The Battlefords Chamber of Commerce got a clearer idea at a meeting March 19 about what the proposed changes to the City of North Battleford traffic bylaw will look like.
The proposed truck routes unveiled to Chamber members were not too different from proposals discussed by city council in January.
The idea is to set up three different trucking route "zones." One zone would feature the regular perimeter route that includes Territorial Drive and Battleford Road, with trucks operating at primary weight. Zone two is in the Parsons Industrial Park area with trucks there able to use those roads at the primary weight.
The most important change to the traffic bylaw involves the proposed zone three. This will incorporate a truck route that will run down 100th Street and Railway Avenue that will handle weights up to 47,000 kg, higher than the 16,400 kg restriction in place under the existing traffic bylaw.
The original traffic bylaw received significant blowback from the trucking industry and businesses over what were seen as oppressive $6,000 annual fees for trucks driving off the primary routes.
Proposed bylaw changes were discussed at council in January. Chamber president Sharon Mohagen reported that last month the Chamber had meetings with the City on the changes, discussions that also included the Saskatchewan Trucking Association.
Mohagen said the meeting was considered a successful one, as "the trucking association was quite in tune with what the City was trying to do."
Machniak reported the City believes the amendments will "alleviate the bulk of the issues the STA had as well as the ones that the Chamber brought forward for members.
"Issues regarding some of the other routes were still being worked on," she noted.
The amendments to the traffic bylaw are still to come back to council for final approval.
