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Resident urges truck restrictions on Oakport Street, citing safety for trail users
Summary
A Moorhead resident asked the council to study truck traffic and consider speed or truck restrictions on Oakport Street near a bike path and Johnson Park, saying large trucks pass closely to trail users and cause safety concerns.
Longtime Moorhead resident Terry Thiel told the city council June 9 he wants restrictions on truck traffic along Oakport Street near the north end of the sugar beet factory and Johnson Park.
Thiel said, “My name is Terry Thiel, and I'm a resident of Moorhead lifelong. Tonight, I wanted to ask about if we could get some restrictions on Oakport Street between 20 Eighth Avenue North, which is the north end of the, sugar beet factory up to Wall Street. There's a bike trail along there, and it's scary being out there having a semi go by.”
Nut graf: The comment asked the council to review truck routing and speed on a corridor used by pedestrians and bicyclists and to consider reducing the posted speed limit or restricting truck traffic to reduce safety risks and pavement wear.
What the speaker said
• Safety concern: Thiel described large trucks passing “at 55 miles an hour about 8 feet away” from trail users and said the proximity and speed make the bike path “scary” for people with children and dogs.
• Road repair and routing: He told the council that heavy truck traffic increases road‑maintenance costs for the city and suggested trucks use Highway 75, which would add a few tenths of a mile for truck movements.
• Requested measures: Thiel asked the council to “take a look at go out there some night or some day and just see how many trucks go by there” and to consider lowering the speed limit to about 40 mph and restricting truck traffic on that Oakport segment.
Council response
Mayor Shelley Carlson acknowledged receipt of Thiel’s contact information and said someone from the city would follow up. No formal action or direction was taken during the meeting; the comment was made during the citizens‑addressing‑the‑council portion and was recorded for follow up.
Next steps
City staff will follow up with Thiel using the contact information he provided to discuss options and potential traffic studies or enforcement actions, per the mayor’s standard practice for citizen comments (no formal motion recorded).
