Officials have alerted authorities in the past
by David Kilby, Special Writer
ALLENTOWN — Dump trucks from New Jersey Turnpike construction travelling on South Main Street has drawn the ire of borough residents and officials who believe the speeding trucks present a public safety issue.
At the Allentown Borough Council meeting July 9, Kristen Hornung of South Main Street said at least 100 to 200 trucks come down her street a day.
”Not only are they going 50 to 60 miles an hour,” Ms. Hornung said. “They’re also jay braking, downshifting, honking their horns. I have called the police, my neighbors have called the police.”
She said pedestrians who cross the street risk getting run over.
”I can’t even get the mail out of my mailbox without practically getting hit by a dump truck,” she added. “Every single minute of every single day.”
When she has guests over, she said she’s embarrassed, and they ask her ‘You pay taxes here and this is what you deal with every day at 6’ o’clock in the morning?’
”I understand it’s a county road, but if the police can’t do anything to control the streets of this borough, then I don’t understand what else can be done,” she told Mayor Stuart Fierstein and the council.
Mayor Fierstein said the Allentown police have reported the issue to the state police, who in turn reported it to the county and the county has reported it to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
He said the truckers are paid on “load to load,” so it’s to their advantage to use the trucks to get back and forth as fast as possible.
”It’s unsafe, it’s unfair,” he continued. “Before the bridge was completed and the road was open we were down to a 15-mile speed limit and 10-ton limit. We all knew that was part of the county meeting the state requirements, that it’s going to open up, once it was considered to be completed and safe, to any kind of vehicle. So that certainly applies to those trucks.”
He told Ms. Hornung to get a license plate number from one of the trucks if she could, adding that the NJTP has contracted with private contractors.
”If the police have a license plate they will pursue it,” he added. “If they even have a company name they’d probably pursue it. They will look up the license plate, do a citizens report and give them a ticket.”
Ms. Hornung said part of the problem with getting a license plate number is that the dump trucks drive past four to six in a row.
Council President Michael Schumacher suggested placing a radar machine at the spot, saying it’s possible that the mere presence of one would slow down the truckers.
The mayor said he will remind the police of the issue.

