In September, we reported on a town and truckers that went toe-to-toe over the town’s road usage law. Now the dispute has reached a fever pitch.
For decades, the town of Norwood, New York– home to a handful of trucking companies– has had 8-ton limit signs posted, but trucks have been allowed to pass through uninhibited. The problem, the residents say, is that the roads weren’t built to hold the trucks’ weight and now roads are crumbling and many have drainage issues.
Truck routes are available but they take a 30-mile detour around the town, costing the companies extra time and resources.
“You’re talking dollars per ton more to do that, and for us to be competitive, there’s absolutely no way,” G. Michael Knowlton, owner of Knowlton & Son, said.
In September, the city met to discuss possible solutions.
At the end of the meeting, town representatives said they would not remove the 8-ton limit signs, but that they would add “Local Deliveries Only” signs.
Knowlton’s business is within city limits. He says he still plans to use the town’s roads and says that if he’s issued a ticket, he will fight it.
In response to Knowlton’s challenge, town Mayor James H. McFaddin said, “The police agencies and the judges can answer that question,” though he did add the town has no plans to start enforcing the ordinance yet.
Now, it appears that time has come.
The Watertown Daily News reported that on Thursday, Knowlton received several calls from neighbors informing him that police were sitting just down the road from Knowlton’s trucking company. Knowlton left his office and went down to speak with the police and ask them if they were planning to issue his drivers a citation.
“Mr. Knowlton asked that the summons be issued to him instead of to the drivers, who work for an Albany trucking company. He then loaded up a truck with enough salt to take him past the legal weight limit and drove to where an officer was waiting to issue the summons,” the Watertown Daily News reported.
Knowlton told the Watertown Daily News that his company has been using the roads for years and thought the 8-ton limit has always been posted, he believes it’s only now being enforced because of a long-time political dispute between himself and the town’s mayor.
He plans to fight the citation and has retained an attorney.
Drivers, what are your thoughts?
Original Story:
The town of Norwood, New York may be small but it’s the home of a handful of trucking companies. Recently, the town’s people and the trucking companies went toe-to-toe over road usage.
For decades, the town has had 8-ton limit signs posted but trucks have been allowed to pass through uninhibited. The problem, the residents say, is that the roads weren’t built to hold the trucks’ weight and now roads are crumbling and have drainage issues.
“Trucks have been using village streets for years, and it is only recently that the issue has received any attention, said Amanda S. Foster, who owns Fosters Truck & Equipment Repair,” The Watertown Daily Times reported.
Reconstruction of the roads was suggested but the project would cost too much for the town’s $1 million a year budget.
Truck routes are available but they take a 30-mile detour around the town, costing the companies extra time and resources.
“G. Michael Knowlton, owner of Knowlton & Son, is one of the business owners who stands to lose the most because of the 8-ton limit. His business is on River Road. If he can’t use local roads to make his deliveries, he will have to take a detour of more than 20 miles to reach the truck routes that run on either side of the village,” The Watertown Daily Times reported.
“It’s already a truck route,” Knowlton said of village roads. “Trucks go down that road every day.”
At the end of the meeting, town representatives said they would not remove the 8-ton limit signs, but that they would add “Local Deliveries Only” signs.
Knowlton’s business is within city limits. He says he still plans to use the town’s roads and says that if he’s issued a ticket, he will fight it.
In response to Knowlton’s challenge, town Mayor James H. McFaddin said, “The police agencies and the judges can answer that question,” though he did add the town has no plans to start enforcing the ordinance yet.