Supervisors ask VDOT to restrict through-truck traffic in Parkside Village

Goochland County supervisors voted on June 3 to request that the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board restrict through-truck traffic on a set of local streets in the Parkside Village subdivision.

Deputy County Administrator Josh Gillespie presented the staff recommendation during the evening public hearing, showing a map of the affected streets and saying staff had evaluated the statutory criteria and found them met. Gillespie said the total length of impacted roads is under one mile and described the four criteria the board must consider: availability of a reasonable alternative route, incompatibility of the truck traffic with the neighborhood character and frequency, local roadway classification (local/collector rather than primary), and statutory definitions of through-truck traffic.

Gillespie cautioned that the state code defines 'through truck' narrowly: trucks that pass from one point to another without a local origin or destination are considered through trucks; local deliveries, plumbing or panel trucks making a local stop are not. He said signage is required to make the restriction enforceable and that consistent enforcement could require supplemental support from the Virginia State Police or other state resources.

Parkside resident Steve Levitt urged unanimous passage, recounting prior neighborhood opposition in 2018 to a proposed fourth subdivision entrance off Ashland Road and describing a circuitous route that nevertheless has seen growing cut-through traffic. Levitt cited traffic impact analyses tied to regional projects — including an Amazon-related project described in testimony as 'RIC 6' (identified in the public comment as generating projected daily trips on Ashland Road) — and said increased construction and employee traffic have worsened evening conditions and safety concerns.

Following public comment and clarifying exchanges with VDOT staff about enforcement and definitions, a supervisor moved and another seconded the resolution requesting VDOT restrict through-truck traffic on the listed Parkside Village streets. The board proceeded to roll-call voting procedures; the transcript records at least one affirmative vote. The resolution asks the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board to authorize signage and enforcement consistent with state code.

The board noted that truck restrictions under this code do not apply to passenger vehicles and that other traffic-calming measures would be needed to address general cut-through traffic by personal vehicles. The board adjourned after the roll call and scheduled its next meeting for July 1, 2025.