TITLE
Recommendation to request City Council adopt resolution opposing Federal Legislation regarding Longer Combination Vehicles and supporting the Safe Highway and Infrastructure Preservation Act (SHIPA, H.R. 3929).
DISCUSSION
Longer Combination Vehicles (LCVs), including double tractor and triple tractortrailers, are extremely dangerous on our roads and are known to cause tremendous amounts of damage to our roads and bridges. The US Department of Transportation found that LCVs are 11 % more likely to be involved in a fatal accident.
Many of the bridges in California are old and greatly in need of repair. Over fifty five percent of the bridges in California are over 40 years old and the US Department of Transportation already rates thirty percent as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. These LCVs increase the risk of bridge failure, accelerate bridge deterioration, and add to the cost of maintaining our highway infrastructure.
In 2004, the City Council passed a resolution to voice their opposition to the operation of LCVs within the jurisdiction of the City of Long Beach, as a condition of approval for the 1-710 project. Today, there is again a movement in Congress to increase truck sizes and weights and allow LCVs in California. The Safe Highway and Infrastructure Preservation Act (SHIPA, H.R 3929) would protect our infrastructure and our communities by maintaining current size and weight limits and would extend the existing freeze on Interstate operations of LCVs to the entire National Highway System.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
BONNIE LOWENTHAL, COUNCILMEMBER, FIRST DISTRICT