Historical December 1979 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Residents of Rosedale and Parkview learned recently that Skinker Boulevard will be included in a proposed city-wide truck plan. The City hopes this plan will more effectively route existing truck traffic by restricting it primarily to those streets with sufficient capacity. The City has hired George Crawford and Associates to draft the plan, which must then be approved by the Board of Alderman before its implementation. In an effort to better determine the potential impact of the plan on Skinker, I contacted the City’s Street Department. Several residents had expressed to me their concern that the inclusion of Skinker in the plan would detrimentally effect adjoining neighborhoods and serve as a justification for the widening of Skinker. I spoke with Mr. Tom Hulman, an engineer in the Street Department, about the major features of the plan. ACcording to Mr. Hulman, the City would be divided into numerous “truck zones” with boundaries comprised of the major “thru-truck streets” such as Skinker. Truck traffic between adjoining zones could be routed along any street not specifically prohibited for such use. On the other hand, traffic between non-adjoining zones would be restricted to the major “thru -truck streets”. Hulman believes that the plan would not encourage any greater use of Skinker for trucks. He bases this assertion on the fact that the prohibition of trucks in Forest Park and along Lindell Boulevard provides a significant incentive to trucking firms to avoid the Skinker- DeBaliviere area. Instead, the plan simply confirms what the City already recognizes, that Skinker has a capacity suitable for certain truck use.
In addition, Hulman denied that the inclusion of Skinker in tht plan was a first step towards its eventual widening. In as much as projecting future traffic patterns is an inexact science at best, the City’s proposed truck plan bears continued attention and careful consideration by neighborhood residents. The Community Council will discuss this plan at, its regular monthly meeting, November twelfth. Anyone with additional information or comments concerning the plan is welcome to call the Community CoUncil at 862-5122.
Editor’s note: The S-D Community Council at its November 12 meeting passed a resolution expressing. its concern with including Skinker in the proposed Truck Plan.
Originally published in The Paper, December 1979.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1979_12.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 3; PDF page(s) 1, 3.
