The commercial waste haulers selected to collect trash under the city's commercial waste zone program include those with at least a lethal track record, under proposed amendments to the long-awaited reform bill. , the city will be required to submit crash and driving data, but this information should have been submitted by the city.considered in front The plan's legislative architect told Streets Blog that a deal has been signed.
Action Kart has been linked to at least five traffic fatalities, including the 2017 fatality of 27-year-old cyclist Neftary Ramirez in Greenpoint. is one of 18 companies selected to provide services to 20 designated waste zones from September this year.
The Department of Health has announced amendments. [PDF] On Monday, new requirements were added to the waste zone regulations for Carter to provide detailed crash information and “real-time” driving data.
Crash data from [commercial waste zone] The winners are good, but the crash data from CWZ*applicants* could have been better,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who as a City Council member helped pass commercial waste reform behind the zoning program, in a statement. Stated.
“Worker and street safety were the driving force behind this bill and should have been the driving force in selecting the award recipients.”
The amendments proposed Monday would require companies to submit reports twice a year on accidents involving truck drivers. This includes the location and time of the accident, the driver's name and license plate, the number of people injured and killed, and a summary of the accident. what happened.
“The commercial waste zone program has always been intended to improve the safety of both those working in the private wheelbarrow industry and the general public,” DSNY spokesman Joshua Goodman said in a statement.
The reforms, enacted by the City Council five years ago, aimed to reduce vehicle miles traveled and reduce traffic violence, particularly caused by the less regulated sector. Supporters say the Reynoso bill was intended to better organize a “wild west” situation in which about 90 waste haulers invaded neighborhood streets and killed residents, but the Adams administration's He said he faced delays.
The overhaul follows ProPublica's 2018 revelations detailing dangerous practices by Action Cart and the private waste sector at large, including overworked employees and reckless driving, and that the industry This comes after seven people died on roads in the past year.
Action Cart did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
According to the May 6 notification, the proposed regulations would allow other driving records to be captured in “real-time” via telematics systems, such as vehicle distance traveled, speeding over the speed limit, and sudden stops. It is said that it is wanted.
Contractors will “immediately” notify the city of any collisions or other injuries caused by waste haulers and will submit collision reports every six months starting Feb. 1.
The regulations also require companies to determine the amount and type of waste they collect, the fees they charge customers, their contracts with subcontractors, their investments in vehicles, their staff training records, and the information they provide to local, state, or federal government agencies. requires the submission of data regarding violations by .
Supporters of transportation alternatives hope this data could help the Department of Transportation redesign roads.
“Requiring recipients of commercial waste zone contracts to provide comprehensive collision data creates transparency,” said Elizabeth Adams, the organization's deputy executive director for communications. It is important not to do so.”
“The DSNY must use this crash data to inform the contract and hold Carter accountable for his dangerous driving. It must also help other agencies, including the DOT, redesign roads for safety. We hope to use this data when planning new truck routes.”
In January, New York's Strong announced the first phase of an overhaul. — Critics accused officials during a public hearing on the rule in March of not providing a schedule for the remaining 19 zones or a way to measure their effectiveness.
Reynoso called on the city to ensure the new waste zone meets the original goals of the 2019 law.
“If done right, CWZs can take millions of miles of trucks off the road, keep workers and pedestrians safe, and ensure quality service for all customers,” he said. said. “The city's immediate goal is to prevent good legislation from being undermined by bad enforcement.”