N.J. Bans Interstate Trucks From Secondary Roads

An untold number of interstate truckers is about to lose their shortcuts through New Jersey after Gov. Christie Whitman last week banned tractor-trailers from rumbling along thousands of miles of two-lane, undivided highways.

The ban is aimed at truckers transiting New Jersey — not making a pickup or delivery — who use the state’s secondary roads as shortcuts between Interstate highways or to avoid toll roads.

“Large interstate trucks that are not doing business in New Jersey have no business using our local roads,” Whitman said July 13. “This is a safety and quality of life issue, and the time to act has come.”

John Dourgarian, a spokesman for the New Jersey transportation department, said the will ban go into effect once the agency writes up the official regulation, which was planned to be accomplished by July 23.

He also said the order will cut up to 25% of truck traffic on the busiest routes.

John Hagerty, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police, said there was no way of telling exactly how many trucks would be affected until the regulation was written.Whitman called on legislators in Trenton to quickly enact strict penalties to give the prohibition some teeth.

State Sen. William E. Schluter said one possibility was to base penalties on Vermont’s fines for truckers found on restricted roads. There, the penalty starts at $300 and rises according to the number of violations.

For the full story, see the July 19 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.