Trucks parked along Incinerator Road is a burning issue

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After previous complaints of trucks parking along Nassau Expressway before the road was renovated, State Sen. Todd Kaminsky sent a letter to the state’s Department of Transportation in early January asking for a resolution to trucks parking on the side of a road in Inwood.

According to Kaminsky, a Democrat who represents the Five Towns, trucks are now parking along Incinerator Road in Inwood, a two-lane road located near the expressway also known as State Route 878.

“With parked vehicles impeding Incinerator Road’s only traffic lane, motorists are forced into the oncoming lane to pass, creating hazardous conditions, while putting both drivers and pedestrians in danger,” he said.

“Currently, there are no regulations in place restricting motorists from parking on Incinerator Road, and I’m urging the DOT to add no parking signs on this road.”

Kaminsky contacted DOT expressing concerns about trucks being parked on the side of 878 between Rockaway Turnpike and Burnside Avenue, in Lawrence, in 2018.

“The Department of Transportation efforts were extremely helpful in removing hazardous vehicles from 878,” he said. “That action has now created an equally concerning issue as trucks are now parking on the adjacent and newly paved Incinerator Road.” 

A $130 million and roughly 14-month long expressway renovation project was completed in January 2020. Signs that read “No Parking” are now on the road. 

“878 is a major expressway connecting the Five Towns, Long Beach, JFK Airport and New York City,” Kaminsky added. “This makes the route and the surrounding roads a vital component of the South Shore’s transportation infrastructure and it is critical for the DOT to eliminate this newly formed hazard.”

Kenneth Graham owns The Garden Gallery on Bay Boulevard in Inwood, he noted that parking on the side of Incinerator Road has been an issue since the summer and he contacted Kaminsky’s office in the fall.

“The drivers park on the side and at times flip the hood and start working on their trucks right in the street,” Graham said. “It’s a narrow two-lane road and drivers have to go into the other lane just to avoid the trucks.”

The Garden Gallery is located off Incinerator and Graham said that the trucks parking on the side obscures the visibility of customers entering and exiting the store’s parking lot. “I called the 4th Precinct about this and they told me if there’s not a sign, there’s nothing for them to enforce,” he said. “The DOT has to put a no parking sign on the road.”

Department of Transportation officials declined to go into detail about how they plan to address the issue. “The New York State Department of Transportation is aware of the concerns raised about trucks parking along Incinerator Road,” spokesman Glenn Blain said. “We are currently reviewing potential solutions to the issue.” When asked for an update, DOT did not return a request for comment.

Graham summed up the trucks parking on the side of the road as a major safety issue. “The truck drivers treat the road as their own private road and repair place,” he said. “It’s dangerous for customers to come to my business. There’s no way to fix this without signs being put up.”

Have an opinion on trucks parked along the Nassau Expressway? Send your letter to jbessen@liherald.com.