To the editor: As a county commissioner, those who elected me to serve have entrusted me with many responsibilities – from helping ensure their health and safety to being a good steward of taxpayer dollars.
Such responsibilities even boil down to making sure the roads traveled in our county are well-maintained and safe. With the introduction of House Bill 189 by the Georgia General Assembly this session, the safety of our roads and ultimately the safety of those who call our counties home is in jeopardy.
House Bill 189 seeks to increase the weight limit of large commercial trucks hauling products ranging from live poultry to forestry and solid waste. Specifically, the bill proposes to increase the weight limit of five-axle trucks from 80,000 to 90,000 pounds.
This legislation is detrimental to county roads and bridges. If passed, it will result in a shorter lifecycle for critical local infrastructure which will cost local taxpayers more money due to increased costs for repairs and maintenance. Not to mention, and as previously stated, the safety of county residents is a responsibility of local elected officials - it’s paramount.
Increasing the weight limit of those commercial trucks will pose dangerous driving conditions for all travelers. Might I add, county roads are the gateways to our local communities, and well-maintained roads are often symbols of wise investment of local tax dollars in our communities – something in which officials take pride.
The impact this legislation will have on local bridges is significant. The truck weight increase proposed in House Bill 189 will increase the number of posted bridges not just in Habersham County but in all counties throughout the state.
It will double the number of load restricted posted bridges, resulting in an estimated net increase of 1,408 bridges that require signage indicating the type of truck and its permitted weight allowed to travel along a bridge. Posting a bridge or even worse closing a bridge could result in detours for school buses, fire trucks and garbage trucks.
We are trying our best to maintain our road infrastructure. However, an increase in truck weights would drastically work against those efforts while simultaneously working against our efforts to be good stewards of county dollars.
I and members of the Habersham County Board of Commissioners encourage the members of my community and others to join me in opposing this legislation and share with our state legislators how this bill threatens the safety and longevity of critical local infrastructure.
Ty Akins
Chairman, Habersham County Board of Commissioners