DIDSBURY - The town’s proposed new heavy vehicle truck route bylaw aims to protect town road infrastructure from use by vehicles using the municipality as a bypass, council heard at the Oct. 10 meeting.
The policy and governance committee reviewed the proposed bylaw before it came before council last week.
Councillor and committee chair Ethan Williams told council, “This is a way we can get those heavy trucks back on the provincial highway systems and not have them through town. This will help with the infrastructure because these trucks take a toll on the roads.”
Chief administrative officer Ethan Gorner added, “The intention is to encourage heavy trucks to utilize the main provincial highway systems and not traverse through the town via our alternate municipal road network.
“This will protect our roads from those trucks that are trying to cross through the town through the back way and they don’t need to do that. They should be guided towards the proper highway system.”
Exceptions would be permitted for trucks serving local needs, residents and businesses, he said.
The bylaw identifies heavy vehicles as vehicles with a gross weight of 5,500 kilograms or more or exceeding 11 metres in length, but not including public passenger vehicles, a motor vehicle owned or in service by the Town of Didsbury, or private passenger vehicles.
The bylaw includes offence and penalty provisions, including $250 fine for operating a heavy vehicle within the town while not making a local delivery, $250 fine for first time offence of operating a heavy vehicle on a restricted route without permit or route use agreement ($500 for all subsequent offences), and $250 for parking a heavy vehicle on a roadway, unless loading or unloading goods as permitted by traffic control device or road use agreement.
Coun. John Baswick said enforcing the new bylaw could create some challenges.
“How do we expect to police this?” said Baswick. “Are we going to have constant patrols by peace officers checking all of these trucks? How is that going to managed effectively?”
Gorner said, “Those are things the committee is still exploring.”
Council gave second reading to the bylaw and sent it to the committee for further review and recommendations.
Administration, on behalf of the committee, will now explore potential costs for updated signage and potential education initiatives that may be required to help advise users of the truck route changes, Gorner said.
“We also need to explore enforcement capacity options and will engage with our neighbours and partners that will potentially be affected by this new truck route to advise them of these proposed changes and seek their input,” he said.
Deputy mayor Curt Engel chaired the Oct. 10 council meeting.
