The city of Savannah is toying with the idea of a truck ban and has given itself a two-week trial period to figure out what will happen if a permanent ban goes into effect.
Bay street has been closed to truck traffic since September 25th, and will remain closed until Oct. 9th between the hours of 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. The city council is trying to assess what the impact will be, but they are limiting the hours of the temporary ban to just night time in order to see how it goes before committing to a 24-hour ban.
Critics of the program have pointed out that instituting only a night-time ban will do very little to give any insight into how a full truck ban would affect the city since there are significantly more trucks on the roads during the day.
City Councilman Van Johnson cited safety concerns as a factor behind the truck ban. “It’s a very dangerous situation with trucks flowing through there and the sounds they make,” Johnson said according to livetrucking.com. “I just think we have to try some unique things.”
Some residents agree, saying it’s scary when trucks use the roads. “Sometimes I’ve driven down through there and you’re right next to them,” explained one resident in an interview with WJCL.
The city council is worried however that restricting truck traffic on Bay street may have the unintended effect of increasing traffic elsewhere.
“What we don’t want to do is reduce the problem on Bay Street but increase the problem somewhere else,” said city spokesman Bret Bell according to Savannah Now.
City officials will be collecting data until the end of the program on October 9th. Afterwards, the data will be used to determine whether a permanent truck ban should be put in place. If it is, the city expects that they will need to build a new bridge that will allow trucks to bypass downtown.
“Everybody always says it’s going to be expensive,” said Savannah Alderman Bill Durrence. “But it is never going to be any cheaper than it is today.”
Source: savannahnow, livetrucking, wjcl, savannahnow
Driver says
Using that street weekly to deliver to local restaurant. I guess they have to close the restaurant too
S Hart says
You read my mind!! That was the first thing I thought of–lots of restaurants WILL NOT accept deliveries during rush times (0600-0900, 1100-1300, 1600-1800). And many ONLY want deliveries at night–I live right by a Restaurant Row and it’s busy as can be at night–KFC at 0200-0300, Culver’s at 2300-2400, Wendy’s at 0200-0400 for grease pit pumping. I work nights, so I see all of them coming and going to work!
DK says
I hope all companies refuse to make deliveries to savanah.
Richard says
We oughta just park outside of town and let them come get their Freight from us. Could you just imagine hundreds of pickups coming to pick up there Freight. Hysterical
Amanda says
Ban??? Ok no toilet paper, food, gas, clothes, medicines, or anything else that the people in Savannah use should be delivered there ever again let them drive to Atlanta to shop!!!! So sick of this B.S. dont like trucks then don’t be a consumer. Utilize only what you hunt or can make or grow!! Oh wait even guns, cloth, and seeds at one time was on a truck. Guess Savannah will be naked and starving!!!
BW says
Oh the absolute GENIUS of the Savana city council!!!
How underwhelming.
Councilman Johnson and probably the rest of the council should study up on one of the laws of physics:
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
OF COURSE banning trucks from that section of roadway will increase the traffic elsewhere.
“Some residents agree, saying it’s scary when trucks use the roads. “Sometimes I’ve driven down through there and you’re right next to them,” explained one resident in an interview with WJCL.”
To “One Resident”:
As most experienced drivers can attest, we have the EXACT same scary feelings about you in your 4-wheeler. We just don’t know WHAT you’re going to do.
Nicolas says
Hahaha, exactly this. Most of the time trucks don’t scare me at all except for the very occasional jerk that shouldn’t have a CDL. On the other hand 4-wheelers are a festival of absolutely disastrous driving, cutting off, tailgating, not using turn signals, backing up on on-ramps, texting, you name it all.
But it’s trucks that are scary, god. Let their downtown economy rot in hell for all I care.
Kellie Brau says
“and you’re right next to them!” Would slowing a little and not being next to them require too much intelligent thought?
Deric says
My co-worker got a ticket riding thru Monday night / early Tuesday morning.
We deliver a store on Johnny Mercer dr. in Savannah and the next stop on the route is Blufton, SC.
Going around downtown to get there will be a pain in the ass.
Also, driving through Savannah in the day time is a bigger pain in the ass.
Luvely50 says
Ok, leave their freight on the road outside of the city and let them pick it up.
Alex says
This is why i am leaving this industry not only a teuck driver has to deal with enogh pressure now more pressure and laws against us by trucking i am tired of all the bull is time to say hello back to my family
rd says
You are the smart one. I have not seen 1 person get rich from trucking.
John L says
They are, but not a single driver. Well, I know some drivers who made tons of money, but now they are spending that money on commissary.
Bill says
It’s Bay Street near hotels and residential. Shouldn’t have any impact on the industrial section beyond Route 17.
Ray says
Bay Street now, but after truck traffic increases somewhere else there may be TWO local residents that claim they sometimes are right next to a truck, then what?
Tom Overton says
This is another example of book learners trying to regulate practical experience learners. As said above, the laws of physics apply to all things, not just apples and without actually being out in the world and walking in someone else’s shoes, how would they know.
John says
Please tell me this story is from the Onion. What kind of quote is “sometimes I’ve driven down the street right next to them”?
Tim Lenhart says
I just told my driver to refuse the load that she was scheduled to pick up in Savannah Georgia. Good luck with your truck ban asshats. Rerouted my driver to Atlanta to pick up a load there at Coca-Cola.
MrYowler says
As long as there are no loading docks on the route that they are proposing the ban… and they build the bypass *before* instituting the ban…
But that doesn’t sound like the plan… :-/
Banning trucks means banning the freight that they bring. Do you like to eat? Do you like to have gasoline in your tank? Want furniture in your living room?
If there are a lot of trucks coming through town, then that means that a lot of freight is being delivered. We don’t drive down city streets for fun, folks – most of us are paid by the mile, so it is in our best interests to stick to the highway, whenever possible. It’s a job. We’re not in your town to sight-see. A much simpler solution to the truck traffic problem, is for area residents to stop buying and selling products that have to be shipped in or out on trucks. If you aren’t willing to do that, then you won’t be happy with the outcome of legislating us out of your town. You are legislating away your retail stores, groceries, industry, and jobs.
Enjoy living in a residential desert.
Barney says
Brilliant post!!
I couldn’t have articulated it better
Karen Green says
I travel in Savannah quite often.They truely have never been a truck friendly city. So why does it surprise anyone.I’ve had to deal with the city engineer, who didn’t remember the medical center walkway bridge when he was questioning why I couldn’t drive an 18 foot tall load under a less than 15 foot bridge.Savnah is known for they’re low trees down town anyway.Just makes me decide to make Savanah another city I won’t be loading to.I believe Los Angeles was trying something similar. They decided not too crazy of a plan.
Allen Martinez says
As a resident of the city of Savanah and a truck driver, I’ve ridden down bay street pulling a box, tanker, stepdeck and container. I’ve had more cages cut me off swerve into me while texting or makeup applying or any other reason. Johnson hasn’t a clue a quarter of the time. So city council, explain how the trucks are going to get to colonial oil or the other port divided by downtown? All the way back to hwy 80 or run through east broad to right turn into liberty to MLK? none of these routes are acceptable. A bridge? Where to SC, where some roads are closed to heavy trucks from last year and this year’s storm damage? You’ve backed the city into a corner. You are talking about the most congested part of the city with historic significance and intra/inter state commerce. No easy fix. How about no cage traffic on bay street except for hotel parking? Let’s see that fly over..
Les Gvt says
No deliveries into Savanah. About 3-4 days without beer or bottled water or weekend without target and walmart making any sales. The issue will die quickly
Scott says
Exactly,all of us truckers have to ban together,boycott their little town for a week or two and then see what they have to say.
Les Gvt says
Why do you think they are so busy texting? They are getting turn by turn instructions from mommy
David boswell says
Again here goes people whom just don’t understand how they get there products.making rules and regulations for trucks. And I loved the comment from the person who said I was right next to one at a red light. Wow. Real scary. But most people from that area know that Savannah is a huge tourist attraction. Along with a lot of industry bay st is a artery straight thru downtown Savannah and everyone knows. These huge trucks are just waiting to swallow. Those little 4 wheelers
mike says
Time to avoid Savanna .Let them come out of the city to get all of their goods .
Jesse says
This is how it all starts. Soon the whole city will completely ban trucks then Savannah will have to figure how to get products, supplies, and everything else that needs a truck, without it.
Dan says
No problem. We don’t want to be downtown anyway.
There is an easy solution. To Savanah and any city contemplating a truck ban. Build a cross dock warehouse outside of town. We will bring the product there and smaller trucks can bring it on into town. Of course there will be extra shipping costs to your goods. But you don’t mind paying a little more for EVERYTHING do you? You’ll be rid of those mean loud trucks.
Jason Breese says
I AGREE!!!
Rick says
Ban trucks? Absolutely, in fact I’ll go a step further…
I won’t go within 25 miles of the city of Savannah.
If the rest of my truck driving brothers and sisters would do likewise it wouldn’t be long before the knuckleheads figured out the purpose for trucks in the first place….
K says
What about the port? It’s not open all night. I shuffled trailers from there to the yard all day because I waited for the port to open. Traffic has always been heavy, but trucks wait there, find a spot to sleep until the port opens. There are usually 80 trucks in line at the gate by 8:00 a.m.. That’s why there’s so much truck traffic. To ban trucks from Bay St., the council needs to consider building a huge truck stop near the port and OK a route into it.
MpG says
The time to deal with this was back when zoning decisions were being made.
Still, at least they seem to acknowledge the possibility of side effects from this move. That’s better than most places contemplating this sort of thing. Would be nice if they released a proper report for the benefit of the rest of the country.
robin says
“Some residents agree, saying it’s scary when trucks use the roads. “Sometimes I’ve driven down through there and you’re right next to them,”
OMG, you have to share the road with a big rig. I can tell you from experience that some of the four wheelers scare the hell out of me.
Curtis says
Wow, I was just there 2 days ago. Right by the police station and the deputies pulled out I front of me and cut me off so the could get to the corner and turn. There is no respect for trucks in your town. All I wanted to do was get across the bridge and head to SC. But, the 4 wheelers kept cutting me off , slamming their brakes on and speeding up to keep me from getting over to make my turns. Yet, the people that want “change, away from those big scary trucks” don’t have any idea how they get their food, clothes, house products, anything they have unless they grow it on their property a truck brought it, even the seeds they grow their food with! Lol wake up your sleepy little town and enjoy life. We all have jobs to do, evidently the city council men wants to be re-elected so he talks trash about those big mean trucks also. Before you talk bad about trucks take a ride in one and see what WE go through everyday, the. You will have a different outlook on those big mean trucks?
Andrew H says
At least they’re considering building a bypass bridge. Most places just throw up a truck ban and that’s that.
sammy diveley says
How is it the same people who sit beside me on the interstate and won’t move are then scared to be beside me on a city street?!! Oh, and the terrible scary noises. LMAO.
Tim says
An even more interesting experiment would be to go full Amish, citywide. C’mon Savannah you can do this! Go for it!
Todd says
If you ban trucks from the city how will the stores get gas ? But , it won’t hurt my feelings I don’t like going there anyway
Jason Kane says
Everyone here commenting about not delivering to the town, etc, evidently cannot read. You all read the headline about a truck ban and then skipped straight to the comments to spit the same rhetoric as usual.
The article clearly states that if they put the ban in effect then they will build a bypass around the city. They’re doing the same exact thing in Boulder City, NV.
Furthermore, you all must not pay any attention to the signs all around the country either. Ever see the ones that say “No Trucks Except Local Deliveries”…?
Finally, the fact that they would build a bypass should make everyone HAPPY. Less congestion, and likely no stop lights to sit at..? Sign me up! But no, all you whiners need something to whine about every day don’t ya?
Dan Cook says
Doesn’t the state of control legislation over state route/ state funded highways? Somebody mentioned some ports in savanna iam sure that the city cannot do anything to obstruct port O call traffic as with most things about roads they are rugulated by the army core of engineers.cities try regulate state highway s and some get away with it untill it effects someone with money and they get their asses drag to court only to find they didn’t have the right to make such laws to begin with
Undercoverboss says
Isn’t there a port in Savannah and a IKEA DC? HUMM , Seems somebody’s head is in an enclosed part of their body.
Georgejansen says
WHILE WE’RE AT IT, JUST BAN THEM ALL EVEN ON I~16. THE SHIPS CAN DELIVER THEM STRAIGHT TO THE WALMART.
John Burleson says
Go for it, Savannah!! Us drivers are starting a pool guessing the exact date and time your residents will be crawling naked around the park eating grass. You are stupid beyond belief! ALL PUBLIC THRUWAYS WERE INITIALLY PROVIDED FOR COMMERCE AND PROTECTION OF THE COUNTRY–NOT FOR SOME SOCIALITE TO BE SCARED BY THE NOISE A TRUCK MAKES.
Pamela Parker says
I hope you. Iike going hungry, you are doing a lot out of harm if you don’t let the trucks do their jobs. This is just wrong.
Tammy miller says
OK no trucks have an ideal every city and town make an industry park so we go to on place load and unload. Then u can come and get your goods.some of these shit holes u expect us to deliver to was made for horse and buggy’s not big trucks.
Geo says
No trucks……….no supplys………….all trucking companies / independent truckers should let them have their 2 weeks trial but truckers should tell them it will be all or nothing …..full 24 hour ban for a month……..all delivery trucks……..see where that gets them………town would turn into ghost town & total maham……….
Geo says
Build the by- pass first….than ban……..
Art Wade says
It is simple if people don’t like the trucks , just stop buying crap!
Yoshi Nakamura says
I drive here in the Bay Area, here in California and I see a lot of Stupid Drivers of 4 wheels and they don’t seem to know what lane to stay in. In most cases I see them riding alongside me and won’t move so that I can get over to the right. I have people of 4 Wheels flipping me off for something I cannot understand. I have not done anything wrong as I’m an Experienced Truck Driver, 10 years of the Interstate 5 Corridor. I was once as extra Help for Crescent Trucking and once We were driving down the highway some Kid in his new Audi A6 have been playing road rage with our heavy truck. He got in front of us and were breaking super hard in front and almost lost it the second attempt. Then the Third attempt he lost it by braking too hard and we just nailed him hard, the Truck’s Front Grill has hit that Plastic Car sending it upside the hill off the freeway. The car was totaled and he the driver got out bloody and ran over to the driverside of the truck and opened up the door wanting to fight and my Partner gave him the boot in the face as the door opened. All on Video from the Camcorder. The Car driver lost his license and was charged and convicted of 3 Felony counts and had to pay for a totaled Audi. We were never charged as per the Video/Audio. I have looked back at the Video and laughed at it. The young boy who was only 19 years old had to go to Prison for 7 years and pay for a car that was said to be in the junkyard. Audi’s are too expensive in the first place and for you to be playing roadrage or Chicken with a SIMI is PLAIN STUPID. I see it all the time here in California. People in their most expensive cars think that they own the road. Most of the people have small kids in the car with them and risking the lives of the kids and others just to not be behind a SIMI. Another plain stupid. Class C Driver.
Cindy Bamby says
When the residents and business owners grow tired of not having food, clothes, fuel, shoes, and all the various other products that are delivered in trucks – they might change their tunes. As far as the drivers of the 4 wheelers – they do cause most of the trouble on the roads between them and the truck drivers. The drivers of the 4 wheelers are far scarier than the drivers of the big trucks. I drive near and beside the ‘big, scary’ trucks all the time without an issue. This is because I respect their size and weight and do my best to give them as much room as I can. But it sounds like Savannah also doesn’t want any tourism business. That’s easy – I won’t be traveling there any time soon and I certainly won’t be spending any of my hard earned money there either.
Lois Hinkle says
Well if they can’t get any deliverys on that street and the businesses start gripping about not get there delivers then they will have to do something to keep their towns afloat and not let the bottom fall out of their lively hood.
Road Jouster says
As an indépendant O/O, rest assured I will not “ever” deliver in or near Savanna. It’s simple, they want to test the impact temporarily, I for one will stay away permanently. I can only hope other drivers will take a stand and commit to stay away. Leave the residents with no option but to be inconvenienced by having to travel to get their goods. The consumers love the products trucks bring to them from A to Zed, albeit for some reason restrict and regulate trucks more and more. The are truckers going to say “enough is enough” and make a stand. I for one am up for one on a series of coordinated 34 hr restarts for truckers. With a massive number of truckers shutdown for a 34 will certainly start catching some attention. It is past time Truckers (company/independent) to unite!!!
25hz says
Morons. . . . “sometimes I’m right next to them” Wow.
JOHN T ODEKIRK says
Good luck getting food and materials into your city moron!
Dennis Rowe says
Gonna get mighty expensive hauling supply’s in on river boats and bicycles!