When it comes to vehicles crashing into low bridges, one state lawmaker wants to take the road.
A proposal passed this week in the state Assembly would require New York transportation officials to report the locations of bridge crashes, repairs made after the crashes and provide recommendations on how to prevent future incidents.
The move is intended to address a scourge of bridge vehicle accidents, which often involve large trucks crashing into older, suspension bridges.
“All too often, we’re seeing large trucks crash into low bridges in cities like Rotterdam and Glenville, causing significant damage,” said Rep. Angelo Santabarbara. “Here in Schenectady County, unfortunately, it’s a problem that many local residents and commuters are all too familiar with in their daily lives.”
Santabarbara, a civil engineer, wants to use the information collected by the state Department of Transportation to improve road safety across the state.
A bridge in the legislator’s district has been hit nearly 100 times since it was built. In total, the bridge has been hit 22 times in 2021 and 12 more times last year.
“It is important to increase knowledge and awareness of the number of collisions in order to understand the reasons why these collisions occur,” said Santabarbara. “This bill will provide relevant data to help us find solutions.”
