City Claims Control Over Commercial Trash Trucks

NEW YORK CITY — New York claimed control over the commercial garbage carting industry when Mayor Bill de Blasio signed new law designed to crack down on dangerous driving and smog.

The new legislation, which de Blasio signed in Williamsburg Wednesday, divides New York City into 20 zones where no more than three private trash collectors — who must first ask permission from the Department of Sanitation — can serve.

Lawmakers say it will cut truck traffic by 50 percent and, by limiting routes, create safer work conditions for drivers who take on one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S.

"It's a new day for New York's Green New Deal," de Blasio said. "It's a new day for safety on our streets, whether you're on the truck or biking next to it, and it's a new day for New York City."

Commercial trash carters — responsible for picking up garbage from more than 100,000 commercial businesses — have come under fire in recent years for skirting traffic laws and seemingly rolling around "with impunity."

Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia told reporters that since 2010, 28 New Yorkers have been killed by private carters — among them an NYPD worker fatally crushed in Brooklyn — and that the law is four years in the making.

"This is actually a really important day for New York City," Garcia said. "It is an industry that is in desperate need for reform."

Intro 1574-A, first introduced by Brooklyn Council Member Antonio Reynoso, mandates private trash companies provide safety training, report back to a Sanitation safety task force, and stick to labor laws that limit work hours to prevent over-tired drivers from getting behind the wheel, Garcia said.

Commercial Waste Zones will make it easier for "exhausted" haulers to drive safely by shortening their routes to one specific region, Garcia argued.

A map of zones will be released later this year, the Department of Sanitation will begin accepting proposals from professional carters in 2020 and the new system should go into effect in 2021.

New York City business owners will be able to hire only from the three carters assigned to their zone, Garcia said.

The new law also targets climate change by requiring haulers to discount recycling pickup service, and use low-emission trucks.