(New York, NY<\/strong>) Today, New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers joined New York City Council Member Dr. Nantasha Williams, community leaders, and advocates for a rally demanding increased truck enforcement in Southeast Queens and inclusion of the community in the City\u2019s Overnight Truck Parking Pilot.<\/p>\n The rally highlighted the Administration\u2019s failure to engage Southeast Queens stakeholders in the development of the truck parking plan\u2014despite persistent illegal truck parking that disrupts residential areas and communities. Advocates and elected officials called for a comprehensive approach to truck parking that prioritizes enforcement against illegal street parking while creating legal parking infrastructure that minimizes disruption to residents.<\/p>\n \u201cThe City cannot continue to ignore the concerns of Southeast Queens,\u201d said New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers<\/strong>. \u201cIllegal truck parking has been a longstanding issue in our community, creating unsafe conditions and quality-of-life concerns for residents. The Administration\u2019s decision to roll out a truck parking pilot without including Southeast Queens\u2014one of the areas most impacted by this issue\u2014is unacceptable. We need real enforcement against illegal parking and long-term, sustainable truck parking solutions that work for businesses and residents alike.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cIllegal truck parking remains a persistent issue in Southeast Queens and communities across the city, which impacts public health and safety,\u201d said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams<\/strong>. \u201cCreating designated spaces for trucks to park other than residential streets is critical, and we urge the City\u2019s new Overnight Truck Parking Pilot to include Southeast Queens as a location. The Council is proud to have enacted policies to address illegal truck parking, but enforcement is key to resolving this long-standing challenge in our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is deeply disappointing that the Department of Transportation has moved forward with an Industrial Business Zone truck parking pilot program based on Int. 0099-2024 and failed to include Southeast Queens\u2014one of the most impacted regions in the entire city,\u201d said New York City Council Member Dr. Nantasha Williams<\/strong>. \u201cOur communities, which sit in close proximity to JFK Airport and serve as critical arteries for goods movement, have long dealt with the consequences of illegal truck parking, idling, and congestion. To exclude Southeast Queens from a pilot intended to relieve these exact burdens is both short-sighted and unacceptable. I will be demanding answers from DOT and pushing for the immediate inclusion of Southeast Queens in this program.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cIllegal truck parking in residential areas in the communities of southeast Queens is a problem its residents have been battling for years,\u201d said Mark McMillan, District Manager of Queens Community Board 13<\/strong>. \u201cBeing located adjacent to JFK International Airport, a Task Force of community leaders was organized over the past few years to engage NYPD in enforcement efforts to address this ongoing issue. QCB13 supports wholeheartedly the push by Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers to bring this Pilot Program to an area where the residents continually suffer with trucks parking on residential streets and around its parks. It is inconceivable that our area of southeast Queens is not included in this Pilot when this issue has been so visible, and so negatively affected its residents.\u201d<\/p>\n “For the Administration to launch their overnight truck parking pilot without including Community Board 14Q, which covers the entire Rockaway Peninsula and is in direct proximity to JFK Airport, is a travesty,” said Felicia Johnson, District Manager of Queens Community Board 14<\/strong>. “The amount of illegal oversized truck parking in our residential streets is unbearable. It is sad to learn that this is not an issue strictly impacting Rockaway. There needs to be a strategic plan to alleviate this problem that includes this community. The effect this is having on our residential communities and infrastructure, is inexcusable. I applaud Council Member Brooks-Powers in bringing this issue to the forefront. CB 14Q stands with her in demanding that the Administration go back to the drawing board and devise a pilot plan that is inclusive of all Southeast Queens.”<\/p>\n \u201cThe Department of Transportation\u2019s decision to exclude Southeast Queens from its truck parking pilot program is a complete slap in the face to GatewayJFK Business Improvement District and our community at large,\u201d said James Johnson, Executive Director of GatewayJFK Business Improvement District.<\/strong> \u201cJFK International Airport is the largest cargo airport in the Northeast, the #1 international air cargo airport in the U.S., and a critical hub for global trade\u2014handling over 1.3 million tons of cargo annually. Nowhere in New York City experiences more cargo traffic than the area surrounding JFK. Derelict trucks are actively hurting the economic development of our businesses, tenants, retailers, and homeowners. Southeast Queens deserves to be part of the solution\u2014not ignored. We thank NYC Council Transportation Chair Selvena Brooks-Powers for standing with us and organizing this rally.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSoutheast Queens communities have for too long been suffering from illegally parked trucks and trucks illegally off-route in our residential communities due in large part to an ever-burgeoning air cargo business, both on and off airport,\u201d said Barbara Brown, Chairperson of Eastern Queens Alliance<\/strong>. \u201cIt is unconscionable that Southeast Queens IBZ has not been included in the truck parking pilot. We ask: What criteria was used for selection? Who was involved in the selection process? Why were our communities not contacted? We learned about the pilot only after the fact! Not acceptable!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of our co-location with JFK Airport, Southeast Queens is ground zero for the parking, traffic and air pollution challenges presented by the trucks that participate in the air cargo industry,\u201d said Gloria Boyce-Charles, Community Advocate<\/strong>. \u201cIt is unthinkable that a truck parking pilot could fail to include this community. The DOT must engage the Southeast Queens community in the selection of an appropriate pilot site, and the establishment of the terms of implementation, enforcement and community feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe in South East Queens demand representation in the NYC truck parking plan,\u201d said Alfred Osbourne, President of Rosedale Civic Association<\/strong>. \u201cWe are the ones who first brought this problem to the attention of the City, DOT and NYPD.\u201d<\/p>\n “The nationwide shortage of safe overnight truck parking has reached a crisis point, with only one available space for every eleven drivers on the road,\u201d said Zach Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs of Trucking Association of New York<\/strong>. \u201cIn dense urban areas like New York City, this issue is even more severe\u2014forcing truck drivers into an impossible dilemma: either violate federally mandated Hours of Service regulations or resort to ill-advised and unsafe parking. This no-win scenario creates unfair and dangerous conditions not only for truck drivers but also for the communities in which they operate. Everyone\u2014drivers, residents, and businesses alike\u2014deserves safety, respect, and viable solutions. Fortunately, momentum is building. With the New York City Department of Transportation, the City Council, industry leaders, and community stakeholders aligning on this critical issue, meaningful progress is within reach. As the saying goes, \u201cfreight follows the demand,\u201d and so must truck parking solutions. We remain committed to working collaboratively to implement practical, sustainable, and equitable parking solutions that support both the trucking industry and the communities we serve.”<\/p>\n Community leaders also emphasized the impact of unchecked truck parking on air quality, traffic congestion, and pedestrian safety \u2013 and urged the administration to engage directly with Southeast Queens stakeholders to ensure equitable transportation and infrastructure planning.<\/p>\n \u201cThe City has acknowledged the need for a truck parking pilot, but it cannot be a real solution if it ignores entire communities that are already bearing the brunt of illegal parking,\u201d said New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers<\/strong>. \u201cGiven our proximity to JFK airport, Southeast Queens is home to critical transportation infrastructure and commerce, and our neighborhoods deserve thoughtful, long-term solutions that don\u2019t come at the expense of residents\u2019 quality of life. I will continue fighting to ensure our community is part of the conversation and that real enforcement measures are put in place.\u201d<\/p>\n Media Contact for Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers:<\/p>\n