Traffic-Buster On The Lookout For Illegal Detours In/Around: Nevada/Lidgerwood

Sandy Smith, traffic-buster, is on the loose.

She’s been keeping track of commercial delivery trucks that illegally detour through her neighborhood near Friendship Park in Nevada-Lidgerwood.

She records license plates numbers, company or product name on the truck, time of offense, and then feeds the information to City Hall. She’s called business owners herself and even followed one driver who was delivering a truckload of new cars to Wendle Ford.

“He was in a hurry and used it as a shortcut, that’s what they do,” said Smith, 54, a telephone company retiree who lives at N7023 Standard.

Smith serves on the traffic committee of the neighborhood steering committee. The area sits just east of the Division Street commercial strip and north of Francis Avenue. Costco, Eagle, Best, Smith’s Furniture and other giant retailers are nearby.

Standard is one of the only northsouth streets that connects Francis Avenue to the Northpointe shopping center. Smith doesn’t blame the truck drivers for taking the route - she used the same route as a commuter - but as development creeps further north, the situation has gotten intolerable.

“When I lived up north, I used Standard as a shortcut,” said Smith. “I don’t blame the trucker. I’m sure they’re frustrated trying to find a short quick route.”

Standard, Crestline and Nevada are barred to trucks except those making local deliveries.

Bruce Steele, city traffic engineer, said few of the trucks are making deliveries, and those using the neighborhood as a bypass have gotten warning letters.

The warning letters have generally been successful, he said. Companies that receive warnings have promised to stick to Division Street or use smaller trucks for local deliveries.

“Occasionally there is a legitimate delivery, but if they’re using it as a bypass we do send out a letter to help educate them,” Steele said.

Ten letters have been sent since November with three responses. Those firms have agreed to find alternative routes.

“Once they find out we’re serious we’ve had good success,” he said.

Truckers apparently started using Standard when Nevada was closed last year for resurfacing. Habits are hard to break, even though both street are posted “No Trucks.”

After one neighborhood meeting, the city clipped a tree branch away from one sign to make it more visible.

“They’re very visible,” said Diane Lair, who lives across Standard from Friendship Park. “I can see them. I don’t know why a (truck) driver can’t.”

Enforcement is not only important for those living on the street, but all taxpayers. “I noticed streets have been getting more cracks since the trucks started coming,” said Lair.

So far, the police department has not issued citations to violators, but Smith thinks that may be what’s needed to get their attention.

“If they get hit with a $66 ticket,” she said, “someone will be in deep doodoo.”