Residents in Wakefield and other parts of the Bronx claim that 18-wheeler tractor-trailers are illegally parked on their neighborhood roads and creating a safety hazard and leaving behind garbage.

Residents say illegally parked tractor-trailers have turned roads in the North Bronx into makeshift parking spots for years. 

“They're not moving them, and it's unfortunate that the parking enforcement is not focusing on this part of the Bronx," says Wakefield resident Anthony Maldonado.

Maldonado says the trucks are also leaving behind piles of garbage illegally dumped along Nereid Avenue, the Major Deegan Expressway and other areas. 

"A lot of trash on the side of the road, that includes branch droppings from a pickup truck...a big pile of dirt on that lane,” he says. 

Maldonado says he and other residents have tried to report the issue to the city but have not received a response. 

"You call 311, and that's the system for the normal person to complain about something that's not being done by the city. But you're spending all this money for the system, and nothing is being done,” he says. 

Maldonado says his wife almost crashed her car on the Major Deegan when she had to swerve to avoid an illegally parked truck.

The issue has caught the attention of Bronx City Councilman Eric Dinowitz, who says he’s tried to get help as well. 

"We've reached out to the 50th Precinct and they have ramped up enforcement on illegal parking…They say they wrote 20 tickets on Thursday night,” he says. 

Dinowitz says the problem is these truckers don't have anywhere to park their tractors after a long drive.

"We have reached out to the Department of Transportation commissioner and asked them to take steps to designate tractor trailer rest areas to allow these trucks to stop illegally,” he says. 

Dinowitz says he's also worked to get cameras installed in areas where trash gets dumped. He says it will take a collaborative effort involving law enforcement, local agencies and the community to put an end to these problems.

"We are working very hard to both enforce the law, to improve our quality of life, and to find the space for those tractor-trailers so they're not taking up space on Nereid Avenue, on Webster Avenue, or on the Deegan,” Dinowitz says. 

News 12 reached out to the Department of Transportation for a response.