Crockett Council Works to Keep Trucks Out of Downtown
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – The Crockett city council voted to adjust the designations of certain area highways with an eye to reduce traffic in downtown Crockett, especially from over-the-road trucks who present a danger in smaller city streets and can damage city roads.
At the recent city council meeting held Monday, Sept. 18, the council voted to designate Texas state highways 7, 19, 21 and 287 as “business highways” inside the Crockett 304 Loop. The designation is a crucial one, as such designations are registered by the state and affect both traffic and navigation systems many trucking companies use to designate routes for their drivers.
The Messenger has long reported of the efforts of local citizens’ groups to keep the heavy trucks out of downtown Crockett and off smaller city streets. The Messenger reached out to TxDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) to request a study by state engineers to alleviate the situation and change GPS-based navigation software which continue to route the trucks downtown.
Truckers riding one of these highways follow the directions on their navigation systems, perhaps without knowing these roads converge in our downtown. As Crockett City Administrator John Angerstein pointed out to city council, some of the routes involving HAZMAT (loads with hazardous materials) must fix their routes far in advance and cannot vary those routes, even if the driver realizes taking the 304 Loop would be faster and safer.
The new designation should cause an update to these navigation systems, differentiating these highways from the “business” sections inside the loop, hopefully leading bigger trucks to avoid the smaller cities altogether.
Angerstein told the council the city has signs one quarter mile on all roads arriving to Crockett advising big-rig drivers to use the loop, but TxDOT has agreed to install signs at the intersections of the loop itself with flashing signs telling drivers to detour on the loop. Angerstein pointed out this will not completely stop drivers from coming through town, but over time, should cause navigation maps and drivers’ habits to change and improve the situation.
The highways within the Crockett loop, in spite of the “business” designation, will still be maintained by the state of Texas.
Crockett Police Department Chief Clayton Smith reported during the month of August a total of 16 officer who worked almost 3,000 man hours with 517 calls, 15 accidents, 51 arrests and 358 traffic stops during the month.
Crockett Fire Department Fire Marshall Lee Standley reported 54 calls within the city of Crockett and another 25 around the county in the month of August. Standley said August was a difficult month and very dry, sometimes responding to 4-5 calls a day. Standley was filling in for Chief Jason Frizzell who was away receiving advanced training on a drone system the department will be able to deploy to monitor forest fires.
In other business, the city council:
- Approved street closures for “Christmas in Crockett” in November
- Approved the “Culpepper and Merriwether” Circus coming to the Crockett Civic Center Oct. 15
- Accepted the reappointment of Connie Strban, Ray Bruner and Wade Thomas to another term on the city’s planning and zoning committee
- Voted for the partial closure of the downtown square for the downtown Christmas lighting ceremony
- Agreed to minor modifications to the city’s fiscal budget
- Voted to pay CEIDC bills
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
