Back in 2014, lawmakers in Morgantown, West Virginia, passed a local ordinance banning semi trucks from using West Virginia Route 7 within the town’s borders.
A month after the law was passed, several local companies, including Nuzum Trucking Co., Preston Contractors, and Greer Industries, filed a complaint against the city. The circuit court ruled in favor of the companies, stating that the town did not have the authority to control traffic on state highways.
Despite losing in court, the town continued to fight against truck traffic, elevating the case to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.
According to Land Line Magazine, “Morgantown argued the ordinance was valid since it fell under an exception granting municipalities control in matters of regulating traffic.”
On April 7th 2016, the town of Morgantown lost yet again, when the supreme court ruled that the “regulation of traffic” exception allowed the state to adjust speed limits, but not restrict access based on a vehicle’s size and weight.
