Ban on big trucks in Hamilton’s downtown officially begins when signs go up this month

Police can start enforcing Hamilton's ban on big rigs shortcutting" through downtown as soon as the city's new truck route signs go up.

Those signs should start appearing in the lower city next week, with more than 600 installed across Hamilton by May.

The city has posted a new route map online and is using social media, radio and even snail mail to advertise details about the biggest overhaul of legal truck routes in decades.

It's a big change," said city transportation planning director Brian Hollingworth. And not just for the trucking industry, but the community at large."

Council voted last year to change legal truck routes throughout the city, most notably by banning the biggest vehicles - those with five or more axles - from travelling on downtown streets between the bayfront and Highway 403.

From now on, the biggest rigs leaving or entering the port area must use Burlington Street, the Red Hill Valley Parkway and the QEW. (Worth noting: the ban is aimed at big trucks coming into or leaving town and does not prevent them from doing local deliveries.)

Safety advocates and residents in the core lobbied hard for the new changes, arguing trucks shortcutting" to Highway 403 endanger kids walking to school, other pedestrians and cyclists who depend on former truck routes along streets like Cannon, Main and King as well as around the General hospital.

Only police officers will enforce the bylaw because they have the authority to make traffic stops, said Sgt. Dwayne Barnes of the Hamilton police traffic safety unit.

He said truck drivers found to be running afoul of the bylaw - or in some cases, associated companies - can be fined $135 for driving heavy trucks on a restricted route.

Residents can report bylaw-busting truck drivers by calling the police non-emergency line at 905-546-4925.

Barnes said it's worth reminding residents not all trucks are banned from downtown areas, just those with more than four axles. Large trucks can also leave permitted routes briefly to do local deliveries.

Hollingworth said the city is doing mail-outs, radio ads and reaching out directly to trucking associations to help spread the word about the new rules. The city even pitched new truck-specific maps to Google - but so far, that is not a priority" for the web giant.

Matthew Van Dongen is a transportation and environment reporter at The Spectator. mvandongen@thespec.com