Ord. 0315 08-23-76r
ORDINANCE NO. 315 -
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS
ESTABLISHING LOAD LIMITS ON STREETS WITHIN
THE CITY, ESTABLISHING PERMITS, ESTABLISHING
TRUCK ROUTES, PROVIDING FOR ENFORCEMENT AND
PENALTIES, AND CONTAINING OTHER MATTERS RE-
LATING TO THE SUBJECT.
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Pearland, Texas deems
it advisable that load limits be placed upon streets within the City
and that truck routes within the City be designated to eliminate
unnecessary wear and damage to the streets of the City;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS:
That the Code of Ordinances of the City of Pearland, Texas,
is hereby amended by adding an Article to Chapter 29 of the
Pearland Code of Ordinances which shall be numbered Article XVI an
shall be entitled "Truck Traffic". Said Article XVI of Chapter 29
and the Sections thereof shall read as follows:
ARTICLE XVI
Truck Traffic
Sec. 1. - Load Limits
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate
any commercial vehicle over,on, or upon any
public street or right-of-way in the City of
Pearland, Texas, other than State Highways,
which has a gross weight in excess of one or
more of the following limitations:
(1) The total gross weight for which the com-
mercial vehicle is licensed with the State
of Texas; or
(2) Six hundred fifty pounds (650 lbs.) per
inch width of tire upon any wheel concen-
trated upon the surface of the roadway,
up to twenty thousand pounds (20,000 lbs.)
per single axle, thirty-four thousand
pounds (34,000 lbs.) per tandem axle; or
with an overall gross weight on a group
of two or more consecutive axles produced
by application of the following formula:
LN
W=500 (N=1 + 12N + 36)
where W = overall gross weight on any group
of two or more consecutive axles to the
nearest 500 pounds, L = distance in feet be-
tween the extreme of any group of two or
more consecutive axles, and N = number of axles
in group under consideration, except that two
consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a
gross load of 34,000 pounds each providing
the overall distance between the first and
last axles of such consecutive sets of
tandem axles is thirty-six (36) feet or
more;
(3) In no event shall the gross weight of any
truck exceed eighty thousand (80,000 lbs.),
including all enforcement tolerances, in
the absence of permit from the Chief of
Police.
(b) It shall be unlawful to operate any commercial
vehicle on any State Highway within the City of
Pearland with a gross weight or axle weight in
excess of that allowed by State law for State
Highways outside the limits of incorporated cities
and towns.
Sec. 2. Permits
The Chief of Police may issue a permit for the
travel of commercial vehicles over City streets or
State Highways within the City of Pearland with
loads in excess of the load limits provided in
Sec. 1, but only when it is impossible or imprac-
tical to reduce the weight of the load or use a
vehicle capable of hauling the load within the
prescribed limit. Such permit shall be issued for
only one (1) day and for only one (1) trip by each
vehicle. The Director of Public Works shall deter-
mine the route of travel of said vehicle and the
permit shall specify the date of the trip, the
license plate number of the vehicle, and the route
of travel. A permit fee in the amount of ten
dollars ($10.00) for the issuance of such permit
shall be paid to the City Secretary by the appli-
cant therefor, prior to issuance.
Sec. 3. Truck Routes
All commercial vehicles shall confine their travel
within the City of Pearland to the following streets
or highways or parts thereof:
(a) State Highway 35 (Main Street), from North
City Limits to South City Limits.
(b) FM 518 (Broadway Street), from West City
Limits to East City Limits.
(c) Mykawa Road, from Orange Street to North City
Limits.
(d) Orange Street, from 01d Alvin Road to Woody
Road.
(e) Woody Road, from FM 518 (Broadway Street) to
Orange Street.
(f) Knapp Road, from State Highway 35 (Main Street)
to Mykawa Road.
(g) 01d Alvin Road, from State Highway 35 (Main
Street) to Orange Street.
(h) Walnut Street, from FM 518 East (Broadway
Street) to FM 518 West (Broadway Street).
(i) Magnolia Street, from State Highway 35 (Main
Street) to McLean Road.
(j) Pearland Sites Road, from Walnut Street to
South City Limits.
(k) McLean Road, from FM 518 (Broadway Street) to
South City Limits.
(1) Dixie Farm Road, from FM 518 (Broadway Street)
Southwest to City Limits.
Each of such commercial routes shall be clearly
marked "Truck Route" at its intersection with the
City Limits, at each intersection with other truck
routes, and at such other locations along its
course as shall be deemed necessary by the Director
of Public Works to adequately designate it for
commercial vehicle travel.
Sec. 4. Periods of Loadin and Unloadin
In the event that a commercial vehicle completely
or partially load5and/or unloadsat a point which
does not lie on a designated truck route, the
commercial vehicle may proceed to and from such
tpoints loading
hecommercialveand/or unloading,
from a designated truck route to and from each
point of loading or unloading or otherwise as may
be specified by the Director of Public Works.
Sec. 5. Excens
This Article shall not prohibit:
(a) Emergency Vehicles. The operation of emergency
vehicles upon any street in the City.
(b) City Vehicles. The operation of commercial
ve ih cles owned or operated by the City upon
any street in the City.
(c) Detoured Trucks. The operation of commercial
ve is es upon etours established by the
Director of Public Works, provided such com-
mercial vehicle could lawfully be operated
upon the street for which such detour is
established.
(d) Local 0 erations. Any commercial vehicle
trave ing to an from its base of operation
or storage not located on a designated truck
route, provided its base of operation or
storage is designated as a place of business
on the tax rolls of the City and was in
operation prior to the passage of this Article
or annexation of said base of operation or
storage into the City.
(e) Prior 0nerations. Nothing in this section
s be construed to deny the operation of
any commercial vehicle that could be lawfully
operated upon the highways and roads of the
State on December 16, 1974.
Sec. 6. Enforcement
(a) The City Secretary shall keep and maintain accurate
maps setting out truck routes and streets upon
which commercial vehicle traffic is permitted.
The maps shall be kept on file in the office of
the City Secretary and shall be made available to
the public.
(b) The Chief of Police shall have the authority to
require any person driving or in control of any
commercial vehicle to proceed to any municipal private scale available for the purpose of weigh
ing and determining whether this Article has been
complied with. Upon such weighing, if it is
determined that the commercial vehicle so weighed
is in excess of the load limit, then the cost of
such weighing shall be immediately due and payable
by the operator of such commercial vehicle and
such commercial vehicle may be lawfully detained
by the Police Department until such charge has
been paid. In the event that the weight of such
commercial vehicle is not in excess of the load
limit, any charges for weighing shall be paid by
the City. Any charge for weighing under the terms
of this Article shall be in addition to any fine
imposed for a violation of its provisions.
Sec. 7. Penalties
Any shall eoviolating
lperson
befoundguiltany guilty of arthisovision of
misdemeanor and shall
le
be punished by fine not to exceed two hundred
dollars ($200.00) upon conviction.
Sec. 8. Separability.
Each of the provisions of this Article are hereby
deemed to be separate and severed from each and
every other provision. Should any one or more of
the provisions of this Article be found and held
to be invalid, such invalidity will not affect the
validity of any other provisions of this Article.
Sec. 9. Effective Date.
This ordinance shall take effect and be in full
force and effect ten (10) days from and after its
adoption on second and final reading.
PASSED and APPROVED on First Reading this 27
day of
October , 1975.
ATTFST:
city,t,
PASSED and APPROVED on
day of
ATTEST:
ity ecretar
Effective Date:
CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS
BY:
ayor
Second and Final Reading this
, 1976.
CITY OF
Cad / BY :
ayor
EARLAND, TEXAS
e