New York State Police wrote 158 traffic tickets in a two-day crackdown on commercial vehicles illegally using the Taconic State Parkway on Monday, July 27, and Tuesday, July 28, a targeted enforcement push that underscores the same truck ban in effect on the Bronx River Parkway through Bronxville.
Of those tickets, 114 went to commercial vehicles violating Parkway Rules and Regulations § 182.31(c), which bars trucks from the state parkway system entirely, according to an official State Police press release.
Another 11 citations targeted vehicles displaying commercial signs or insignia, and 33 were for other traffic violations.
The Bronx River Parkway, which passes through Bronxville at the Paxton Avenue and West Pondfield Road exits before the Sprain Brook Parkway split, carries the identical commercial vehicle prohibition.
The state Department of Transportation lists it alongside the Saw Mill River, Cross County, Hutchinson River, and Sprain Brook parkways as roads where no commercial vehicles, including tractor trailers, are permitted.
The reason is physical. New York's parkway system was built in the early 20th century for automobiles, with low stone bridges posting vertical clearances as low as 6 feet 11 inches.
Trucks that ignore the ban risk getting wedged under those bridges, causing crashes and hours-long closures. Penalties include fines, license points, towing fees exceeding $10,000 for tractor trailers, and reimbursement costs for bridge damage.
The problem is not abstract. New York recorded 350 bridge strikes by large trucks in 2024 alone, according to data cited by U.S. Rep. George Latimer when he introduced the Bridges Not Bumpers Act. "Bridge strikes by large trucks are preventable and are a real problem in the New York metropolitan area," Latimer said in a December 2025 press release announcing the legislation.
Trooper Krystal P. Paolicelli, the Troop K spokesperson, said motorists should familiarize themselves with parkway regulations before traveling. No follow-up enforcement dates have been announced. Westchester County approved a $1,342,125 guiderail replacement contract for the Bronx River Parkway and other county roads in May 2026.
Upcoming on the Bronx River Parkway
Westchester County Parks' Bicycle Sundays program closes a 6.5-mile stretch of the parkway to motor vehicles on select Sundays. Remaining 2026 dates: Sept. 13, Sept. 20, and Sept. 27, plus Oct. 4, all from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The route runs from Exit 4 at Scarsdale Road in Yonkers to Exit 22 at the Westchester County Center. Admission is free.
