Houston considers banning big rigs from smaller city streets

City officials in Houston, Texas, are considering banning big rigs from smaller city streets in order to reduce crashes.

On November 8, Houston’s city transportation committee considered the new “Citywide Truck Route Plan” that would restrict the movement of large trucks in many parts of the city, KHOU reports.

The new plan would affect trucks with more than three axles, or weighing more than 26,000 pounds and would create three categories roadways, “through truck routes,” “local truck routes,” and “no through truck streets.”

Truckers caught on an improper route could be cited.

The city would make exceptions for trucks making deliveries and school buses.

The Houston City Council will vote on whether to move forward with the plan later this month.

Houston city officials are tentatively planning a spring 2024 pilot program in the Settegast neighborhood if the measure is approved.

Officials say that they’ll work with GPS providers to make sure that the truck route information is in their systems.

The Citywide Truck Route Plan is being considered as part of a larger traffic safety initiative called Vision Zero, which aims to end traffic fatalities and deaths by 2030.