Officials say about 20,000 trucks now rumble along the often-jammed Long Island Expressway each day. That’s one in nine vehicles.

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council expects the number to go up.

Chris Jones of the Regional Plan Association says action is needed to curb the impact on Long Island’s already stressed roadways.

The percentage of LIE crashes involving trucks has nearly doubled, from 5.9 in 2002 to 10.8 in 2008.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler says “hypercongested” roads also cause pollution.

More than 90 percent of goods delivered to Long Island come by truck. Nadler wants to move more goods by train. He has long called for a rail tunnel between New Jersey and Brooklyn. 

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.