Big trucks banned on Quincy residential streets

QUINCY — The Quincy City Council on Tuesday deleted a section of municipal code, allowing parking exceptions for large trucks in residential areas, as an effort to stem damage to streets.

Mayor Dick Zimbelman and City Administrator Tim Snead said newly repaired streets are being torn up by vehicles weighing more than 12,000 pounds or stretching more than 25 feet and they will now be limited to designated truck routes.

"If they stay on the truck routes now or in the business district, they will be all right," said Zimbelman. "And they can deliver, if they have a delivery to a store, that's OK."

The ordinance amendment was not moved to committee for review, because it was considered an emergency action.

Before the council took action, the city allowed trucks to be parked in front of an owner's property. Long and heavy vehicles could park on non-truck routes if they were more than 10 feet from any property line. Both exceptions were deleted Tuesday from municipal code.

"Like every other city we're going to keep them on the truck routes now rather than all over town," said Zimbelman. "We had some people running businesses out of residential areas."

The city determined the only alternative was to leave the parking exceptions in place and face frequent street repairs.

The city spent about $700,000 last fall repairing streets, officials said.

The truck regulations take effect immediately and will require no spending.

The Quincy Police Department will enforce the ordinance.

Heavy vehicle routes within the city include:

? Central Avenue from south city limit to north city limit

? F Street SE from east city limit to Central Avenue

? F Street SW from west city limit to Central Avenue

? Columbia Way

? B Street SW from 13th Avenue SW to Seventh Avenue Southwest

? 13th Avenue north of Highway 28

? Seventh Avenue SW from F Street SW north of Division Street

? First Avenue SW from H Street SW to F Street SW

? Eighth Avenue SE from F Street SE to A Street SE

? Third Avenue SE from F Street SE north to A Street NE

? Division Street

? H Street SW from Central Avenue to First Avenue SW

? A Street NE for its entire length

? A Street SE from Columbia Way to Seventh Avenue SE

? Seventh Avenue SE from A Street SE to Division Street

? Sixth Avenue NE for its entire length