onto our parkways.
6 So, I mean, they -- they're -- now we -- that
7 helps, though, because that let's us know:
8 Okay, where do we need to target the efforts?
9 How can we make this a better solution?
10 And one of the trends that we're starting to
11 see -- and, again, it's only anecdotal. We haven't
12 studied it in a real rigorous way yet. -- is, it
13 seems like these are new drivers that are coming out
14 there.
15 In both those cases, they were fairly new
16 drivers. Even though they attended an academy from
17 those companies, they were new drivers. Again,
18 first or second time in New York.
19 In this case, both of them, first time in
20 New York, and one of their first times on these long
21 hauls.
22 It changed the nature of how we would discuss
23 it.
24 The other thing in talking to these folks is,
25 the turnover rate of the truckers is 90 to
88
1 100 percent a year, which is a tremendous turnover,
2 which, again, challenges on our solutions.
3 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: The thing that I haven't
4 heard today, which I think is key to the success of
5 this, too, is inter-municipal cooperation.
6 You know, there are many occasions where
7 there aren't state roads leading onto the entrance
8 or egress of our parkways here on the Island, their
9 town, their county, their villages.
10 Was there anybody from the counties'
11 association or municipal governments on the task
12 force as well?
13 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Not necessarily the
14 municipal associations, but the task force does
15 include a really wide spectrum of folks.
16 We have involvement with "TRALA," which is
17 the rental truck industry; "ATA," the American
18 Trucking Association; the Motor Carriers
19 Association.
20 So we have a -- industry groups.
21 We have MTA, LIRR.
22 We have a number of police entities,
23 including Westchester County Police, and they've
24 been just phenomenal at collecting the surveys.
25 They've been, pretty much, the best at actually
89
1 collecting data, as well as writing lots of tickets.
2 They -- they -- we have the City of Rye.
3 We have a -- one of the -- I'm trying to
4 think what the name of it -- the entity from
5 Connecticut, but, we have folks from Connecticut
6 involved.
7 Long Island, obviously, the DOTs, DPWs.
8 So, it's a very wide spectrum.
9 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Again, I think the
10 missing component is, you know, we spend a lot of
11 time in Albany, and there is an association of
12 highway superintendents, there is a conference of
13 mayors, there is a conference of municipal leaders,
14 where county executives and town supervisors and
15 village mayors are all participants in these member
16 associations, as well as county highway
17 superintendents.
18 I think that's been missing today, because,
19 you know, again, I think we're all in agreement, we
20 don't want truckers to get on, and then have to back
21 up, or face the consequences that they have been
22 facing.
23 So the cooperation of the signage, and maybe
24 even the markings, before, may have to be from a
25 village mayor or town supervisor or county
90
1 executive, city mayor, you know, jurisdiction
2 outside of the state.
3 And that's a missing component here as well,
4 because that should be there as, you know, a
5 preventive measure as well.
6 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: And I will do that
7 outreach before our next meeting, so that will
8 happen.
9 The other thing that kind of goes along with
10 it, and motor carriers, actually, Kendra Adams had
11 mentioned it, she said: You know, maybe we should
12 do a "Bridge Awareness Strike Week," you know, on a
13 national basis.
14 Because, again, it's a national problem.
15 And one of the -- you know, the "Click It or
16 Ticket," one of the MTA police officers,
17 Ed Conte [ph.], had said: Oh, we should do
18 "Check It or Wreck It."
19 Which I thought was very catchy.
20 And, you know -- but that sort of thing, you
21 know, you can see "Click It or Ticket" has made an
22 effect, so maybe that's a good way to go on this.
23 And that would be a great opportunity to
24 really engage --
25 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: I don't know if the
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1 truckers association would agree with you, but --
2 [Laughter.]
3 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: But, I thank you for your
4 testimony.
5 I know Senator Martins has some comments as
6 well.
7 Senator?
8 SENATOR MARTINS: Thank you.
9 Let me just take a step back.
10 On a policy decision, we've been talking
11 about people making policy decisions; and those
12 people who make the policy decisions, as to whether
13 or not to pursue a headache-bar, or pursue some
14 other technology, or decide that there's going to be
15 stripings or markings on the ground, or increase
16 signage.
17 Who makes that decision?
18 Because we're talking about people in the
19 abstract, but, ultimately, I would think that, given
20 that it is a state problem -- national problem, a
21 state problem, and a problem that affects
22 Long Island specifically, that a committee like this
23 should be weighing in on those policy decisions;
24 yet, I understand that these decisions are being
25 made by people, in general terms.
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1 Who's making that decision?
2 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: It really depends on the
3 entity, and I can't speak for all of the broad
4 spectrum of entities there.
5 Generally what we'll do is, we'll take our
6 policy decisions -- or the -- excuse me -- we'll
7 take our recommendations, and then we'll forward it
8 to our various chains of command.
9 So if it's something that's an enforcement
10 issue, for example, that would go through our -- on
11 the State Police side, I would forward that up
12 through our field command and our division traffic
13 folks. They'll take a look at it, and then they'll
14 forward it up to the appropriate level, to make the
15 decision that they need to make.
16 On the DOT side, they have their own setup,
17 does New York City DOT, or NYPD, or whomever the
18 other entity is.
19 It really is, who's got the ownership of the
20 facility, and then, who's got the enforcement of the
21 facility.
22 SENATOR MARTINS: Talking, specifically,
23 we're talking about, and I've heard it a couple of
24 times, the hesitation of implementing this
25 headache-bar, for fear that there's going to be some
93
1 danger to somebody.
2 And, frankly, I would love to find out who's
3 making that quality judgment.
4 Because, the idea of forgoing an opportunity
5 to stop a truck that you know is going to hit a
6 bridge on that parkway, given its height, the
7 ability to stop that truck as it enters an on-ramp
8 onto a parkway, as opposed to -- because of a
9 potential that a piece of chain or a piece lumber
10 may be struck and fly off, I'm assuming, as opposed
11 to the very real danger of having that truck enter
12 the parkway, reach highway speed, and hit a bridge,
13 thereby affecting other passenger cars and other
14 people in the area, for me, it just seems like a
15 no-brainer.
16 And I would love to know who it is that's
17 making a decision that that is too much of a risk or
18 that there's too much of a liability to address it
19 at the entrance ramp, as opposed to somewhere
20 actually on the parkway.
21 Because you know, we all do sitting here,
22 that truck that would have struck that piece of wood
23 or that chain, if they enter the parkway and
24 accelerate to highway speed, it's going hit that
25 bridge and come to a screeching halt, and
94
1 potentially -- not potentially -- likely hurt
2 themselves, hurt someone else on the roadway, and
3 cause incredible damage.
4 So, who's making these decisions?
5 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: And I'd have to refer --
6 in this case, that's a decision through the
7 Department of Transportation, and I'd have to refer
8 that to them.
9 I don't know who the individual is --
10 SENATOR MARTINS: I understand.
11 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: -- but that would be
12 someone within the Department Of Transportation.
13 What I've been told is, that it's a legal
14 interpretation.
15 So, I would assume it goes through their
16 legal counsel.
17 SENATOR MARTINS: Yeah, I understand,
18 liability and laws are set by the Legislature.
19 Let's go to another point, and keep -- and I
20 heard a couple of references to the
21 Jackie Robinson Parkway, entirely different scenario
22 than what we're dealing with here on Long Island.
23 The idea of the Jackie Robinson Parkway and
24 that entrance, or that split, you know, where the
25 Grand Central starts, and -- or continues, and
95
1 Jackie Robinson Parkway starts, it's entirely
2 different, I would hope you would agree, than the
3 experience that we have here on Long Island, with
4 our entrance ramps onto parkways.
5 The entrance onto our parkways are clearly
6 delineated, they are slow entrances, usually they're
7 sweeping, and the opportunity to stop something at
8 that point, as opposed to a split in a roadway where
9 you really don't have the opportunity to put an
10 over-height device, is entirely different.
11 And I'm glad to hear that you're getting, and
12 have success, with regard to the markings on the
13 round, with regard to the Jackie Robinson Parkway.
14 But I would hope, that in keeping with some
15 of the suggestions that we've heard here today, that
16 there's an opportunity for a different point of view
17 when it comes to a pilot program here on
18 Long Island.
19 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Personally, I'm all for
20 trying whatever new thing we can try, and see what
21 works.
22 That's part of the principles of the task
23 force, is, instead of having all these different
24 entities operate within silos, one entity or two
25 entities can try out the treatment, see if it works.
96
1 If it doesn't work, or they run into
2 problems, then we may not utilize that.
3 And we've run into that in the past with a
4 couple of the treatments that we tried.
5 If it does work, then we try to replicate it
6 and get that everywhere we can.
7 SENATOR MARTINS: And just one last point:
8 When I talk about, and I've spoken about
9 earlier today, the issue of enforcement and
10 ticketing and disincentives, frankly, I'm not
11 discussing numbers.
12 I couldn't care less whether there's
13 500 tickets written or 5 tickets written.
14 I'm looking for an opportunity, and I think
15 we need to explore the opportunity, for what
16 motivates certain people, what serves as a
17 disincentive to certain people, and whether or not
18 that shouldn't be a factor as well.
19 When we talk about those things that will
20 cause people who enter parkways, like we have here
21 on Long Island, with large commercial vehicles, you
22 know, by and large, you have to pay attention, you
23 have to see the signs that are there to be seen.
24 And there has to be a consequence when you
25 don't.
97
1 And that's -- and that's only -- the only
2 point that I was trying to make.
3 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: No, absolutely.
4 And that was one of our big things that we
5 wanted to do.
6 Unfortunately, we just haven't seen the cause
7 and effect on it.
8 And, you know, potentially, there could a
9 number of reasons for that.
10 One of the things that I am looking at, is
11 trying to collect data from other places that have
12 raised it.
13 Virginia, for example, has -- although
14 they're just in the few-thousand-dollar range for
15 fines, they, for example, have raised the costs of
16 the tickets.
17 I don't have results on whether they've
18 made -- that's made an impact or not.
19 SENATOR MARTINS: Well, and that would
20 suggest that I'm also not speaking in terms of
21 fines, as much as I'm speaking in terms of the
22 effect on the license itself.
23 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: They added --
24 SENATOR MARTINS: Because --
25 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: -- I believe it was --
98
1 I've got the chart there -- it was 3 points that was
2 added to their CDL, off of their plan that they
3 implemented. It was around 2007, I believe.
4 But, again, I haven't seen any real good
5 results on whether it has been effective or not.
6 SENATOR MARTINS: Thank you, Sergeant.
7 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Senator Dilan?
8 SENATOR DILAN: Yeah, I just would like to
9 indicate that I do agree with Senator Martins with
10 respect to a pilot program out here in Long Island.
11 However, where there are differences with
12 infrastructure, the environment, that perhaps it
13 could be pilot programs, to also examine those
14 areas.
15 For example, the one that Senator Martins
16 indicated, where the split in the road comes to
17 Grand Central, to the Jackie Robinson, and anywhere
18 else in the state where it could be different
19 conditions, I think all of that should be
20 considered.
21 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Absolutely.
22 SENATOR DILAN: Thank you.
23 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Assemblyman McDonough?
24 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Yes, thank you.
25 And I know we're running long here, so I only
99
1 have two very brief comments; and that is:
2 The CB radios, you know, they were very
3 common, everybody had one.
4 Are they still very common in trucks?
5 Is it, you know --
6 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Not as common as they
7 were, but they're still common enough to make an
8 impact.
9 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: So you have a method,
10 through the CBI [ph.], or something, of
11 communicating on CB bands that they're going to
12 hear, even if they're not looking for that message,
13 if they're in the area; right?
14 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: We broadcast on 19 and
15 21, which is the ones they generally listen to, and
16 it goes out every 30 seconds on one of the stations.
17 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: And the only other
18 question I have is, somebody mentioned spring-loaded
19 arms, which you drive through, and that would warn
20 you.
21 But isn't that like a toll gate, that you
22 would almost have to come to a full stop?
23 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: No, the arms are high
24 enough --
25 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Oh, oh. Okay.
100
1 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: -- that it would only be
2 the trucks that would strike that spring-loaded --
3 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Only hit the back of
4 the truck?
5 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Yeah.
6 And it would be that safety aspect of, also,
7 you know, being a break-away, if you will, so it
8 wouldn't -- it couldn't fall on the --
9 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Is it -- if a truck
10 hits it, what happens then?
11 A signal goes off, or a broadcast, or what?
12 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: It can be set up a number
13 of different ways.
14 You can just leave it as is --
15 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Put lights ahead
16 [unintelligible] stop?
17 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Or you can do that, you
18 could put sensors on it, and put that red light.
19 You could put a light that flashes. Or, you could
20 just have a light ahead that says: Hey, idiot, you
21 just hit a bar. Get off.
22 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Stop, stop.
23 Okay, thank you very much, Sergeant.
24 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: So, Sergeant, you ticket
25 the driver?
101
1 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Yes.
2 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Do you put -- any
3 violation to the carrier?
4 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: No.
5 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Okay.
6 Only unless there's an inspection done on the
7 vehicle, if there's some deficiencies?
8 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Correct.
9 And one of the issues is, the bulk of the
10 drivers that we're seeing hitting the bridges are
11 independent drivers.
12 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Okay.
13 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: So, the ability to deal
14 with the fleets, although we are attacking that
15 issue as well, the vast majority are from
16 independent operators.
17 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: In-state or out-of-state?
18 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Out-of-state.
19 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Okay.
20 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Almost exclusively
21 out-of-state.
22 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Thank you for your work,
23 and thank you for your testimony.
24 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Thank you, sir.
25 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Appreciate it, Sergeant.
102
1 Thank you.
2 Ken Tirone, vice president of operations,
3 board member of Hub Truck Rental, and New York State
4 Motor Truck Association.
5 Thanks, Ken, for being here.
6 KENNETH TIRONE: Thank you.
7 Well, good morning, everyone.
8 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Good morning.
9 KENNETH TIRONE: As the Senator said, I'm
10 Kenneth Tirone.
11 I actually did get a promotion many years
12 ago, and Kendra didn't not put it on the script that
13 she added for me.
14 So, I'm chief operating officer of Hub Truck
15 Rental Corp.
16 We are a full-service maintenance, lease,
17 company on Long Island, so we have a lot of trucks
18 out here.
19 And, today, although I'm representing the
20 New York State Motor Truck Association, I am a board
21 member with them.
22 And, Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank
23 you, and the Committee, for the opportunity to speak
24 here today.
25 You're going to hear a lot of the same stuff.
103
1 It's like we must have written -- you know, or read
2 from the same book.
3 The issue of bridge strikes in New York is a
4 longstanding problem, particularly in this region.
5 Recognizing that there are -- was no simple
6 solution to the bridge-strike issue, several
7 agencies, along with the trucking industry, formed
8 the Bridge Strike Mitigation Task Force in 2009, to
9 work together, to identify preventive measures to
10 reduce the number of bridge strikes that occur each
11 year.
12 The task force has been very active, and we
13 believe has had a positive impact on reducing bridge
14 strikes.
15 According to the Bridge Vehicle Impact
16 Assessment, which you saw before, which came out in
17 December of 2011, the overall number of bridge
18 strikes or bridge hits in New York has actually
19 shown a significant decline since 2009.
20 While there are still certain regions and
21 locations that show an increase in bridge strikes,
22 there are a couple of factors that should be taken
23 into consideration.
24 First, the collection of data on the bridge
25 strikes has significantly improved as a result of
104
1 the work of the task force.
2 In the past, not all bridge strikes may have
3 been adequately reported; whereas, now, concerted
4 effort is being made to record the strike, as well
5 as determine what had caused the strike.
6 In addition, commercial-vehicle traffic has
7 increased exponentially over the last ten years.
8 The fact that bridge strikes have not
9 increased at the same rate is an indication that
10 progress has been made.
11 And I will tell you, that our fleet has
12 increased since 2001, 64 percent.
13 And we run truck 1,550 trucks on Long Island.
14 We were running 900 back then.
15 So, you know, we have pretty good experience
16 here.
17 Obviously, there is still much work to be
18 done.
19 One key component to tackling the
20 bridge-strike problem is outreach and education.
21 The New York State Motor Truck Association
22 has worked closely with the task force members to
23 identify key target groups, and has undertaken
24 outreach activities at both a state and national
25 level.
105
1 Data collected at bridge-strike locations
2 show the vast majority of bridge strikes are caused
3 by out-of-state drivers, which you've seen.
4 Using our contacts with other state
5 organizations, we have distributed brochures,
6 designed to educate truck drivers about low bridges
7 on parkways across the nation.
8 This is the brochure that everybody was
9 talking about.
10 Because we use this at all our rental
11 counters, and this is put out by the New York DOT.
12 If you want to, I have some copies if you
13 want to have one afterwards.
14 Surveys with drivers involved in bridge
15 strike indicate that a disproportionate number of
16 bridge strikes are caused by independent drivers, so
17 we've worked with the Owner-Operator Independent
18 Driver Association, "OOIDA," to distribute the
19 parkway brochure to their members, include articles
20 about bridge strikes in their newsletter, as well as
21 run stories on their radio show, "Landline Radio."
22 Those same surveys show that many drivers are
23 following a GPS unit which leads them onto parkways
24 or roadways with low bridges.
25 Our chairman, Kendra Adams, has been on both
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1 the "Lockridge Report" and the "Dave Nemo Show" on
2 SiriusXM Radio's "Road Dog's Trucking" station
3 multiple times, to educate drivers on the dangers of
4 using an off-the-shelf GPS unit not designed for
5 commercial vehicles, as well as the importance of
6 paying attention to road signs.
7 Finally, surveys have also shown that drivers
8 utilizing rental vehicles are often unaware of the
9 parkway restrictions.
10 So, members of the task force have reached
11 out to the Truck Rental and Leasing Association,
12 "TRALA," which we are -- Hub Truck Rental is a
13 member of that, to encourage their assistance with
14 providing information to their membership, which
15 they would then distribute to individuals that rent
16 commercial vehicles.
17 And that's what we do at our rental counters.
18 These education and outreach programs are
19 ongoing, and new opportunities continue to be
20 identified.
21 This will remain a priority of the task
22 force, and the New York State Motor Truck
23 Association will continue to work with our partners
24 across the nation to educate commercial-vehicle
25 drivers.
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1 Aside from education and outreach, the task
2 force has been focused on finding both short- and
3 long-term solutions to reduced bridge strikes.
4 The task force is at a point where they are
5 now beginning to operationalize many of the possible
6 solutions that have been discussed.
7 Better data has allowed the task force to
8 identify those bridges that continue to have a large
9 number of strikes, and implement strategies to
10 prevent strikes from occurring.
11 For example, and you've heard it, the
12 "CB Wizard" alert system, an unmanned CB-radio
13 transmitter that can broadcast messages to drivers,
14 has resulted in a significant reduction of bridge
15 strikes on the King Street Bridge located on the
16 Hutchinson Parkway.
17 The CB Wizard is now being utilized at the
18 Mamaroneck Avenue location, another area of high
19 bridge hits.
20 Pavement markings will soon be installed on
21 entrance ramps to several parkways, indicating
22 "No Trucks."
23 Pavement markings have been shown to be an
24 effective signage mechanism in other instances.
25 The New York State Department of
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1 Transportation is updating their 511 Traveler
2 Information System to include truck restrictions.
3 The data will eventually be provided in
4 real time through the use of an XLM feed.
5 Discussions about better signage continue,
6 with some short-term solutions being:
7 To ensure that existing signs are clear, are
8 free of vegetation and other obstacles that would
9 make them difficult to see or read;
10 Ensuring that signs are placed well enough in
11 advance to provide drivers time to make a decision;
12 And working with other agencies to ensure the
13 consistency of the signage.
14 The use of a new and improved technology --
15 The use of new or improved technology offers
16 some potential long-term solutions.
17 The task force continues discussions
18 regarding the use of overhead [sic] detection
19 systems at the entrances of parkway ramps.
20 If an over-height vehicle is detected, either
21 a red light or warning message will be illuminated
22 to instruct the truck driver to stop. Instructions
23 could then be provided to the driver on what to do
24 next, such as, instructions for an alternate route,
25 or call for enforcement for assistance.
109
1 There is great potential for this type of
2 systems; however, there are costs and maintenance
3 issues that must be worked out.
4 The use of smartphones may provide another
5 long-term solution. Entrance ramps could be
6 geo-fenced, so that if a driver were to drive into
7 the geo-fence area, they would receive a
8 notification on their smartphone that trucks are
9 prohibited from entering the parkways.
10 While there are positive aspects of this
11 system, drivers would be required to have the
12 appropriate application on their device for the
13 program to be effective.
14 Additionally, work still needs to be done,
15 that the use of this type of program does not lead
16 to a distracted-driving situation.
17 The task force recognizes that drivers
18 utilizing non-commercial GPS units have aggravated
19 the bridge-strike problem, but, it's important to
20 note that it hasn't eased it -- or, hasn't caused
21 it.
22 I'm sorry.
23 Prior to the use of GPS, drivers were using
24 maps and Internet sites to gain routing information,
25 and they were still hitting bridges.
110
1 The idea of mandating the use of a commercial
2 GPS unit has its pros and cons.
3 First, in order for it to be effective, it
4 would have to be done at a national level.
5 As has been previously stated, the majority
6 of bridge strikes in New York are caused by
7 out-of-state drivers.
8 Passing New York State law that can only
9 apply to New York State-registered vehicles does not
10 help to address this problem.
11 Additionally, a commercial GPS is only as
12 good as the data that it provides.
13 While New York has made great strides in
14 providing timely and accurate data for the GPS
15 providers to utilize, it is still incumbent upon the
16 provider to incorporate the data into their system
17 in a timely manner.
18 In addition, truck drivers must continually
19 update the system to ensure they have most accurate
20 and up-to-date information.
21 While at first glance, a commercial GPS
22 mandate may sound like a quick solution, it will
23 only be effective if done on a national scale, and
24 only if the serious discussions have been had with
25 industry to ensure there are no unintended
111
1 consequences.
2 Increased enforcement and higher fines for
3 trucks that are either on the parkway or have hit a
4 bridge have been discussed at length.
5 While the New York State Motor Truck
6 Association agrees that drivers should be held
7 accountable for their actions in the event that they
8 strike a bridge or enter a parkway, the reality is,
9 that increased enforcement is not a preventive
10 measure and will not change behavior.
11 Out-of-state drivers are frequently not aware
12 of the restrictions, and are, therefore, not aware
13 of the high fines or penalties associated with being
14 on the parkway.
15 If the goal is to prevent bridge strikes,
16 then increased enforcement and higher penalties is
17 not the solution.
18 An issue that has been identified by the task
19 force, is the fact that New York State Vehicle and
20 Traffic Law requires bridges that are lower than
21 14 feet to be posted 1 foot less than the actual
22 clearance.
23 You've heard that quite a bit today.
24 New York is the only state in the country
25 that has this large of a differential.
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1 Most states require a posting of only
2 3 inches less than the actual clearance.
3 To make matters worse, our company adds
4 3 inches to every truck we measure and put into
5 service.
6 So, we're kind of -- it's crazy.
7 It has become widely known to commercial
8 drivers across the country that New York State posts
9 clearances on bridges significantly lower than the
10 actual clearance.
11 Unfortunately, this can inadvertently lead to
12 bridge strikes when drivers see a posted sign, know
13 that it's posted lower than the actual height, and
14 decide to proceed under the bridge, you know, based
15 on what they've heard.
16 The New York State Motor Truck Association
17 would like to recommend that this Committee consider
18 changing the New York State law to better align with
19 posting requirements across the country.
20 We strongly feel that this would help
21 eliminate confusion, and would assist in addressing
22 the bridge-strike issue.
23 While the issue of bridge strikes continue to
24 be a major concern, the New York State Motor Truck
25 Association feels that great progress has been made
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1 by the Bridge Strike Mitigation Task Force, and with
2 the proper support and resources, progress will
3 continue to be made.
4 The task force is an excellent example of
5 government and industry working together to come up
6 with an effective solution that works for everyone.
7 The New York State Motor Truck Association
8 will continue to be an active participant of the
9 task force, and will continue to focus on educating
10 trucking companies and drivers across the country.
11 And we do that through all of the motor truck
12 associations throughout the country.
13 It is our sincere belief that if we continue
14 to work together, we will continue to make great
15 strides in reducing bridge strikes across the state.
16 I thank you for your time today, and will be
17 happy to answer any questions you have.
18 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Ken, thank you very much.
19 Appreciate you being here.
20 I'm sure my colleagues have some questions.
21 I want to ask you a question, a pretty basic
22 question: Do truck drivers know the height of their
23 trucks?
24 KENNETH TIRONE: Yeah -- well, our trucks,
25 they do.
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1 I can't tell you that --
2 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Well, look, you're a
3 member of the task force, you're a member of --
4 KENNETH TIRONE: No, no, I'm the -- I'm
5 sorry.
6 I'm representing the Motor Truck Association
7 today.
8 I'm not -- I happen to not be on the task
9 force.
10 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Okay, but you're part
11 of -- you're a member of the association?
12 KENNETH TIRONE: Exactly.
13 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Okay.
14 As a member of the association, not in your
15 own -- as in your own business, would you say that
16 truckers know the height of their trucks?
17 KENNETH TIRONE: Yes.
18 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Okay.
19 So you stated in your testimony that they
20 know that, in New York, they post it, and it's
21 generally a foot lower.
22 So, is this a gamble that they're taking?
23 Because I -- let me tell you, and I am not
24 questioning the intellect of these drivers, but I
25 see your brochure here.
115
1 I mean, is this a gamble that they're taking?
2 I mean, if they say their truck -- you know,
3 you said they know the height of their truck.
4 And, is there a standard height?
5 KENNETH TIRONE: No.
6 Most trucks, they could range anywhere -- you
7 know, your average truck ranges anywhere, from
8 twelve feet, up to, let's say twelve-eight. And
9 they go as high as thirteen now.
10 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Right, and they know
11 that?
12 KENNETH TIRONE: Yeah.
13 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: And then they still see
14 the sign.
15 You know, on your brochure, where it states
16 pretty clearly, you know, in multiple locations that
17 the DOT has posted, you know, at the end of the
18 arch, ten feet.
19 And then you see --
20 KENNETH TIRONE: Six feet, or whatever.
21 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: -- you see, this.
22 And you see this on your front.
23 So, is this just a gamble they're taking, a
24 risk they're taking?
25 Because you also stated, it may cost up to
116
1 $10,000 to have your truck towed out of there, plus,
2 the civil damages that the State's gonna go after
3 these truckers, or, I guess, the carrier with as
4 well.
5 So they're just taking a gamble.
6 And would you concur that --
7 Go ahead, do you want to say something?
8 KENNETH TIRONE: Well, what I was going to
9 say is, you know, there are a lot of issues that put
10 a driver on the wrong highway.
11 And --
12 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: But, you know, we've
13 heard so much about a GPS system.
14 And I don't have one in my car.
15 My wife has one in her car, and we use it
16 frequently. She uses it all the time.
17 But I still verify, when I'm making a
18 right-hand turn --
19 SGT. IRA PROMISEL: Exactly.
20 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: -- that it says the road
21 I want to go on.
22 But I look at the street sign, or I look at
23 the signage, that is posted by the municipality.
24 And, when a trucker is driving on a roadway
25 that says, Make a right-hand turn here for the
117
1 Meadowbrook Parkway, there's signage there that
2 says, "No Trucks Allowed"; "Maximum Truck Height."
3 And even on your brochure, you post where the
4 DOT has it.
5 Is this just going by the wayside, where
6 they're not even looking at this stuff, obviously?
7 KENNETH TIRONE: Yeah, well, for the most
8 part, they have to be, because how else?
9 You know, like you said, there's a sign, very
10 obvious, there's a height.
11 And they know the height of their trucks.
12 You know -- or they're supposed to know.
13 It's posted, nine times out of ten, at least
14 in our trucks, they're posted.
15 But you've seen it, you've --
16 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: They post it on the
17 truck?
18 KENNETH TIRONE: Yeah, they're posted inside
19 the truck, and they're also posted on the corners of
20 the truck, you'll see, you know, twelve-foot-eight.
21 And it's in the mirror, and it's reverse, so
22 that they can see it when they're driving, you know.
23 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: But would you say -- you
24 know, we see truckers all the time on the thruway
25 when we come back and forth to Albany.
118
1 And I don't know how the basis of pay is
2 determined for some.
3 Whether they're independent or they work for
4 a company like yours, is it based on highway
5 mileage? is it based on time?
6 I mean, are these guys trying to take
7 shortcuts, with their gamble, to get to where they
8 have, to maximize what they're making?
9 KENNETH TIRONE: We don't have drivers.
10 We supply the truck and we supply the
11 maintenance.
12 But I will tell you, that what I hear from
13 drivers, is that they're trying to make time.
14 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Right.
15 KENNETH TIRONE: You know, there's a load,
16 they have to make, you know, a certain delivery on a
17 certain time. And, you know, and then there's
18 construction, and it diverts them off a highway that
19 they might be on, and then they're not familiar with
20 the roadway; and, yeah, they could see the signs.
21 But --
22 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: They still gamble.
23 So, in your -- how many years have you been
24 in the industry?
25 KENNETH TIRONE: Thirty-five years.
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1 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Okay, so you're an
2 expert, 35 years in the industry.
3 If the DOT, at one of the entrance ramps had
4 a bar --
5 KENNETH TIRONE: You could stop right there.
6 You don't have to go any further.
7 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: I would really like to
8 finish my --
9 [Laughter.]
10 KENNETH TIRONE: I don't want you to finish,
11 because I agree with you 100 percent.
12 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: All right.
13 KENNETH TIRONE: I mean, I -- I -- we were
14 having a conversation earlier, and I said, that, you
15 know, I know I am like that.
16 When I go into a tiered parking lot, I'm --
17 my car, I mean, you know the car is going to make
18 it.
19 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: You're ducking.
20 KENNETH TIRONE: But you're ducking, you're
21 looking, and then you're saying, "Did they take into
22 consideration that pipe?" you know, even though you
23 got through.
24 And it's the same thing here.
25 And you're not talking about putting a bar up
120
1 as high as the truck. They couldn't get through it.
2 You know, but there is some problems, and --
3 which was brought up in our little discussion on the
4 side, with the maintenance vehicles, that the State
5 has that goes on on the roadways. You know, they go
6 on there with dump trucks, and things like that.
7 Unless, they made a separate, you know,
8 maintenance entrance, which wouldn't be that big of
9 a deal.
10 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Are they 13 feet high,
11 the trucks?
12 KENNETH TIRONE: What -- no.
13 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: DOT trucks?
14 KENNETH TIRONE: No, but they're probably --
15 I don't know what -- they're probably 10 to, let's
16 say, 11, 12 feet, maybe tops.
17 Nothing that would be -- and they're aware
18 when they're going on those parkways.
19 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Right.
20 KENNETH TIRONE: You know.
21 So -- no, but I'm with you there.
22 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Thank you.
23 Senator Martins?
24 SENATOR MARTINS: Mr. Tirone, thank you.
25 I'm with you too. I think that that's the
121
1 easy solution here, at least a commonsense solution.
2 But, I just wanted to ask you a question
3 about these heights.
4 KENNETH TIRONE: Yes.
5 SENATOR MARTINS: You know, nationally,
6 people who are driving in New York know that our
7 bridge heights are posted lower than they are --
8 KENNETH TIRONE: Yeah.
9 SENATOR MARTINS: -- but they don't know what
10 our violations are.
11 They wouldn't know -- because they're
12 out-of-state drive, they wouldn't know what the
13 ticketing process is.
14 You said that increasing fines and increasing
15 ticketing in New York would not have an effect,
16 because they wouldn't know. But, they do know that
17 our bridges are marked differently than anywhere
18 else in the country.
19 So, I would think that, drivers being
20 drivers, they're going to know all aspect of what's
21 going on here. If they're going to drive in
22 New York State, they'll be aware of it.
23 But your own company posts the height of your
24 trucks 3 inches higher. The State posts these
25 heights --
122
1 KENNETH TIRONE: Lower.
2 SENATOR MARTINS: -- 12 inches lower, so as
3 to create the variable that will prevent bridge
4 strikes.
5 Are you concerned, that if we minimize that
6 delta, that what we're actually doing is, creating
7 less, or, actually more of a likelihood, that
8 there's going to be a bridge strike?
9 KENNETH TIRONE: Well, you know, I never
10 thought --
11 Before, I was sitting back, listening to the
12 testimony going on, I never thought about it, but I
13 said, you know: Why do you put 6-foot on the side
14 of your built-in pool, and it's 6-foot deep?
15 Why don't you put five, you know, or, twelve?
16 You know, why don't you just change that
17 depth?
18 So, why put something that isn't real?
19 You know, 3 inches is -- you know, like I
20 think one of the fellows said, that the pavement
21 heights, you know, could be changing, depending on,
22 if they came out and they just paveed, or did
23 something like that.
24 But a foot is a massive amount of --
25 SENATOR MARTINS: But it's a foot
123
1 discrepancy, what I would consider to be in the
2 right direction.
3 KENNETH TIRONE: But it isn't working.
4 SENATOR MARTINS: It's not --
5 KENNETH TIRONE: It isn't working.
6 You know what I'm saying?
7 SENATOR MARTINS: But, Mr. Tirone, if we
8 change it, isn't there -- I mean, I certainly have a
9 concern, that if there is already that perception
10 that is out there, unless we let every truck driver
11 in the country know that the discrepancy that had
12 been there, and that everybody seems to know about
13 nationwide, has changed, they're going to come in
14 here and say: Oh, I've got 12 extra inches. Let me
15 just go barreling through.
16 And what we're doing, is we're setting
17 ourselves up for even more bridge strikes.
18 KENNETH TIRONE: No, I understand. I
19 understand, you know, what you're -- you know, your
20 thinking there, that's for sure.
21 But I'm just saying, that, you know, there's
22 a time when you got to get real.
23 And right now, you know, they're not -- we're
24 not real.
25 And I understand, you know, the change, and
124
1 how word gets around.
2 And I think somebody said CBs are still out
3 there, but they're not out there as much. And
4 that's how word got around.
5 So, now, you're losing that correction, too.
6 SENATOR MARTINS: 1,500 trucks you have on
7 the road. 1,500-plus.
8 KENNETH TIRONE: Yep.
9 SENATOR MARTINS: Any problems?
10 KENNETH TIRONE: Yeah, we --
11 SENATOR MARTINS: Like everyone else; right?
12 KENNETH TIRONE: No, we have guys hit
13 bridges. And, you know, it was raining, they
14 couldn't see.
15 You stop.
16 You know, you don't -- you know, you're
17 talking big money.
18 SENATOR MARTINS: Yeah, we agree.
19 You know, between you and I, pretend no one
20 else is listening, we agree that this idea of
21 putting a headache-bar in there, that the Chairman
22 just mentioned, and we're advocating here,
23 especially for a pilot program here, from a
24 practical standpoint, as a person who's got
25 1,500 reasons to want to make sure that these trucks
125
1 don't get on the road the wrong way, that seems to
2 be a solution, and a practical, commonsense
3 solution. And, you know, in these difficult times,
4 a cost-effective solution, easy to implement, ready
5 to go, that's going to provide, hopefully, some
6 relief short term.
7 So, thank you.
8 KENNETH TIRONE: Thank you.
9 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Thank you very much.
10 Assemblyman Dave McDonough?
11 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: I just have one
12 thing, and I will address you correctly as
13 Chief Operating Officer Tirone.
14 There, right, you just got promotion
15 recognized.
16 Just one question: The task force, you said,
17 is that national?
18 Do most of states and the trucker
19 associations --
20 KENNETH TIRONE: The task force is here in
21 New York.
22 But there are -- there are:
23 The Motor Truck Association of New York.
24 There's a Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
25 Connecticut, they're throughout the country.
126
1 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Because in a previous
2 thing, Kendra Adams had suggested, I think somebody
3 said, about a national program of education for the
4 trucking industry.
5 KENNETH TIRONE: Through TRALA.
6 Okay?
7 TRALA is the truck rental and leasing
8 organization. They're in Washington. They're a
9 lobbying group for us, you know, for the truck
10 rental and leasing companies.
11 And through them, we spread, you know, the
12 word.
13 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Okay.
14 KENNETH TIRONE: Thank you very much.
15 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: Thank you.
16 KENNETH TIRONE: If anybody would like these
17 brochures, see me later.
18 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: I would.
19 KENNETH TIRONE: Would you like one, to have
20 it?
21 (Mr. Tirone hands out brochures to the
22 Committee members.)
23 (Senator Martins exits the room.)
24 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: [Inaudible/technical
25 difficulties] Teamsters Local 707.
127
1 Kevin, thanks so much for being here.
2 KEVIN MCCAFFREY: Senator, thank you for
3 inviting me, and members of the Committee. I
4 appreciate the opportunity to be here.
5 I'm here, not on just behalf of
6 Teamsters Local 707, but also Joint Council 16 that
7 represents over 100,000 teamsters in the New York
8 metropolitan area.
9 Our local represents almost 3,000 members,
10 the majority of them in the trucking industry.
11 We represent workers who work for YRC, ABF,
12 New Penn, UPS Freight, and Cardinal Health, just to
13 name a few.
14 As was pointed out before, it's not my
15 drivers that are hitting the bridges, for the most
16 part. We do have a couple of errant run-ins, but
17 for the most part, they understand, and they know,
18 that they shouldn't be on parkways, they shouldn't
19 be -- they know the routes they need to take.
20 And -- so -- but we do have some sort of
21 integral knowledge of what is, and as was said
22 before, of the mindset of truck drivers, through
23 discussions with them, and through the truck drivers
24 that have run on -- they run into and they pass on
25 to me.
128
1 So -- and as a former truck driver myself, I
2 also understand what happens.
3 Many of these incidents, I have to believe,
4 are through inexperienced drivers, which was pointed
5 out before.
6 I remember being a new driver myself, and the
7 panic sometimes that I felt when I got into a
8 situation where I didn't know how I was gonna get
9 out of.
10 And I grew up here in Long Island and I knew
11 what our roadways were like, and I understood what I
12 would get into.
13 But if you have somebody from, like, Arkansas
14 or Texas or Florida coming up here for the first
15 time into the big city, and seeing all the
16 congestion and all of the things that are going on
17 around them, a lot of things can be happening.
18 I think one of the biggest reasons, that had
19 already been pointed out before, is the GPS systems;
20 and that is, that they're relying on the GPS systems
21 to tell them where to go, because of the complexity
22 of our roadways. It's not as if you drive ten miles
23 and you may see another road. Here, the roads are
24 right on top of each other.
25 I think that almost all of these truck
129
1 drivers are relying on GPS systems right now.
2 And I think, as was said before, that it
3 needs to be a -- national standards need to be set
4 for commercial drivers using GPS systems that have
5 the overlays in there that will account for low
6 bridges and clearances.
7 What my experience, and what I've seen, not
8 only just through my working with the truck drivers
9 and as the president of the teamsters local, just
10 driving on Long Island, like yourselves have done,
11 and seen these trucks that are in those situations.
12 And this is something that's come up before
13 several years ago. We had a rash of these bridge
14 strikes.
15 And I was actually contacted by somebody in
16 the press, and they asked me:
17 What is the biggest problem?
18 What could prevent this?
19 And my response was, that signage needs to be
20 changed.
21 I look at -- and the signage has gotten
22 better. Almost all of the entrances have the
23 "No Truck" sign.
24 But, I could tell you, a truck driver that's
25 going down there, and is not familiar with the area,
130
1 and may be going onto a "No Commercial Vehicle"
2 roadway, may be one thing.
3 He'll say, maybe I'll get off at the next
4 exit. I can't turn around now.
5 He's got a 53-foot trailer, he's got a big
6 sleeper unit, and he's on that exit ramp when he
7 sees that, and he can't turn around.
8 "I'll get off at the next exit."
9 I think what really needs to be added to this
10 is the signage that says, "Low Bridge Ahead."
11 And someone from the DOT spoke about that
12 before, and the pavement markings.
13 Not only "No Commercial Vehicles,"
14 "No Trucks," but, "Low Bridge Ahead," that will stop
15 somebody.
16 Nobody - you know, someone will take a risk
17 of getting a commercial for an off route because
18 they can't get off the highway in time, but nobody
19 wants to hit a bridge.
20 I think we need to -- there's certain
21 instances, examples, that we've done a very good job
22 on Long Island. And I think it's when you're
23 getting off the expressway, and over by the northern
24 state interchange, and you're heading south on the
25 Meadowbrook Parkway, there's plenty of signage in
131
1 there.
2 One of them is, it's got the sign with the
3 truck hitting the overpass.
4 I think if we start -- we talk about low-tech
5 solutions, I think the first thing we should do is
6 really improve the signage, to identify the fact
7 that you're not just going on a route that's
8 "No Commercial Traffic," but more importantly, that
9 you're gonna hit a bridge if you go on this roadway.
10 Many of these trucks that you see on there,
11 there's not a discrepancy of a couple of inches, or
12 whatever.
13 These trucks that are hitting the bridges are
14 13-foot-6-inch high, they're 53-foot trailers, and
15 they don't belong there, and they shouldn't be
16 there.
17 So it's not a matter so much of the
18 mismarkings, although that should be fixed.
19 But the problem is, is they're getting on
20 roadways that they shouldn't be on, and they are not
21 aware of the fact that they're just on the wrong
22 roadway, but they're gonna hit a bridge if they
23 continue down that road.
24 And I think that the best thing that we could
25 do, and the most low-tech solution we could do right
132
1 now, is improve the signage to really let them know
2 that there's bridges ahead, not that they're just on
3 the wrong roadway.
4 I was listening about the headache-bar.
5 Boy, I'd hate to be driving a truck and hit
6 that.
7 And I've had the misfortune of running into
8 some tree limbs from time to time, and it will wake
9 you up, it will give you a headache.
10 And I couldn't imagine the damage it would do
11 to the vehicles, and -- and -- but, I would suggest
12 possibly trying some that at some of those
13 intersections or those entrance ramps where we've
14 had some problems, where it's been extensive. And I
15 think it's worth a try.
16 But I think the cost and expense of putting
17 that on every single entrance ramp that we have to
18 any of our parkways would be astronomical.
19 And I think -- I think maybe a good low-tech
20 solution would be, to start with the increased
21 signage that identifies the fact that you're going
22 to hit a bridge if you get on this roadway, because
23 I don't think that's there right now.
24 One of the other things you talked about is
25 the inexperienced drivers.
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1 I was just looking outside at your sign,
2 Senator, where it identified the hearing, and it had
3 the picture of the truck stuck under the bridge, the
4 parkway bridge.
5 And you could see it in there, it says -- it
6 says clearly, you can see, it's a fifty-three-foot
7 trailer, thirteen-foot-six high.
8 And on the back, it's got a decal.
9 And I pointed out to somebody before, it
10 says: Lease, train, then drive.
11 So -- and it goes to what's going on out
12 there.
13 The turnover in the owner-operators is
14 probably 100 percent, or close to it. And the
15 sergeant spoke about that.
16 It really is.
17 These guys are going out there, and they have
18 very little experience out there.
19 Our workers stay with us for 25 to 30 years.
20 I mean, they know it, they've got the experience.
21 They're a different kind of dynamic, in terms of
22 compensation, and the way the whole -- their
23 compensation's set up is -- works.
24 But, there's really the inexperienced
25 drivers.
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1 We really need to get the message out there
2 through the motor truck associations.
3 The ATA is the national truck association,
4 which could be helpful in helping to get a message
5 in there about, how we have a distinct area here,
6 and that we have parkways, which most other states
7 do not have.
8 So --
9 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Now, these "inexperienced
10 drivers," and I've heard that term many times this
11 morning, they're trained, correct, to become
12 drivers?
13 KEVIN MCCAFFREY: The inexperienced drivers?
14 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: I mean, I'm saying,
15 these -- they have to be trained somewhere to be a
16 driver; correct?
17 KEVIN MCCAFFREY: Yeah, they go to a driver
18 training school, and, they get that training in
19 three months, and all of a sudden, they never drove
20 anything more than a -- maybe a pickup truck, and
21 they're driving a very large vehicle now.
22 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Right, and then they go
23 to a company, and they're a contract for hire, these
24 independents?
25 KEVIN MCCAFFREY: Generally, those are the
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1 only companies where they can get work because, to
2 go to work for the big trucking companies, you need
3 at least two years of experience.
4 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: But what type of goods
5 and services, what type of companies, are hiring
6 these individuals?
7 KEVIN MCCAFFREY: They -- usually, they're
8 truckload carriers.
9 We generally handle less-than-truckload,
10 which means there will be multiple shipments on the
11 truck at one time, and they consolidate it at
12 different facilities. And --
13 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: So, Kevin, who are these
14 truckload carriers?
15 Who are these -- the owners of these
16 truckloads?
17 I mean, who are these businesses?
18 KEVIN MCCAFFREY: Well, they're mostly
19 brokers and -- like, JB Hunt is a big one, where
20 they have the owner-operators. Almost all those --
21 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: You see trucks all over.
22 KEVIN MCCAFFREY: Yep.
23 Almost every one of those truckload carriers.
24 out there that --
25 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Now, aren't they part of
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1 a nationwide association, or a state, wherever they
2 are?
3 I mean, isn't it incumbent upon them, also,
4 to properly train these individuals, or educate
5 them?
6 And we've heard that here, you know,
7 repeatedly, education is important in preventing
8 these strikes.
9 I mean, isn't it incumbent upon them to
10 educate these contract-for-hire drivers as well?
11 KEVIN MCCAFFREY: Absolutely.
12 And I just -- the only -- I think they do. I
13 think they tell them, you have to be aware of the
14 height clearance of your vehicle.
15 But, I think we have a unique situation here
16 in New York, and especially Long Island and
17 Westchester, where we've got the parkways which
18 nobody else has.
19 And they just -- and you put the combination
20 of a lot of things going on, and the GPS telling
21 them to go the wrong way, and it just comes
22 together.
23 And if you don't have the experience, you
24 don't know how to deal with it. You panic, you
25 don't know how you would get off that parkway, you
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1 can stop now.
2 And you said: Let me take a chance.
3 You know?
4 But if we told them they were going to hit a
5 bridge if they take a chance, I think maybe they
6 would stop.
7 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Okay.
8 Dave?
9 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: I think that you've
10 got the best solution, at least for the short term,
11 is that "Low Bridge." Maybe, even, with like the
12 picture that the Senator has up, with a sketch of a
13 truck hitting the bridge.
14 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: "Don't let this happen to
15 you."
16 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: He doesn't want to
17 lose his load, you know, so he's going to lose hours
18 and hours.
19 And I think that's the best thing right now,
20 short term.
21 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Kevin, thank you very
22 much. Appreciate your testimony.
23 KEVIN MCCAFFREY: Thank you, Senator.
24 Appreciate it.
25
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1 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Jeffrey Frediani and
2 Christopher McBride, from AAA.
3 Good afternoon.
4 Just, if you could for the record, state your
5 name, your title, and affiliation.
6 CHRISTOPHER MCBRIDE: Christopher McBride,
7 community transportation specialist with
8 AAA New York.
9 JEFFREY FREDIANI: And I'm Jeffrey Frediani.
10 I'm a legislative analyst for AAA New York State.
11 We're an association that serves more than
12 2.7 million members that reside in the state of
13 New York.
14 As we heard today, trucks hitting
15 low-clearance bridges are a very common occurrence
16 in the downstate region, and contribute to massive
17 traffic delays and impose significant costs on
18 taxpayers.
19 According to the New York State Department of
20 Transportation, nearly 200 trucks per year hit
21 low-clearance bridges and overpasses statewide, with
22 more than 70 percent of these hits concentrated in
23 the Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island
24 where most of the state's parkways are found.
25 These parkways, which were designed in an
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1 earlier era, have many bridges and overpasses with
2 clearances of ten feet or fewer.
3 Although this problem occurs on many types of
4 roadways in other parts of the state and country,
5 the problem in the downstate area seems to be
6 primarily on parkways.
7 In an effort to assess the problem and
8 come up with constructive recommendations to
9 address this issue, we recently examined the
10 ten highest-frequency locations in
11 Westchester County where tractor-trailers have hit
12 overpasses between 2002 and 2011.
13 In fact, Westchester County leads the state
14 with an average of 42 bridge strikes every year.
15 Our white-paper analysis found that the
16 Hutchinson River Parkway has the most problems with
17 trucks hitting overpasses. Eight out of ten of the
18 most frequently hit overpass locations in
19 Westchester County are on this roadway.
20 By far, the worst location of the them all
21 was the King Street overpass on the
22 Hutchinson River Parkway, with 93 hits between 2002
23 and 2011.
24 In our opinion, the problem at this location
25 is directly attributable to a lack of coordination
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1 with respect to proper signage between the
2 New York State Department of Transportation and the
3 Connecticut Department of Transportation.
4 Even today, a year after the location was
5 cited in a report by the City University of New York
6 City College, the problems with signage leading up
7 to this location still have not been corrected.
8 Other locations, particularly the location we
9 cited on the Saw Mill Parkway, had less serious but
10 still problematic issues with signs, particularly
11 regarding signs adequately warning commercial
12 vehicles that they were prohibited at several
13 entrances to this roadway.
14 Proper signage is clearly an issue that the
15 New York State Department of Transportation needs to
16 stay on top of; however, it is not the sole cause
17 leading to truck crashes at these parkway
18 overpasses.
19 In our opinion, the key factor in many of
20 these crashes are out-of-state tractor-trailer
21 drivers that are unfamiliar with the area and are
22 using standard GPS devices, which, as we heard, do
23 not contain information on bridge heights.
24 Surveys conducted -- excuse me.
25 Surveys taken by the New York State
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1 Department of Transportation, in conjunction with
2 several police agencies, show that a majority of
3 these drivers have only traveled to the downstate
4 region two times or fewer, and that many of these
5 smaller truck operators are not using commercial GPS
6 and/or guided by professional logistic services.
7 While the New York State Department of
8 Transportation has reached out to insurance
9 carriers, to encourage them to over discounts to
10 tractor-trailer drivers that use commercial GPS
11 units, much more needs to be done to get small
12 owner-operators to adopt this technology.
13 Accordingly, AAA New York strongly supports
14 Senator Schumer's recent request to the
15 United States Department of Transportation to
16 investigate this problem, and to issue standards
17 regarding GPS devices in commercial vehicles.
18 In our view, this would help eliminate many
19 of these types of crashes.
20 Additional actions can also be taken to
21 address this problem. These include:
22 Greater enforcement, including targeting
23 locations where these bridge hits occur most, and
24 making penalties stiff enough to discourage those
25 who knowingly use the parkways illegally;
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1 Installation of low-clearance vertical signs
2 on all parkway entrances, as this would prevent
3 trucks from getting on the parkway in the first
4 place;
5 Installation of more over-height detection
6 systems, which are the electronic devices that
7 automatically detect a vehicle's height, as we've
8 heard before;
9 Greater outreach needs to be done to trucking
10 organizations, to spread the message that parkways
11 are roadways for them to avoid.
12 To their credit, the New York State
13 Department of Transportation has taken some steps to
14 address this problem. These include:
15 The formation of the regional bridge strike
16 task force, which consists of many of the
17 departments of transportation, police departments,
18 and the I-95 Coalition, to help determine the causes
19 behind the problem to better target enforcement and
20 prevention efforts;
21 The installation of the "Cars Only" pavement
22 markings on the Grand Central Parkway, and plans to
23 install these on several parkways in
24 Westchester County;
25 The addition of "No Truck"-symbol stickers as
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1 well, on exit signs for accessing height-restricted
2 parkways;
3 The CB-radio broadcasts, as have been
4 discussed, along the parkways, warning trucks they
5 are prohibited;
6 Increased sign visibility;
7 And the distribution of pamphlets on height
8 restrictions to truckers applying for New York State
9 Tax ID numbers.
10 In our discussions with the New York State
11 DOT, officials have also voiced their desire to
12 implement a Commercial Vehicle Infrastructure
13 Integration system, which would provide real-time
14 communication between vehicles and the
15 infrastructure which would include crash-avoidance
16 capabilities.
17 Trucks hitting bridges is a serious issue.
18 Crashes, especially those involving hazardous
19 materials, can endanger lives, cause traffic delays
20 that add up to millions of dollars per year, and put
21 a strain on already meager infrastructure budgets.
22 We hope that this hearing acts as a launching
23 pad to prod public agencies to take the necessary
24 engineering, regulatory, and administrative efforts
25 to help solve this problem.
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1 In addition, we would also like to see the
2 passage of a quick-clearance law in the state of
3 New York.
4 Such a law would allow those who respond to
5 traffic incidents to remove vehicles, cargo, and
6 debris from the roadway to help speed the clearance
7 of traffic lanes.
8 This would improve the safety and enhance the
9 mobility of the driving public.
10 And such a bill authorizing a law was
11 introduced in, both, 2009, and also last legislative
12 session.
13 We want to thank the New York State
14 Department of Transportation for their cooperation
15 and information they provided for our report, as
16 well as the City College of New York for their
17 bridge-vehicle-impact assessment, which provided
18 important background statistics and information for
19 our study.
20 We look forward to being a productive voice
21 in these discussions, and would like to thank you,
22 Chairman Fuschillo, for the opportunity to comment.
23
24
25
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1 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Thank you very much.
2 [Inaudible/technical difficulties.]
3 What your thoughts on the headache-bars?
4 CHRISTOPHER MCBRIDE: Well, I think that they
5 would certainly be worth trying.
6 I would -- first of all, I would recommend
7 asking the New York City DOT about them, because, in
8 the past, they have used them at a few locations on
9 the Bell Parkway.
10 And, I don't have any data on what their
11 effectiveness was, or if there were any issues with
12 it, but, you know, I know they've had them in the
13 past, probably about ten years ago.
14 So that might be worth looking into, you
15 know, to examine their effectiveness.
16 In terms of the, you know, liability issues,
17 like I said, that's something where you're gonna
18 have to weigh the pros and cons.
19 We would agree that, you know, trucks hitting
20 bridges is -- you know, is much more of a liability
21 issue than, you know, some sort of bar.
22 And if you think about it, the bars, I mean,
23 they could be designed in such a way, you know, to
24 minimize that.
25 If my memory recalls, when I did see these
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1 devices on the Bell Parkway, they either used
2 plastic rods, or, in certain cases, styrofoam.
3 So, I mean, obviously, if those break off,
4 there's going to be less of an issue than, you know,
5 if a big metal bar breaks in half.
6 So, you know, like I said, in terms of the
7 headache-bars, yes, we definitely think it's
8 something that, you know, should be looked into
9 further. And, you know, look to see if any other
10 states have used them, you know, to see if they've
11 had any issues with them.
12 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Thank you very much.
13 Dave?
14 ASSEMBLYMAN MCDONOUGH: No, thank you.
15 Thank you for your testimony.
16 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Appreciate your
17 testimony.
18 Thank you very much.
19 JEFFREY FREDIANI: Thank you.
20 CHRISTOPHER MCBRIDE: Thank you.
21 SENATOR FUSCHILLO: Well, that concludes our
22 public hearing, and I appreciate the attendance of
23 all our speakers and guests.
24 We have our work cut out for us now at the
25 Transportation Committee, to see how we're going to
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1 move forward, and work with the New York State
2 Department of Transportation, but, also, the
3 mitigation task force, and other levels of
4 municipalities throughout New York State.
5 I think the inter-municipal cooperation is
6 key, along with the trucking association as well.
7 And we're going to see how we move forward
8 with legislative remedies, if necessary.
9 So, thank you very much, everybody, for being
10 here.
11 I appreciate it.
12 Thank you.
13 (Whereupon, at approximately 12:18 p.m.,
14 the public hearing held before the New York State
15 Senate Standing Committee on Transportation
16 concluded, and adjourned.)
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