By Tim Schaefer, Sunnyside Resident
The City of Calgary’s Truck Route bylaw has been on the books since 1990. It spells out which streets and roads people can operate trucks on and which ones they cannot. The idea behind the bylaw is to maintain safe, quiet, and comfortable streets for people by limiting what roads trucks can use to move around the city.
The Truck Route bylaw (60M90) defines what a truck means according to its maximum weight. The threshold is 5,450kg, so anything above that weight is a “truck” according to the bylaw. That’s a pretty heavy weight, so in case you’re wondering, most personally owned pickup trucks will be less than that but some new EV trucks are getting close.
What does a truck weighing more than 5,450kg look like? Generally speaking, it’s a vehicle that has a cab with a large square box behind it. But it could also have a flatbed, or a trailer. A sure-fire way to verify is to look at the posted weight listed on the side of the truck, usually on its door. All commercial trucks above 4,500kg are required to list both their unloaded weight (TARE) and their maximum loaded weight (GVW). If the maximum weight value is greater than 5,450kg then the Truck Route bylaw applies to that vehicle.
To help truck operators understand where they can operate, the City of Calgary provides a map to explain the Truck Route bylaw. Streets and roads marked in green are okay, while white streets are “No Trucks Allowed”. The only exception is if the truck is being operated for local delivery or for work that is being conducted in the area.
The streets in Hillhurst Sunnyside that are part of Calgary’s Truck Route are:
10 Street NW
14 Street NW
Kensington Road NW
Memorial Drive but only West of 10 St NW
That means trucks are not allowed on any other streets, unless of course it’s for a local delivery or for conducting work specific to the area. Note Memorial Drive is not on the truck route between 10 St NW and Edmonton Trail NW. This is to avoid turning Memorial Drive into a major truck thoroughfare. Calgary does not have many East-West Truck Route roads, but 16 Ave NW is one that’s not too far away. Despite this, many truck operators will still attempt to use Memorial Drive as a short cut. It’s a risky proposition as the fine is $500 if caught.
Enforcement of Calgary’s Truck Bylaw is handled by the Calgary Police Service’s dedicated Truck Unit. If you have a concern with where trucks are operating, you can submit a Traffic Service Request with the Calgary Police (see QR Code). The CPS Truck Unit will be assigned your request and they will investigate your concern which may include focused enforcement of a problem area.
Calgary’s truck bylaw has not really changed in 30 years so the question bears asking, does it still work for Calgary or for Hillhurst Sunnyside? For example, is it still appropriate for Kensington Road NW to be designated part of the Truck Route? This is likely a relic from the past when it was the only major East-West road to reach the Louise 10 St NW bridge. Maybe it’s time to remove it as a designated truck route and allow this area to become a little quieter and safer for kids making their way to school.
Another question is whether $500 still serves as enough of a deterrent to stay on designated truck roads. It seems that inflation has diminished the effectiveness of a $500 fine, because anecdotally, many trucks seem to use Memorial as a short cut despite there being signs advising Trucks are not allowed.
It may be time to revisit this bylaw to ensure it’s still delivering on its objective.