Logan City battles over truck route on 1000 West
To try and reduce the traffic congestion on Main Street, the City of Logan wants to establish a designated route as an alternative to Main Street.
According to Amending Chapter 10.16 of “Street Regulations, the Logan Municipal Council finds it is in the best interest of the City of Logan and the citizens to establish an ordinance that sets forth the truck route.
They would like to see the route for the trucks established along the following roadways within the City of Logan from 1000 West from Highway 89/91 to the north city limits; 1500 North within the Logan City limits; 200 North from the west city limits to Main Street; Main Street from 200 North to 400 North; and 400 North from Main Street to the east city limits, according to the ordinance.
Darrel and Janis Siggard, Logan residents, wrote a letter addressed to Mayor Doug Thompson and the city councilmen.
“We have been concerned about the discussion of making 600 West or 10th West a truck route. Tenth West is already so overloaded with traffic that making it a truck route would be disastrous. Both roads are so narrow. Tenth West runs right in front of an elementary school and has no turning lanes. It runs right through a subdivision and is very difficult to cross. Children have to walk on the road to get to and from school because of poor planning,” Siggard said.
Nancy Davis and Tom Jenson, members of the Cache Chamber of Commerce wrote a resolution stating they “acknowledge the frustration and concern of the parents and homeowners living along 10th West, however not approving this plan will jeopardize the safety of many more families.
The Siggards said, “The real answer to the city problems is to make a bypass four lane highway through the middle of the valley. This would allow through traffic to bypass all of the towns unless they want to go into an individual town. Practically every town in Utah has conceded to a bypass highway except Logan. Why not Logan?”
Lu Georgi, a Logan resident, said, “Tenth West was originally supposed to be the bypass and I support that it should still be. An overpass should help tremendously and if necessary an eight-foot fence around the housing development would be cheaper than trying to locate this very needed bypass anywhere else. I hope the city stays firm on this.
“Until this can be done, pushing for more traffic onto 1000 West is not the answer. If you are going to do something, do it right or else leave it alone. If 1000 West was to be the bypass highway, the city should have done something about it 20 years ago before it became a crowded residential area. It’s too late to widen the roads and make one bypass highway now,” the Siggards said.
Davis and Jensen said, “Tenth West has been clearly understood to be a truck route and bypass for 20 years. Everyone has understood this. If this proposal is not passed, 10th West will still have a high volume of truck and automobile traffic and we will not have made a reasonable solution. Given the present reality this is the best solution. Perhaps other alternatives can be carefully planned, funded and developed for the future as the needs increase.
The Chamber of Commerce urges the City Council to consider the best alternative of all the citizens and businesses in Logan, Davis said.