PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Residents of Churchill Street are asking for a ban on truck traffic.

 

But the Traffic Commission doesn't see a way to reroute them and suspects much of the traffic comes from businesses on the road.

 

Resident Susan Schwartz represented at the Traffic Commission last week a number of residents who signed a petition said there has been a significant increase in the number of dump trucks using the road.

 

"They have been awful last summer up and down, up and down, putting on the jake brakes going down. The fumes were not really good, the noise was terrible. They've been breaking up the road," Swartz said. 

 

Swartz said the road is already narrow making it dangerous for those walking or bicycling. 

 

"There is no consensus on speed in the area," she said.

 

Chairman Mark Brennan said the traffic is mostly because of businesses stationed there and a truck ban couldn't be enforced on them and that the installation of a solar array could be leading to more trucks in the area. 

 

"Those businesses have the right to use those roads to get to those businesses," he said.

 

He further questioned where traffic could get re-routed since trucks were also recently banned from Hancock Road. 

 

The petition called for the banning of tri-axle trucks and City Engineer Ricardo Morales said two previous studies near the area saw few of those trucks. He added that the city's zoning for it is general industrial so it wouldn't fall into the category of a residential neighborhood. 

 

Ultimately, the Traffic Commission opted to table the request and will ask city officials to look deeper into the issue and come up with potential solutions to calm the truck traffic.

 

Truck traffic in that area of the city has been a longstanding issue. The City Council had voted back in 2012 to ban trucks from Peck's Road from Highland to the Lanesborough border but that wasn't approved by the state and businesses in the area both voiced concern. 

 

More recently, the truck ban on Hancock Road was implemented, which Morales said may end up reducing the number of trucks on Churchill Street.

 

Meanwhile, truck traffic downtown is set to be debated. City Councilors John Krol and Donna Todd Rivers have submitted a petition calling for improved signage to ease truck traffic. The Traffic Commission tabled that discussion as well because neither councilor was able to attend Thursday's meeting.