Council introduces truck-route ordinance to limit large commercial vehicles on Main Street; public hearing set

Bellbrook City Council introduced Ordinance 2025-O-02 on March 10, proposing revisions to commercial and heavy-vehicle rules that would restrict large articulated semi-trailer traffic on North and South Main Street and limit certain heavy trucks from turning onto or from South Main Street.

Councilman Ashley read the ordinance’s findings, citing concerns that North and South Main Street have evolved into primarily residential streets and that more than 300 commercial and heavy vehicles traverse those streets per day. City Manager Rob described the motivation as safety and downtown walkability: "The intent never has been nor continues to be to prohibit any truck traffic, but it is to create a balance of the truck traffic through our designated truck routes to the community," he said.

Under the proposal, routes such as Wilmington Pike and Franklin Street would remain primary truck routes, while large articulated commercial trucks would be prohibited on North and South Main Street; other commercial vehicles could continue to travel those streets but with limits on turning movements to reduce conflicts at pedestrian crossings. Rob told council that the city expects to need time after adoption to install signage and coordinate enforcement — he estimated 60 to 90 days post-adoption to have signage and enforcement fully in place.

Council members emphasized safety and a months-long public-input process that included meetings with residents and businesses. One councilmember noted that nearby county or township roads are also constrained and urged intergovernmental coordination with Greene County and Sugar Creek Township to address broader truck-routing issues outside city limits.

Council voted to introduce the ordinance and set the public hearing for March 24, 2025. The ordinance will return for public comment and formal action after the hearing and any further revisions.