New traffic regulations aim to increase safety and maintain local traffic flow

Image: S Ann Arbor Street in Saline. Image Google Streetview, June 2024

At its August 19, 2024 meeting, the Saline City Council adopted a new Traffic Control Ordinance (TCO) to address truck traffic issues on South Ann Arbor Street.

This decision was driven by community feedback and a comprehensive traffic study. The approved ordinance now prohibits trucks over 33,000 pounds from traveling on the specified stretch of road.

During the council meeting, Police Chief Marlene Radzik provided an overview of the situation, emphasizing the challenges of enforcing the previous 10,000-pound weight limit. “There have been comments that police are not enforcing the current limit,” Radzik explained. “This TCO and adequate warning to drivers would make enforcement easier, as would better signage.” The new weight limit is designed to make enforcement easier while keeping restrictions on only the heaviest vehicles, reducing the impact on local roads without hindering necessary deliveries and services.

Councillor Girbach raised important questions about the definition and application of the “truck transit ban” and sought clarification on whether the restrictions would continue to allow local deliveries while preventing the road from becoming a shortcut for heavy vehicles. Radzik assured the council that local traffic for certain delivery points would still be permitted under the new regulation and that the restrictions would only apply to trucks using the road as a transit route.

The discussion also touched on broader implications, including potential traffic impacts on surrounding roads and the role of the Washtenaw County Road Commission. Town Manager Colleen O’Toole noted, “We have a lot of roads to fix…South Ann Arbor Street is in a pretty unique location simply because York Township is so restrictive with its truck traffic.”

Ultimately, the council voted unanimously in favor of the traffic control ordinance, with Councilor Harmount emphasizing that the decision was made to “calm traffic, slow it down… and create a stronger sense of community” in the area.