A truck ban on Prospect Street

This memo is in response to Order 9 from the June 27, 2016 City Council Meeting (Awaiting Report 16-60), requesting that we determine the feasibility of implementing a truck ban on Prospect Street during certain times of day.

Currently, Prospect Street from Massachusetts Avenue to the Somerville/Cambridge border is designated as truck-restricted at all times. This restriction has been in place since January 1987 and replaced an earlier overnight and weekend restriction. We have reviewed the current signage along this corridor and determined that the necessary signs are in place to properly mark this restriction.

However, trucks are still allowed to use Prospect Street if they have a local destination along the street, or if it is the most direct route to access a local destination adjacent to Prospect Street. Given the commercial destinations along and near Prospect Street, it is therefore not uncommon to see trucks along this corridor.

Enforcement of truck restrictions can be challenging, particularly along a narrow corridor such as Prospect Street, where it is difficult to find space to stop a truck and investigate its origin or destination to determine if it violating the truck restriction. In addition, this enforcement can lead to the unintended consequence of trucks diverting to local residential streets. However, the Cambridge Police Department does undertake an ongoing program of truck enforcement, and we have requested that they devote resources to monitoring Prospect Street, while taking into account the challenges noted above.