The NYC Council advanced a bill on Monday that would give big trucks a big break to park legally overnight in NYC.
Intro 0099 made its way through the City Council on June 30. If signed by Mayor Eric Adams, the law would require the city Department of Transportation (DOT) to make available overnight parking areas in the city’s “industrial business zones” for commercial vehicles.
The bill advanced following months of New Yorkers expressing concern over quality-of-life issues when trucks are parked “improperly” in their residential neighborhoods, officials said.
“This isn’t about pointing fingers, it’s about addressing a problem that’s been left unmanaged for too long in communities like mine,” Queens City Council Member Nantasha Williams, who sponsored the bill, said. “Residents have raised real concerns, and drivers are often left without workable options. We can’t keep issuing tickets without offering solutions. This bill is about creating a smarter system, one that respects the needs of neighborhoods while recognizing the essential role of truckers in keeping this city running.”
Council Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers said the shortage of overnight parking areas results in illegal parking, disruptions in daily life and raises safety concerns for both drivers and the surrounding communities.
“As Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and a representative of Southeast Queens, with neighborhoods that were left out of the city’s overnight parking pilot and are frequently ignored, I am pleased the full council voted in support of this important legislation that contributes to increasing safety, equity, and accessibility of our communities,” she said.
The law would build on the DOT’s on-street overnight truck parking pilot, which launched on March 20 and featured metered parking in three industrial areas: Flatlands, Brooklyn; Hunts Point, the Bronx; and Maspeth, Queens. The program created 45 new legal spaces in total.
Per Intro 0099’s language, more parking areas would be made available for the trucks. The spaces would stay active for at least 10 continuous hours overnight and inactive between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The bill and pilot program aim to give truck drivers a break while complying with federally mandated rest periods and reducing illegal overnight parking in residential areas.
“Allowing truck operators to have safe and convenient places to take mandatory rest breaks supports the safety of the truck-based deliveries we all rely on,” said Eric Beaton, deputy commissioner of Transportation Planning and Management.
amNewYork contacted Selvena Brooks-Powers, chair of the NYC Council’s transportation and infrastructure committee, who was in a meeting at the time.
Meanwhile, the Trucking Association of New York said passing the bill would help truckers and improve the delivery process within the city.
“Providing a safe place to park is not just a kind gesture; it has the power to improve efficiency, reduce costs for drivers, and preserve neighborhoods,” said Zach Miller, vice president of government affairs at the organization. “ It’s a simple change that helps the entire city run better—and we commend our city leaders for working to make this a reality.”
Miller said that trucks transport nearly 90% of NYC’s goods, and passing the bill would be a “promising step forward” for the Big Apple’s freight network.
Advocacy groups have said truck parking capacity is a nationwide issue, especially in populated urban areas like NYC. According to the American Trucking Associations and Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, there is only one truck parking space for every 11 drivers in the United States.
Adams has not yet signed the bill into law. If he does, it would become effective after 180 days and expire on July 1, 2030.
