Irritating truck traffic legal on main arterials

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, May 20, 2001

Q: I live near 35th Avenue SE near Silver Lake in Everett. At all times of the day and night, we hear large semi-trailer trucks driving down 35th Avenue SE. Between 100th Street SE and 124th Street SE, it is all residential. The largest offender is a topsoil company located on 35th Avenue on the south side of 132nd Street SE.

Should the trucks be traveling on residential roads? Is there any way to make this street "local delivery only"?

A: The noise might be irritating, but the trucks are legal. According to Jim Bloodgood, Snohomish County traffic engineer, 35th Avenue SE is designated as an arterial street in the county’s comprehensive plan.

As such, is it designed to handle more traffic than a nonarterial, or local access street, Bloodgood said. Arterials allow not only a higher volume of traffic, but also commercial vehicles such as trucks.

"Recent improvements to 35th Avenue SE from 120th Street SE to 100th Street SE included curbs, gutters, sidewalks, street lighting, bike lanes and three lanes of traffic (including a two-way left-turn-lane)," he said. "This project will continue south on 35th Avenue SE to Seattle Hill Road in the near future.

"Because of the arterial designation, legal load commercial truck traffic cannot be prohibited from this area unless it would damage the road itself."

The recently completed project and upcoming improvement plans include commercial traffic impacts in the design of the pavement, he added.