On Monday, the Russellville City Council in Alabama approved an ordinance banning large commercial vehicles on certain city roads.
The ordinance is the city’s first attempt at commercial truck regulation, and aims to protect residential roads from further damage caused by heavy trucks and increase safety in local neighborhoods.
“We need to be fair to businesses, while at the same time protecting residential areas,” City Councilman David Palmer told the Times Daily. “It’s a fine line to control business trucks and protect the safety of folks living in the residential areas,” he said.
Exempted are emergency vehicles, government vehicles and resident truck drivers who travel to and from work. The ordinance also excludes deliveries to a residence or business within city limits, trucks that are delivering supplies to someone constructing a home and motorhomes for personal use.
If a truck driver needs to travel through a residential neighborhood, he or she must first get a variance from the Russellville City Council and have the street assessed for damages beforehand. If the truck ends up damaging the road, the driver or company must pay for the repair.
The ordinance, which covers all major entries and exits in Russellville, will regulate commercial truck thru-traffic in residential areas zoned R-1, R-2, R-3 and MH-1 but not affect business, industrial or agricultural zones.
The designated truck routes that will be exempt from the ordinance include:
• Walnut Gate Road from U.S. 43 to Alabama 243
• Lawrence Street East from U.S. 43 to Alabama 24
• Franklin 48 from the city limit line to U.S. 43
• Courtland Road NE from U.S. 43 to Norton Avenue North
• Madison Street from Norton Avenue North to Lauderdale Street NW
• Waterloo Road from Lauderdale Street NW to the city limit line
• Old Water Plant Road from the city limit line to Walnut Gate Road
• LaGrange Road East from U.S. 43 to city limit line
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