Monroe Township’s truck ban ordinance is heading to the New Jersey Department of Transportation for approval after Middlesex County officials gave the municipal ordinance the green light.
If the ordinance is approved by the DOT, the law will enforce a weight restriction of no more than 8 tons on trucks that are permitted to travel on Cranbury Station Road, Prospect Plains Road and Cranbury-Half Acre Road, all of which are county routes.
In October, members of the Township Council in Monroe Township adopted an ordinance that bans tractor-trailers on three county roads between Monroe Township and Cranbury.
“I am pleased to see this truck weight restriction moving forward at my urging,” Monroe Mayor Gerald Tamburro said in a statement. “I appreciate that county officials were so quick to review our truck study and ordinance and recommend to the state that it be approved. I want this truck ban enacted as soon as possible for our residents and I am fully committed to ensuring this ban is finalized by the state.”
When Monroe’s elected representatives adopted the ordinance in the fall of 2019, their action was the continuation of a debate regarding truck traffic between officials in Cranbury and Monroe.
“Mayor Tamburro called me two weeks ago to talk about the county recommending the restrictions to the state. He wanted to meet with me and clear the air before he announced the county’s decision in a press release,” Cranbury Mayor Matt Scott said.
“When this (issue) came up last year it sounded like this was something (Monroe officials) needed to do to protect their residents, and of course, I am going to do the same for my residents,” Scott said.
“I do not think (the ordinance) is a slam dunk. I do not think the (DOT) is definitely going to approve it. There is a possibility they won’t approve it,” Scott said. “We will have to see what happens from there. Again, I do not blame Mayor Tamburro, he has to protect his residents.”
Scott said warehouse operations in Cranbury generate significant revenue for the state. He said he is hopeful a long-term solution to truck traffic can be aided by state officials.
“My question to our traffic engineer was that if the weight restriction occurs on the three roads at the level Monroe wants, what would the effect be on Cranbury? Our traffic engineer said he did not see any obvious or immediate effect,” Scott said.
According to Scott, the traffic engineer suggested there could be increased traffic on Route 130.
“I already think there is increased traffic on Route 130. It is hard to say what direct effect we will see if the weight restrictions (that were enacted by Monroe Township) are approved by the state,” Scott said.