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Resident urges truck bypass to keep heavy vehicles off Alachua residential streets
Summary
At the MTPO meeting a resident urged the board to pursue a truck bypass to protect Alachua neighborhoods, citing heavy daily truck counts for local distribution centers and offering a specific alternate routing; board members agreed to follow up with city and county staff.
A resident identified in the record as Mr. Tuttle told the MTPO on Jan. 5 that heavy commercial trucks frequently use residential streets in and around Alachua and urged officials to pursue an official bypass route.
"The need for a bypass is inevitable," Mr. Tuttle said, recounting on‑the‑ground observations and a handout showing a proposed route. He described large trucks "80,000 pounds, traveling at 55 miles an hour through residential areas" and recommended routing trucks from the distribution center north on 235A by the new fire station, onto 441 and then onto I‑75 as quickly as possible; he also suggested a longer bypass via 236 to 121 to avoid La Crosse.
Later in the public comment period Mr. Tuttle reiterated truck counts he said he had documented or heard from dispatchers: "Currently, Walmart has 900 plus trucks a day. Dollar General, 700 plus trucks a day. Cisco, 400," and said two additional distribution centers are being built nearby. He told the board he had met with the city manager and planned one‑on‑one meetings with commissioners and county officials to pursue routing changes.
Board members thanked Mr. Tuttle for his work, encouraged him to meet with county and city staff and said they would add the topic to future joint meetings so staff and elected officials could coordinate. A board member asked whether Mr. Tuttle had presented his analysis to city and county commissioners; Mr. Tuttle said he had scheduled meetings with them.
The truck counts and route recommendations were presented by the commenter and were not independently verified during the meeting. MTPO staff and board members discussed follow up and indicated they would coordinate with city and county transportation staff as appropriate.
