Q&A
Council Member Holden questions DEP on commercial vehicle idling enforcement
1:15:34
·
3 min
Council Member Robert Holden questions Deputy Commissioner Julie Lubin about enforcement issues related to commercial vehicle idling, particularly focusing on vehicles with out-of-state or non-commercial plates. They discuss potential changes to legislation to close loopholes and improve enforcement.
- Holden raises concerns about vehicles avoiding regulations by using non-commercial or out-of-state plates
- Lubin recommends modifying the bill to include commercial vehicles without commercial plates
- They discuss the need to educate police on identifying commercial vehicles for enforcement purposes
Robert Holden
1:15:34
Thank you, chair, and thank you commissioner and deputy commissioner.
1:15:37
Couple of questions on your testimony where you mentioned that, oh, if the license plate is doctored, somewhat that they get they can get off.
1:15:48
Right?
1:15:50
And you mentioned about if the license plate is not commercial, it doesn't and I have that issue all the time with commercial vehicles parked in the neighborhoods, and police don't recognize it because it doesn't say commercial on it.
1:16:04
It's misregistered or it's out of state.
1:16:07
And what about these out of state vehicles that like Pennsylvania that doesn't have commercial on it?
1:16:13
Are those considered?
1:16:15
Do we get around that?
1:16:16
Or New Jersey, I believe, does the same thing?
Julie Lubin
1:16:24
I don't know the practices of other states, but I don't believe we can enforce against companies that are out of state.
Robert Holden
1:16:31
So it's clearly a truck.
Julie Lubin
1:16:32
We can.
Robert Holden
1:16:33
No.
1:16:33
It's clearly an 18 wheel truck.
Julie Lubin
1:16:35
Right.
1:16:35
So what we would recommend is that the bill say that obviously commercial vehicles that do not have commercial plates would be subject to the law.
1:16:47
That's one of the recommendations
Robert Holden
1:16:48
that you
James F. Gennaro
1:16:49
would
Robert Holden
1:16:49
Because yeah.
1:16:49
Because the the bill 291 mentions RCNY, which is the rules of the city of New York, and that's the problem.
1:16:58
Right.
1:16:59
Because that that that has a whole bunch of trucks that would not be included, and we couldn't do anything about.
Julie Lubin
1:17:06
Agreed, and our recommendation would be to modify to to have a carve out that most of the city of New York's rule that cited there would apply except for the commercial plate requirement.
Robert Holden
1:17:17
Yeah.
1:17:17
We'd be under the vehicle traffic laws, which is a state.
Julie Lubin
1:17:20
Oh.
1:17:20
That that one we think is too broad.
1:17:23
Actually, it captures too many.
1:17:25
It's a that one refers to, I believe, the word property very generally.
1:17:30
So we like the city rule, but we would tweak the city rule to encompass commercial vehicles that do not have commercial plates.
Robert Holden
1:17:37
Right.
1:17:38
So if it's a van and they don't have seats in them and they're loading and unloading, that's a commercial vehicle essentially.
1:17:45
Right?
1:17:45
For them.
Julie Lubin
1:17:45
We we agree with what you're
Robert Holden
1:17:47
providing.
1:17:47
So that's a very, very important feature.
1:17:49
Because otherwise, so many vehicles would get through, and we wouldn't be able to enforce that.
1:17:55
So that's an important thing on on on chair.
1:18:00
The the 291 should include.
1:18:02
And that's why But but the biggest problem is and I think we have to also do this with the police department because they don't know what a commercial vehicle is many times because I tell them it this van and many people are getting around the laws now by not registering when you when you mentioned commissioner, not registering as a commercial vehicle.
1:18:23
So they they they can park in neighborhoods.
1:18:26
They can do you know, they could idle.
1:18:29
They they could unload, and they're they're parking on the streets of of residential areas.
1:18:34
So So that's an important feature.
1:18:36
I thank you for that, and and if we can get you know, I'll vote for the bill if they make those changes.
1:18:42
Thank you so much.
1:18:46
No chair.
1:18:46
Okay.
1:18:47
Is a pause in the action.
1:18:49
Yeah.
1:18:50
Do you want me to take over?
1:18:51
I'll take over.
1:18:52
I'll give myself more time again.
1:18:59
Okay.
