RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the report
titled ‘Spring and Year Round Load Restrictions for
the Town of
AND THAT the
gross weight of commercial vehicles be restricted to 5 tonnes per axle on all
public highways under the jurisdiction of the Town of Markham, from March 1,
2006 to April 30, 2006, according to the attached by-law “Appendix A ”;
AND THAT should
adverse spring thaw conditions be encountered due to a harsh winter, at the
discretion of the Director of Operations, the load restrictions be extended up
to May 31, 2006 (up to four weeks);
AND THAT the
gross vehicle weight of commercial vehicles be restricted to 5 tonnes per axle
for the hard surfaced Town roads listed in Appendix ‘B’, from March 1, 2006 to
February 28, 2007, according to the attached by-law “Appendix B”;
AND THAT
according to the Highway Traffic Act Sec. 122(4) the restrictions would exempt
vehicles operated by or on behalf of the municipality and school busses;
AND THAT the Director of Operations be authorized to grant exemptions to the By-law to permit heavy vehicular loads, at his discretion.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of
this report is to prevent premature failure to the Town’s road surface and to
reduce the high cost of road repair and rehabilitation as a result of damages
that occur from heavy commercial vehicle activities. Under the proposed
by-laws, trucks over 5 tonnes per axle will be restricted on public highways
and hard surfaced rural Town roads.
BACKGROUND:
Under section
122(7) of the Highway Traffic Act, the municipal corporation having
jurisdiction over a highway may, by by-law, designate the date on which a
reduced load period shall start or end and the highway or portion thereof to
which the designation applies. Therefore, the Council of the Town of
OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:
The Operations
Department will post load limit restrictions to limit loads to 5 tonnes per
axle on all Town roads, with the exception of those listed in Appendix ‘A’, for
the spring thaw period from
In addition, the
Operations Department will continue to impose year-round load restrictions on
all hard surfaced rural roads, under the jurisdiction of the Town of
There has been a
significant increase in the volume of heavy commercial vehicles, which utilize
sections of the Town’s rural road network as truck routes. The Town’s surface treatment program provides
interim improved driving surfaces on sections of gravel roads that meet the
Ministry of Transportation’s guidelines for roads with traffic volumes that
exceed 500 vehicles per day. Heavy
commercial vehicles are infiltrating and damaging the infrastructure of these
roads. The proposed year-round load
restriction will discourage operators from utilizing these roads and thereby
reduce the high cost of road repairs.
Access along these roads will continue to be available for commuters and
local residents. The year-round by-law restriction will apply only for the Town
rural roads that have a potential for becoming heavy truck haulage routes. For businesses located on these roads, annual
overweight permits may be issued by the Town on a no-fee basis to address their
needs.
A Town of
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
No
financial implications are to be considered in this report.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The Operations Department have reviewed this report with the By-Law
Division of the Corporate Services Commission and they concur with the content.
ATTACHMENTS:
Appendix
‘A’ - List of streets that will not require load restrictions
Appendix
‘B’ - List of roads to have year-round load restrictions
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Paul Ingham General Manager, Operations |
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Peter Loukes, P.Eng.
Director of Operations |
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Jim Sales Commissioner of Community and Fire Services |
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Q:\Commission Share\Operations and Asset
Management\Reports\2006\Operations\Roads\Spring and
Year-Round Load Restrictions for the Town of Markham’s Road Network .doc
