​County Says Bridge Strikes Reduced In Rye Brook

RYE BROOK, NY — County Executive George Latimer met with Rye Brook officials Thursday to review the progress that has been made in reducing truck collisions with the King Street Bridge above the Hutchinson River Parkway. According to statistics from the state and county, the King Street Bridge was struck by trucks eight times in 2019. That was a significant drop from 2018, when the bridge was struck 24 times, officials said.

Latimer said he was grateful to Rye Brook Mayor Paul Rosenberg and village administration for partnering with the county to make progress on the issue.

“The King Street Bridge was known for being hit by trucks more times than any other bridge in New York State. It no longer has that dubious distinction,” Latimer said.

“Bridge strikes not only cause danger and inconvenience to motorists on the parkway, they also have had a significant impact on the village," he said. "When a bridge strike occurs at King Street, traffic frequently has to be diverted off the parkway and on to local streets.”

Latimer has made eliminating bridge strikes a priority and has worked closely with the New York State Department of Transportation to find new solutions, according to a spokeswoman. In 2019, the state completed a $1.8 million project to mitigate bridge strikes at King Street. That project included installing an over-height vehicle detection system in advance of the bridge and placing additional warnings on the face of the bridge, which was struck by vehicles 130 times from 2008 to 2018.

Rosenberg expressed his appreciation for the county stepping in and addressing the problem.

“ Since the new warning signs have been installed, the number of trucks who have hit the King Street Bridge has almost fallen to zero,” he said.

Also on Thursday, Senator Charles Schumer, D-NY, and two fellow senators from neighboring states are urging Google and other GPS navigation system providers to add information about commercial vehicle restrictions to all phone apps, especially those that are free to the public. While commercial-grade GPS apps are available for purchase, many truckers do not do so because of the expense, and they rely only on apps on their personal phones.

“Westchester has made major progress by reducing strikes to the King Street bridge through its installation of a revolutionary detection system. More must now be done to prevent bridge strikes,” Schumer said. “That is why, after learning that 92 percnet of drivers involved in these accidents used a personal GPS system while driving, I am urging the leading manufacturers of smartphone-based GPS applications — Apple, Google and Waze — to add data to their maps alerting drivers of potential road restrictions, including on the Hutchinson River Parkway, with all due speed.”

Bridge Strike Background

As part of the state project, enhanced signage and electronic message boards, known formally as variable message signs, were deployed along Interstate 287 to warn that trucks are prohibited on the Hutch and other designated parkways. The signs on I-287 signs direct truckers to stay on the interstate and avoid the Hutch.

Many out-of-state truckers involved in bridge strikes have reported to Westchester County Police that they were traveling on I-287 before exiting to get on the Hutchinson River Parkway. Whether they head north or south from that location, truckers soon encounter bridges that are too low to accommodate a box truck or tractor-trailer.

The project’s two over-height vehicle detectors are at Exits 26 and 29 of the Hutchinson River Parkway. The detection system includes technology mounted on either side of the road, creating an infrared beam over the parkway.

When an over-height vehicle breaks the beam, the receiver sends a signal and activates a warning message on a VMS, notifying the driver to exit the parkway immediately. An alert is also sent to the County Police and to the New York State Transportation Management Center in Hawthorne.

The new signs and message boards installed last summer were in addition to existing signs, VMS and pavement markings on the Hutch and its entrance ramps. These signs and pavement markings advise No Trucks Low Bridge, Passenger Cars Only and other warnings. Many truckers involved in bridge strikes admit they were inattentive to the signs and were relying on a GPS program on their personal phone rather than a GPS device designed to guide commercial vehicles.

The newest signage includes a variety of new messages on the Hutch or I-287 near the Hutch interchange, including:

• Low Bridges Ahead
• Trucks Exit Now
• All Trucks Buses RVs Must Exit
• Trucks Do Not Use Phone GPS
• Trucks Stay on I-287
• Low Bridge on Exit 9N
• No Trucks Buses RVs on Parkways – Low Bridges
• Trucks to Conn Whitestone Bridge Must Use Exit 12.

Reflective red triangles were placed on the bridge structure to enhance a trucker’s ability to see a low bridge ahead in the dark.

The county police issue multiple summonses to truckers involved in bridge strikes. It also works with the trucking company’s insurance provider to obtain reimbursement for the police time spent at these incidents.

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