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Residents urge Fremont Council to restrict semis on Broad Street
Summary
Multiple Fremont residents used public comment to press the council for enforceable truck restrictions, clearer signage, lower speeds and a pedestrian crossing at 19th & Broad, saying semis speed, use engine braking and threaten safety near homes and the new City Park.
Ellen Lund, a Broad Street resident, told the council trucks are again using Broad Street as a through route after construction and said signage does not reflect the city's local-truck restriction under Ordinance 5708. She asked for clearer signs, a lower speed limit ("we'd love 25, but could live with 30") and a pedestrian-controlled signal at 19th and Broad to protect walkers and Fremont High cross-country runners.
Gene Chapelier, who identified himself as a concerned president and Broad Street resident, asked the council to use the authority the city obtained when the roadway transferred from state control to adopt truck-district rules (for example, weight limits near 26,000 pounds), install enforceable signage, pursue lane-narrowing and turn restrictions, consider traffic-calming humps, and update commercial navigation data with mapping providers so truck routing omits Broad Street.
Loretta Maestro and John Atwell, both long-time Broad Street residents, echoed safety concerns. Maestro warned that heavy semis frequently speed and use engine braking, cited three semi-related deaths in the prior year (locations noted; fault not specified) and said the proximity of semis to homes and City Park creates a risk for a hazardous-material incident. Atwell said options include rebuilding the route to Highway 77 business standards to accommodate trucks or imposing 25-mph limits and four-way stops to encourage truck use of the South Beltway.
Speakers provided specific complaints about signage and enforcement: Lund said a truck-route sign at 23rd & Broad points toward Broad but "nowhere says that that is for local traffic only," and multiple residents said they rarely see trucks ticketed on Broad Street despite visible speeding and engine braking. Residents urged routine enforcement and targeted signage corrections.
The public-comment period contained multiple requests for specific, enforceable action: clearer/restrictive signage reflecting local-truck allowances, speed-limit reductions, installation of a pedestrian-controlled crossing at 19th & Broad, and active enforcement of weight and speed rules. The council did not take immediate action on those requests during public comment; the remarks were entered into the record for council consideration.
