Saline officials said new weight restriction signs for South Ann Arbor Street should be installed within 30 days, paving the way for enforcement aimed at keeping heavy trucks out of the residential corridor.
The discussion came during the Saline City Council’s May 4 meeting, where Councilmember Dean Girbach pressed city staff for an update on long-discussed restrictions targeting heavy commercial trucks traveling through the neighborhood.
“I believe that’s one of the things that the Chief of Police is waiting for in order to enforce that, and I would like council to consider that and move that forward,” said Girbach.
Girbach said residents continue to deal with speeding cement trucks and disruptive air horn use despite previous council discussions about restricting heavier vehicles from the street.
He argued the city already has the legal authority to impose and enforce the restrictions and said the issue has lingered for two years or more.
Girbach tied the increase in truck traffic to restrictions placed on roads in York Township, which he said have diverted heavy vehicles through Saline neighborhoods.
“My biggest concern is that we know this issue is derived from the fact that York Township has blocked truck traffic on most of their north and south roads, forcing it all to come down Saline – Milan Road and come into our town, going through a residential area, historical area,” Girbach said.
Mayor Brian Marl asked City Manager Dan Swallow for clarification on the status of the signs, saying he believed they had already been ordered.
Swallow said the city’s traffic control order referencing a 35,000-pound limit is already in place and that staff has expedited the sign order. He added that the city is also evaluating better placement locations so drivers can see the restrictions sooner after turning off Michigan Avenue.
When Marl asked whether installation could realistically happen within 30 days, Swallow replied, “Yes.”
Marl also asked whether the council needed to adopt additional ordinances before police could begin enforcement. Swallow said city attorneys determined no further council action is currently required.
Girbach said he mainly wanted assurance that enforcement could begin once the signs are installed.
Marl concluded by saying residents concerned about truck traffic can expect both installation and enforcement to follow in the coming month.
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