Illegal truck parking spurns Community Board 9

Illegal truck parking spurns Community Board 9

Community Board 9 knows all too well the prevalence of tractor-trailers illegally parked along residential streets.

“This has been an ongoing issue for five years,” said Al Heyward, board chairman, whose district covers Soundview, Parkchester, Unionport and Castle Hill.

In early April, the office received complaints from small business magnate Dominic Broccoli who reported seeing several flatbed trailers parked in a section of White Plains Road meant strictly for short-term parking.

The bulk of the tractor-less trailers are stored inside a private lot across the street from Broccoli’s new IHOP restaurant. About three of them, however, were left outside the tire-strewn lot, which affected Broccoli’s bottom line.

“I was told it was cheaper to park them on the street, but unfortunately for the merchants in the area, it’s hurting our business,” said Broccoli, who added that the flatbeds take up to six parking spaces each

Global Precast owns the flatbeds and the exterior facades cargo. The Canadian-based firm specializes in manufacturing precast concrete panels for commercial use. Global Precast responded to the storage issue saying, “The responsibility of the trailer and the load falls on the company to which we provide the supplies.” In this case, the company that purchased the materials is Toll Brothers, a commercial real estate developer. Toll Brothers did not return calls for comment.

The truck-parking problem is prevalent throughout the borough, according to Heyward. Some major hotspots include:

• Webster Avenue leading towards 233rd Street in Wakefield

• Bruckner Boulevard between Middletown Road and Wilkinson Avenue in Pelham Bay

• Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road and Havemeyer Avenue in Unionport

According to the NYC Department of Transportation, truck drivers are prohibited from parking on residential streets. Heyward said it’s common to see trucks parked at the named locations during the overnight hours.

Police issue parking tickets, but as in the case of the rusty flatbeds on White Plains Road, Heyward said the tickets don’t mean too much to the drivers who find it easier to park on the street since the $115 summons is cheaper than the price of off-street parking.

Heyward said one way to crack down on illegal truck parking is to increase the penalties.

“I would have [the trucks] booted,” said Heyward. “Once you boot them that means they have to go to court, pay the fine then get someone at the local precinct to remove the boot. So that’s time, effort and money.”

Until a member of the New York City Council proposes a bill toughening truck parking laws, Community Board 9 will have to continue dealing with the problem.

To reach reporter David Cruz call 718-742-3383 or email at dcruz@cnglocal.com.