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MOBILITY20%decrease in peak–hourtruck traffic onresidential GrandAvenueOFF–HOUR TRUCK DELIVERY—MIDTOWNMASPETH BYPASSTruck deliveries made duringfocus more on their customersTrucks are critical to the economicelected officials, DOT assessedbusy times of day can exacerbateand that their staff was morelife of the city, especially inalternative routes that could bealready congested streets andproductive because they waitedindustrial areas like the Maspethless disruptive to residents whileincrease costs for businessesaround less for deliveries that wereIndustrial Business Zoneserving the needs of truckersand the consumers that buytied up in traffic. Carriers found(IBZ) in Queens. However, theand local businesses, and led antheir produces. DOT worked withthat their trucks could make moreIBZ is adjacent to residentialin–depth outreach program with allRensselaer Polytechnic Institutedeliveries in the same amount ofneighborhoods where heavy truckstakeholder groups.(RPI) to implement an Off–Hourtime; they saved money on fueltraffic impairs quality of life. InThe resulting plan shifts truckTruck Delivery Pilot program, whichcosts and could use a smaller fleetMaspeth, DOT redesigned streetstraffic from Grand and Flushingran from late 2009 through 2010.by balancing daytime and nighttimeand legal truck routes in Maspeth toAvenues to a preferred bypassTwenty participants agreed to shiftdeliveries, and that legal parkingdirect trucks away from residentialroute that connects to the LIEtheir delivery windows to betweenwas more readily available. Theirstreets while maintaining truckwithout passing through residential7 pm and 6 am. Receivers founddrivers reported feeling safer andaccess to important industriesMaspeth. DOT also made changesthat fewer deliveries during normalless stressed.Prior to 2011, Grand andto the street network to ensure thatbusiness hours allowed them toFlushing Avenues were designatedthe Maspeth Bypass was as directas through truck routes betweenand convenient as possible so thatthe Queens–Midtown Expressway/truckers would make the switch.Long Island Expressway (I–495)DOT reconfigured the multi–leggedand the Brooklyn line. While thisintersection of Maspeth Avenuerouting provided a connection fromand Maurice Avenue to safelyI–495 to the IBZs along Newtownaccommodate truck throughCreek, it channeled regionalmovements and turns, andtruck traffic through the heart ofconverted several streets to one–residential Maspeth. In response toway operation.requests from the community and110Chapter 8: Vehicles and Parking