Noon Downtown Truck Deliveries May Be Prohibited

Delivery trucks blocking the parking lot behind the rear of businesses on North Milwaukee Avenue and the Village Hall has long been an issue for businesses and pedestrians, now the Parking Commission is recommending the Village Board draft an ordinance to prohibit large truck deliveries between lunchtime.

“I can’t see around those trucks sometimes when I’m walking from the stores to the lot. I was doing that last week and almost got nipped by a car that didn’t see me and I couldn’t see around the truck,” said Wendy Vieth, a member of the Cook Memorial Public Library board who presides on the Parking Commission. “It is dangerous without construction and with it, it’s going to be worse.”

Parking Commission members are concerned that the West Parking lot improvement project, which started construction in May, could add to hazards that pedestrians would have to navigate in the lot.

In the past, village officials and police have issued letters requesting voluntary cooperation, but to no avail.

Police Chief Clinton Herdegen says it has been difficult to ask truck drivers or some businesses for cooperation.

“That’s a tough spot because that’s not a violation of an ordinance,” Herdegen said. “Honestly we were hoping that the business owners would say we are not going to accept deliveries during this time frame.”

Having an ordinance in place would allow the police department to issue tickets and perhaps deter large truck deliveries during lunch hours, according to Village Administrator Kevin Bowens.

Village officials are drafting an ordinance for board recommendation, which would limit large truck deliveries between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the parking lot behind businesses on the 500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, with the exception of postal and parcel delivery trucks.

The commission is recommending enacting the ordinance on the West side lot first to see if it’s effective before deciding whether to roll out the ordinance village wide.

“You are not going to stop the truckers from doing it unless you have an ordinance in place,” Herdegen said.