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- calendar_today November 11, 2026
Speeding by NYC Sanitation Supervisors Revealed
Supervisors within the New York City Department of Sanitation, responsible for overseeing trash collection and enforcing garbage regulations, have accumulated thousands of speeding tickets while on the job, according to a recent data analysis.
Detailed Ticketing Data Highlights Supervisor Infractions
A review by Gothamist of license plates associated with the city’s sanitation department found that 763 SUVs and passenger vehicles, largely assigned to supervisors and non-trash collecting staff, received at least 2,375 speed camera tickets since 2023. These vehicles, used for ensuring that garbage trucks complete their routes on time and issuing citations to noncompliant property owners, have repeatedly appeared in city speed camera records.
Accountability and Debt Repayment for Speeding Fines
Sanitation officials state that all employees must pay speeding and other automated camera fines incurred while driving department vehicles. Nonpayment can result in disciplinary action. Between 2023 and the present, department employees have reimbursed nearly $199,000 in such fines, according to city data.
The Department of Sanitation employs about 10,000 people, but fewer than 1,700 serve as supervisors, superintendents, or enforcement agents. These figures highlight that a relatively small segment of the workforce is responsible for a significant number of speeding incidents in city-owned vehicles.
Calls for Speed Limiters and Safer Streets
The pattern of speeding among supervisors has prompted transportation advocates to urge faster implementation of speed-limiting technology for municipal vehicles. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has advocated for tripling the city’s commitment to these devices that cap a vehicle’s maximum speed.
Alexa Sledge, a spokesperson for the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, emphasized the need for action: “There’s no world in New York City where the kind of vehicles that we're relying on to serve and protect New Yorkers should also be traveling recklessly around the five boroughs.” She called for requiring speed limiters on all city vehicles and redesigning intersections and streets to naturally discourage speeding.
Comparison With Garbage Truck Safety
City data shows that around 77% of the sanitation department’s garbage trucks have not received a single speeding ticket since 2023. However, these large vehicles have still played a role in serious traffic incidents. In one recent case, a 30-year-old woman was fatally struck by a sanitation truck in Brooklyn. The truck's driver was arrested and issued a desk appearance ticket as authorities continue investigating the accident.
Ongoing Efforts for Transportation Safety
The findings have intensified calls for municipal vehicle enforcement, with advocacy groups pressing for broader adoption of speed limiters and safer street designs in New York City, aiming to reduce speeding and enhance public safety across all boroughs.
Source: gothamist.com.
