D.C. Proposes Truck Restrictions

Study Suggests Loading and Unloading at Night

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preliminary study of truck traffic and security aimed at reducing potential terrorist threats and improving traffic flow in the nation’s capital recommended restricting trucks to specific corridors and requiring most loading and unloading at night.

Local trucking industry sources and Washington city officials said the report still needed some input from the industry before a final version is published. They said the report probably would be the basis for either federal or District of Columbia city council regulations.

The study, prepared by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center and the city’s Department of Transportation, proposed creating a 3-tier network of truck routes that would usher commercial vehicles onto major arteries in and out of the city and away from residential or sensitive areas.

According to the study, “roadways in the District would have a designation based on roadway characteristics, types of trucks that use the corridor, congestion and security concerns.”

This article appears in the Jan. 12 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.