A town in western Ohio recently spent $27,000 on signs in an attempt to keep truck drivers off their local streets and on the highway.
The signs were installed throughout the city of Vandalia, Ohio earlier this month after town officials received multiple complaints of semi trucks “clogging up traffic.”
“We’ve heard from our residents that the number of semi-trucks that are traveling through the city – really through the heart of the city – has increased, and it’s clogged up traffic,” said Vandalia communications manager Rich Hopkins to WDTN News.
In addition to the new signage, Vandalia City officials have made calls to local trucking companies, asking them to please instruct their drivers to use Interstate 70 and 75, or at least go around the inner city by using Airport Access Road.
“I don’t think they mean to – but they’re cutting the corners cause the street’s not made for them,” said Meegan Brady, a resident of Vandalia.
“They’re going up on these sidewalks, knocking poles, knocking signs down…” she continued.
Communications manager Hopkins also believes that the new signs will not only help the citizens and streets of Vandalia, but could also help truckers have a smoother travel experience.
“For the drivers of the trucks [using the interstate], they’re not getting stopped at stop lights. They’re not getting involved in congested traffic. The interstate moves very quickly, and they can get where they’re going quicker,” he said.
“For the city, the folks that are using that are using these surface streets, makes it a lot easier when there’s not as many trucks,” Hopkins added.
Since the signs were installed, citizens and city officials say that they have noticed a decrease in semi truck traffic, but have more plans to further prevent semi truck travel through the heart of the city.
“The truckers are finding different ways to get there, so I have noticed that there’s not as many big trucks coming up and down the street, so I think that’s [the signs] worked well,” Brady added.