HAVERHILL — Two City Council members are looking to place a restriction on oil and propane tanker trucks from using 8th Avenue as a shortcut to reach Broco Energy’s fuel depot on Hale Street.
Councilor Shaun Toohey said he and Councilor Ralph Basiliere recently visited the location and asked for recommendations from the council. He said he worried that if the matter was referred to traffic and safety, it could languish there.
Toohey explained there’s a section of 8th Avenue that runs between Primrose Street and Hale Street and that fuel oil trucks and propane trucks are traveling the street around the clock.
“That’s a big concern,” Toohey said, noting issues such as the noise of truck air brakes waking residents and the dangers of having big trucks traveling up and down a street where children may be playing.
“I’m being told additional trucks are fueling up, whether it’s propane or anything else at all hours, 3, 2 and 4 o’clock in the morning,” he said. “To me, that’s unacceptable and what I’d be looking for, and I know there’s a process, I’d certainly be looking for a truck exclusion. There’s no question in my mind that those residents deserve it and we need to make sure that something does happen.”
He said there doesn’t appear to be any impact on Hale Street businesses. If trucks used Route 97, he said, it would be a shorter route, saving fuel and saving time.
“I don’t see how this negatively impacts those businesses,” Toohey said. “This just can’t be tolerated any longer.”
Basiliere called the issue of trucks traveling up and down 8th Avenue “a quality of life” issue for residents and said he was in favor of a truck exclusion for 8th Avenue. Even if the council approves a restriction, it will require the approval of MassDOT, he said.
“When these people purchased their homes, three of which I’ve known for decades, the traffic situation was not as it is today,” Basiliere said. “A truck exclusion is the best way to go. For myself I believe we have some more homework to do.”
Police Chief Robert Pistone told the council that police Sgt. Kevin Lynch has been in discussions with the city engineer about how a truck exclusion would work and that one result of an exclusion would be an increase in traffic where Hale Street meets Winter Street, and said he could provide the council with traffic counts.
“My last knowledge of this was it was going to traffic and safety,” Pistone said, adding that he plans to return to the council at its meeting Tuesday for an update.
