No Thru Trucks

Many residential streets on St. Armands Key are posted with "No Thru Truck" signs which prohibit trucks rated one ton or higher.  Despite this, residents frequently observe large numbers of trucks, buses, and construction vehicles traversing our streets.  The city has twice responded to resident complaints (see below) with the following statements:

1. it is very difficult for SPD to determine the weight of the trucks
2. it is very difficult for SPD to determine whether the truck is cutting through or making deliveries

But, a quick Internet search reveals that: 

Historically, a truck was referred to as "1-ton" based on its payload capacity of 1 ton (or 2,000 lbs.), but this classification has become very flexible since many 1-ton truck models can carry much more than that.  

Further, a pickup truck like the Ford F150 is considered half-ton, a Ford F250 is considered three-quarter-ton, and a Ford F350 is considered one-ton (source).  Wikipedia also has a good article about this here.  If a pickup truck is rated one ton, then certainly any commercial box truck, semi truck, tractor trailer, etc... would be in excess of a one ton weight rating.  And certainly SPD could follow a vehicle the short distance down any St. Armands Key residential street to see if it was stopping or passing through.  

We hope the city and SPD will reconsider their position on this issue in the future.

December 1, 2022

Email from the city's Chief Transportation Planner to President of the St. Armands Residents Association:

Please see below for a response to your questions. I combined some of the questions since they related to each other.

1. Are these signs just "suggestions", or are they "ticketable offenses"? If they are "ticketable offenses", who has the enforcement responsibility: police, parking, or code enforcement? And is there some code/statute that specifically addresses "No Thru Truck" violations, or is there just a general code/statute that says "drivers must follow all posted signs"?

The “No Thru Truck” are difficult to enforce due to the stipulations under Section 33-251. of the City Code, where it lists out the streets where through truck traffic is prohibited and where it is not applicable. This section mentions that:

“On the following streets or parts of streets, through truck traffic shall be prohibited; provided that such prohibition shall not apply to recreational vehicles as defined in section 33-60(a), Sarasota City Code, trucks making deliveries in the immediate vicinity of the posted streets and to trucks transporting equipment, materials or personnel performing construction activities within one (1) block of the posted street nor shall this prohibition apply to trucks rated one (1) ton or lighter:”

2. Who decides which City streets get these signs? You? Traffic planner? Traffic engineer? Police Chief? City Manager? City Commission?

Section 33-60. of the City Code authorizes the City Engineer to post these signs in accordance with the City Ordinances.

3. What would be the process to get these signs added to both ends of S Washington Dr on the southeast quadrant of St. Armands Key? I've got a resident there requesting this due to construction vehicles using this route to go back and forth to Lido Key. I've got a specific complaint from a resident on N Adams Dr (which already has one of these signs up). Workers at the St. Regis construction site on Longboat Key are being shuttled back and forth from the St. Armands Parking Garage on a large charter bus which travels down N Adams Dr multiple times per weekday in violation of the existing No Thru Trucks sign that is posted there at the intersection of N Adams Dr and Madison Dr (pictured above). Can anything be done about this constant violation? What would you recommend?

Section 33-251. of the City Code does not list out Adams Dr, Washington Dr, and Madison Dr, as streets where through truck traffic is prohibited but they were posted at the discretion of a previous City Engineer, following City Ordinance Section 33-60. This section mentions:

“In addition to those streets designated in section 33-251 of this Code, as prohibited to through truck traffic, the traffic engineer is hereby authorized to post local streets or parts of local streets as prohibited to through truck traffic where over sixty (60) percent of the total number of parcels abutting both sides of the local street are residentially zoned. Provided that such prohibition shall not apply to recreational vehicles, trucks making deliveries in the immediate vicinity of posted local streets and to trucks transporting equipment, materials or personnel performing construction activities within one (1) block of the posted local street.”

Although the signs are in the City Code, it is very difficult for SPD to determine the weight of the trucks and whether the truck is cutting through or making deliveries in order for them to be able to enforce it.

November 30, 2023

Email from the city's Chief Transportation Planner to a St. Armands Resident:

Unfortunately, having areas designated as “No Thru Truck” route are difficult to enforce due to the stipulations under Section 33-251 of the City Code. The City Code lists out the streets where through truck traffic is prohibited and where it is not applicable. This section mentions that:

“On the following streets or parts of streets, through truck traffic shall be prohibited; provided that such prohibition shall not apply to recreational vehicles as defined in section 33-60(a), Sarasota City Code, trucks making deliveries in the immediate vicinity of the posted streets and to trucks transporting equipment, materials or personnel performing construction activities within one (1) block of the posted street nor shall this prohibition apply to trucks rated one (1) ton or lighter:”

Section 33-251. of the City Code does not list out Adams Dr, Washington Dr, and Madison Dr, as streets where through truck traffic is prohibited but they were posted at the discretion of a previous City Engineer, following City Ordinance Section 33-60. This section mentions:

“In addition to those streets designated in section 33-251 of this Code, as prohibited to through truck traffic, the traffic engineer is hereby authorized to post local streets or parts of local streets as prohibited to through truck traffic where over sixty (60) percent of the total number of parcels abutting both sides of the local street are residentially zoned. Provided that such prohibition shall not apply to recreational vehicles, trucks making deliveries in the immediate vicinity of posted local streets and to trucks transporting equipment, materials or personnel performing construction activities within one (1) block of the posted local street.”

Although the signs are in the City Code, it is very difficult for SPD to determine the weight of the trucks and whether the truck is cutting through or making deliveries in order for them to be able to enforce it.

February 7, 2024

Email from Mayor Liz Alpert to a St. Armands resident:

We have been working on a solution to the truck issue on South Washington. We have advised the contractors working on the big projects on Lido Key to have their trucks go around the Circle to get to their projects. However, I am told the very large trucks, especially the semi-trucks and trucks that have large deliveries will still need to take South Washington as it is too difficult for them to navigate the Circle.

I know it is not the answer you were hoping for, but this may take most of the trucks off of South Washington.