Alva Review-Courier -

“Looking at the board, I’m going to guess there’s only one of you that’s ever driven a semi – maybe Mr. (Greg) Bowman. I know Mr. (Stephen) Ford has,” said Alva farmer Mike Martin. He was speaking during the public hearing on the seasonal wheat harvest truck route proposal being considered by the Alva City Council Monday night.

During this year’s harvest, the city council approved a truck route to minimize traffic on narrower residential streets and the downtown area. Traffic signs along the route were adjusted to cut down on stops for the trucks. Monday night, the council was ready to consider a modified version of that route, but they wanted to give those operating the wheat trucks a chance to voice their opinions. All council members were present for the meeting.

Martin said the truck route in its “infant stages” needed “maybe a tweak or two, but all in all it’s not bad.” To educate the non-semi drivers, he continued, “You’ve got to remember that a semi weighs 80,000 lbs. A car weighs maybe 4,000 – 6,000. A car can stop really fast. A semi can’t.

“So we’re coming in, and I’ll use Santa Fe (Street), there’s several really blind corners. I’m going 10 mph, and if a car’s coming the other way going 30 mph I may not get stopped. So I may run over the car, might kill somebody. Or the car hits me I’m carrying maybe 300 gallons of diesel fuel. So if he hits me, we’ll have a spark, we’ll take out half a town over there.

“You don’t want to be pushing us down Flynn Street, Flynn coming from the west. Flynn coming from the east, that’s a nice wide street. You can see what’s coming at you. Coming from the south, that’s a little tough because we used to come down 4th, bring us to Flynn, that’s still okay.”

Martin said it’s not just harvest when there is truck traffic in the area. The Farmers Co-op and Wheeler Brothers are moving wheat all winter long if there’s been a good harvest. “It’s not just a little span. It can be a year-round deal.”

Martin said there was one especially blind corner at Santa Fe and 11th that he described as “very blind, very dangerous.” Drivers on 11th have yield signs. Councilmember Daniel Winters suggested the city should replace the yield signs with stop signs.

Mayor Kelly Parker who had talked with another farmer asked Martin for “your take on Santa Fe and 14th. Is it too tight?”

Martin said it depends if there’s a car parked on the south side of Santa Fe. “But I can call that guy, and he’s good. He’ll snap right out there and move it for us.”

“But I wouldn’t change the stop sign,” Martin added. “We go home that way. My wife will kill me if you put a stop sign there, and she has to stop.”

Parker said the modification of the first map now included 4th Street and the block around the co-op gas station so trucks can refuel there.

Councilmember Troy Brooks said he had one person living on Skyline Drive talk to him about the truck traffic. Parker said he had one person talk to him who wanted the speed limits enforced.

“We’re just big, heavy and slow, and we can’t stop very fast,” Martin reminded the council.

Mayor Parker modified the agenda order, but the council soon came back to discuss and vote on the new truck route (see the map in the July 16 Alva Review-Courier). He told the council that the resolution adopting the new route, effective May 25 to July 15, does not address street signage.

Parker also reminded the council that the truck route does not address traffic on Ridgway Road. “Ridgway’s not our road and neither is Flynn west of Skyline,” he said. Those are outside the city limits and under county jurisdiction.

Councilmember Joe Parsons asked, “Why regulate farmers? Why not all trucks?”

City Business Manager Stephen Ford said the city can’t do anything on highways 281 and 64. It was also pointed out that other trucks make deliveries to businesses around town.

Brooks expressed concern about the heavy harvest traffic causing damage to some streets. Parker said those streets will need more attention than others. Ford said trucks starting and stopping causes the most damage so minimizing stops along the route will help.

Councilmember Taylor Dowling reminded the council of his concern about youngsters walking to and from the park, crossing 14th Street. Ford said they will make sure to paint crosswalks.

Dowling also asked about the need to enforce the truck route. Ford said during harvest he saw a couple of trucks not following the route. He followed them and had a talk with the drivers. In one case, the driver was from Canada. He said they simply didn’t know about the route and were cooperative about using it. Ford added that personally he still thinks allowing trucks to drive from the highway down 4th Street is a hazard.

The updated seasonal wheat harvest grain truck route was approved unanimously.