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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/05/2024 06.B. Letter of Support for Coalition Against Bigger Trucks OF`} '‘ i4 _440141 ,i 00 (7A • l''' ‘ i>1 _) BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDA STATEMENT Item No. 6.B. For Meeting of: August 5, 2024 ITEM TITLE: Letter of Support for Coalition Against Bigger Trucks SUBMITTED BY: Dave Zabel!, Interim City Manager SUMMARY EXPLANATION: Mr. Josh Collins with the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks contacted the Mayor requesting a letter of support from the City of Yakima. Attached are draft copies of letter of support to Cantwell, Murray and Newhouse asking that they not approve a federal proposal to increase the weights and dimensions of tractor-trailer trucks on our roads. ITEM BUDGETED: N/A STRATEGIC PRIORITY: N/A RECOMMENDATION: Discuss and determine whether or not to approve proposed letter of support. ATTACHMENTS: City of Yakima - TSW Issues DRAFT.docx 7 The Honorable Maria Cantwell United States Senate 511 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Cantwell, I wanted to take the opportunity to address an issue that could have a major impact on our community— a federal proposal to increase the weights and dimensions of tractor-trailer trucks on our roads. As Yakima and other surrounding cities in the valley continue to grow, local governments are doing everything they can to maintain quality infrastructure. The Street and Traffic Operations Division takes great pride in preserving and maintaining Yakima's $500 million transportation system investment. The Division strives to be good stewards of the funds allocated every year to provide safe streets for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. However, these proposals for bigger trucks do not include any additional funding to cities directly to account for increased wear and tear on local infrastructure like streets and bridges. For this very reason, the National League of Cities (NLC) has opposed bigger trucks in their policy manual given the negative impact to municipalities, of which we agree needs to be addressed. While the City of Yakima has some streets with total truck prohibitions (like Yakima Avenue), we also have many city streets that feature a higher-than-average volume of semi-trucks making deliveries or transferring to warehouses/railyards. 16th Avenue and 40th Avenue in the city are prime examples, and it is very noticeable with the worsening pavement quality, which is becoming very costly for us to repair on a regular basis. Finally, we understand that according to a federal report from USDOT, heavier and longer trucks would result in less maneuverability for drivers and bigger blind spots, making these larger vehicles more dangerous for both motorists as well as the truck drivers themselves. I thank you for your service and hope that you will seriously consider the concerns that many in local government and law enforcement across the state have about these sweeping, nationwide increases on truck size and weight on our roads. Sincerely, (signature of Mayor) 8 The Honorable Patty Murray United States Senate 154 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Murray, I wanted to take the opportunity to address an issue that could have a major impact on our community— a federal proposal to increase the weights and dimensions of tractor-trailer trucks on our roads. As Yakima and other surrounding cities in the valley continue to grow, local governments are doing everything they can to maintain quality infrastructure. The Street and Traffic Operations Division takes great pride in preserving and maintaining Yakima's $500 million transportation system investment. The Division strives to be good stewards of the funds allocated every year to provide safe streets for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. However, these proposals for bigger trucks do not include any additional funding to cities directly to account for increased wear and tear on local infrastructure like streets and bridges. For this very reason, the National League of Cities (NLC) has opposed bigger trucks in their policy manual given the negative impact to municipalities, of which we agree needs to be addressed. While the City of Yakima has some streets with total truck prohibitions (like Yakima Avenue), we also have many city streets that feature a higher-than-average volume of semi-trucks making deliveries or transferring to warehouses/railyards. 16th Avenue and 40th Avenue in the city are prime examples, and it is very noticeable with the worsening pavement quality, which is becoming very costly for us to repair on a regular basis. Finally, we understand that according to a federal report from USDOT, heavier and longer trucks would result in less maneuverability for drivers and bigger blind spots, making these larger vehicles more dangerous for both motorists as well as the truck drivers themselves. I thank you for your service and hope that you will seriously consider the concerns that many in local government and law enforcement across the state have about these sweeping, nationwide increases on truck size and weight on our roads. Sincerely, (signature of Mayor) 9 The Honorable Daniel Newhouse United States House of Representatives 504 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Representative Newhouse, I wanted to take the opportunity to address an issue that could have a major impact on our community— a federal proposal to increase the weights and dimensions of tractor-trailer trucks on our roads. As Yakima and other surrounding cities in the valley continue to grow, local governments are doing everything they can to maintain quality infrastructure. The Street and Traffic Operations Division takes great pride in preserving and maintaining Yakima's $500 million transportation system investment. The Division strives to be good stewards of the funds allocated every year to provide safe streets for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. However, these proposals for bigger trucks do not include any additional funding to cities directly to account for increased wear and tear on local infrastructure like streets and bridges. For this very reason, the National League of Cities (NLC) has opposed bigger trucks in their policy manual given the negative impact to municipalities, of which we agree needs to be addressed. While the City of Yakima has some streets with total truck prohibitions (like Yakima Avenue), we also have many city streets that feature a higher-than-average volume of semi-trucks making deliveries or transferring to warehouses/railyards. 16th Avenue and 40th Avenue in the city are prime examples, and it is very noticeable with the worsening pavement quality, which is becoming very costly for us to repair on a regular basis. Finally, we understand that according to a federal report from USDOT, heavier and longer trucks would result in less maneuverability for drivers and bigger blind spots, making these larger vehicles more dangerous for both motorists as well as the truck drivers themselves. I thank you for your service and hope that you will seriously consider the concerns that many in local government and law enforcement across the state have about these sweeping, nationwide increases on truck size and weight on our roads. Sincerely, (signature of Mayor) 10