Complaints spur talk of limiting trucks on Broadway (May 16, 2008)
Posted by Sentry Editor at 5/16/2008 2:21 PM 
Categories: Transportation, Council Wrap-up, So Po News
Categories: Transportation, Council Wrap-up, So Po News
By Nate Jones
Staff Writer
Five years ago, spurred by complaints of residents on the section of Broadway between Cash and Crockett corners, a west Broadway truck traffic committee was formed to investigate possible alternative routes for trucks carrying product from South Portland’s oil terminals to the highway.
“Yes, this is a noise problem, yes, this is a dust problem, it’s also in my mind, a safety problem too,” Councilor James Hughes, who originally served on the west Broadway truck traffic committee in 2003, said at a council workshop on Monday. “I think it’s a dangerous situation.”
City Manager Jim Gailey said the 2003 traffic study discovered 33 trucks on Broadway in April, when the road is supposedly closed to heavy vehicles to preserve the road base, and 225 trucks two weeks later, when the seasonal prohibition was lifted.
While today some truckers have taken it upon themselves to avoid that particular route and are open to residents’ concerns, the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) and certain Homeland Security measures may prevent the city from prohibiting trucks on that particular section of pavement any more than they already have.
Mark Putnam, one of nearly 200 independent carriers who travel through the South Portland area in a given day, said he had been advised to vary his route and to avoid other carriers while loaded with any petroleum product in order to deter any possible terrorist hijacks.
“We were told they would most likely open the door while we’re at a stoplight, slit our throats and take the truck,” he said. “When I think about [prohibiting trucks on Broadway], you’re not going to give us two ways, but funnel us all onto one road, which coincidentally has a lot of stoplights on it. It’s ideal if terrorists are going to do it. On the safety side I think we need two routes.”
Assistant MDOT Traffic Engineer Steve Landry said the city would need to discuss any time restrictions, route requirements or trucking limitations on Broadway and Route 1 with property owners on both streets before imposing restrictions.
“This process started several years ago and it never went anywhere,” he said. “It needs to go through that same process again before we can consider a change. I think there’s a lot the city could be doing with getting people to voluntarily change their routes and maybe they should look at that.”
No future date was set for further discussion on the issue, and City Clerk Susan Mooney said she most likely expected the council to form a committee to investigate possible options for moving forward.
Staff Writer
Five years ago, spurred by complaints of residents on the section of Broadway between Cash and Crockett corners, a west Broadway truck traffic committee was formed to investigate possible alternative routes for trucks carrying product from South Portland’s oil terminals to the highway.
“Yes, this is a noise problem, yes, this is a dust problem, it’s also in my mind, a safety problem too,” Councilor James Hughes, who originally served on the west Broadway truck traffic committee in 2003, said at a council workshop on Monday. “I think it’s a dangerous situation.”
City Manager Jim Gailey said the 2003 traffic study discovered 33 trucks on Broadway in April, when the road is supposedly closed to heavy vehicles to preserve the road base, and 225 trucks two weeks later, when the seasonal prohibition was lifted.
While today some truckers have taken it upon themselves to avoid that particular route and are open to residents’ concerns, the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) and certain Homeland Security measures may prevent the city from prohibiting trucks on that particular section of pavement any more than they already have.
Mark Putnam, one of nearly 200 independent carriers who travel through the South Portland area in a given day, said he had been advised to vary his route and to avoid other carriers while loaded with any petroleum product in order to deter any possible terrorist hijacks.
“We were told they would most likely open the door while we’re at a stoplight, slit our throats and take the truck,” he said. “When I think about [prohibiting trucks on Broadway], you’re not going to give us two ways, but funnel us all onto one road, which coincidentally has a lot of stoplights on it. It’s ideal if terrorists are going to do it. On the safety side I think we need two routes.”
Assistant MDOT Traffic Engineer Steve Landry said the city would need to discuss any time restrictions, route requirements or trucking limitations on Broadway and Route 1 with property owners on both streets before imposing restrictions.
“This process started several years ago and it never went anywhere,” he said. “It needs to go through that same process again before we can consider a change. I think there’s a lot the city could be doing with getting people to voluntarily change their routes and maybe they should look at that.”
No future date was set for further discussion on the issue, and City Clerk Susan Mooney said she most likely expected the council to form a committee to investigate possible options for moving forward.
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