Committee forwards ordinance to establish downtown Jonesboro truck route

The Jonesboro Public Works Committee voted to recommend Ordinance 25-016, an ordinance to establish an alternate commercial truck route routing nonlocal large commercial trucks away from Main, Church and Union streets between Highland Drive and Johnson Avenue, forwarding the measure to the full City Council for formal readings.

Committee members said the ordinance aims to reduce conflicts between large commercial trucks and pedestrians and to preserve the downtown streetscape. The draft ordinance references City of Jonesboro Ordinance 19-048 and Arkansas Code Annotated provisions defining commercial truck classifications (cited in the draft as ACA 27-14-601(a)(3)). The draft also includes a fine schedule listed in the ordinance text.

Mayor: "we still need delivery trucks downtown. But ... if you have delivery trucks and large commercial trucks on a narrow road such as Main Street at the same time, it can cause situations," the mayor said, urging the committee to consider safety and downtown livability while preserving local deliveries. Andy Shatley, chairman of the Connectivity Committee, said feedback from downtown businesses after recent construction closures showed pedestrians felt safer with fewer large trucks and urged the city to keep some of those changes.

Staff member Craig said the long-term truck route being considered would divert tractor-trailers from downtown by routing them along Highland Drive to Red Wolf and Johnson Avenue. He cautioned that, if Main Street were returned temporarily to two-way traffic south of Washington during construction, tractor-trailers could have difficulty making right turns without narrowing lanes: "The only issue ... is that when you take Main Street back to 2 lane South Of Washington, the tractor trailers will have a hard time taking a right turn there without taking up both lanes of traffic." Staff said short-term lane narrowing could be evaluated for a roughly six-week period while the ordinance completes its readings.

Members of the public urged expedited action. Denise Goacher of 308 South Main Street asked whether the committee could "walk this over tonight" to speed the measure, saying the rerouted trucks had already created a calmer downtown and asking that the route remain once Main Street reopens. A resident who identified herself as a Main Street building owner told the committee that large trucks had twice struck mirrors on her husband's vehicle, that vibrations from heavy trucks worry building owners, and that the quieter conditions during recent closures had been "very wonderful."

Procedural notes in committee: members noted the draft contains no emergency clause, so it will follow the typical three readings over at least a six-week period; the committee was told the first reading is scheduled for May 20. The committee made a motion to recommend the ordinance to the full council and to place it on the next regular City Council agenda; the motion was seconded and the measure was forwarded to the full council. The ordinance as introduced includes a fine schedule described in the draft: first offense $2.50, second and third offenses $500, and fourth and subsequent offenses $7.50 (as listed in the draft ordinance text).