The city hopes to bring big rigs in line with a set of city-wide truck routes that passed second reading at city council Monday. The truck route bylaw was given first reading in February 2007, said city director of engineering and public works Dale McTaggart at a council meeting June 9. He said the bylaw began as a historical review, but received substantial attention from the school board and various parent advisory groups. “Some routes are basically not designed as a truck route.” McTaggart pointed out that many city roads are designed as collector or arterial roads for residential traffic. He added that truck routes are not supposed to contain grades over five per cent, while Salmon Arm possesses roads with eight to nine per cent grades. He said 10 per cent is supposed to be the maximum grade for trucks. Truck routes affect the quality of life of homes and businesses in town, said McTaggart. He added that the more direct the truck route, the less greenhouse gases created through expended fuel, and the less expensive the goods being shipped become.
McTaggart said trucks would still be allowed to use city streets to take the shortest route to their destination from the nearest truck route. One sensitive area in discussion was the stretch of 30th Street between 5th Avenue SE and 5th Avenue NE. The road passes three schools in close succession: South Broadview Elementary, King’s Christian and Shuswap Middle School. The bylaw as proposed would limit truck traffic on this road between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Between these hours, four-axle trucks would still be allowed but nothing larger. The restriction would exclude trailers, 18-wheelers and B-trains from using the road during this period. “It was a balance to limit as much truck traffic as we can between those three schools,” McTaggart said.
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