Washington County Moving Forward With Truck Parking Ban
On July 15, the Pierce County, Washington County Council voted in favor of a truck parking ban.
The ban applies to overnight truck parking on residential streets and unincorporated areas.
Residents in the county have voiced complaints about trucking being parked in the residential areas, complaining they block visibility and create a safety issue for pedestrians.
“Kids have to walk around them to get to where they want to go on the street,” Pierce County resident Dennis Townsend told The News Tribune. “They’re basically using the county right of way as a terminal on the taxpayer dime.”
The Pierce County Council voted 7-1 in favor of the ban.
The rule prohibits trucks with a gross weight of more than 10,001 pounds or with a trailer in excess of 20-feet long from parking on residential roads between the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., in Parkland, Spanaway, Frederickson, South Hill, Eatonville and Gig Harbor. Violators would face a $175 fine per occurrence.
“There’s a huge group of truckers dumping their trucks all over the Spanaway-Parkland area,” Councilman Jim McCune, R-Graham, said. “I don’t know what the influx is for. They tell them not to park. They park anyways.”
The council is hopeful the $175 fine will deter drivers from parking in prohibited areas.
In early July, Franklin County passed a similar truck parking ban. Trucks weighing more than 14,000 pounds are prohibited from parking on residential streets and in unincorporated areas. Trucks over 14,000 pounds may only parking on residential streets and in unincorporated areas if they’re making deliveries.
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