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Regional agencies plan to hold a virtual public meeting later this month to hear public comments on lifting the Interstate 580 large truck ban.
The long-standing ban of vehicles weighing more than 9,000 pounds, aside from passenger buses and paratransit vehicles, covers 8.7 miles through unincorporated Alameda County, San Leandro and parts of Oakland. Most trucks that can’t use the banned route travel via Interstate 880 through Oakland’s flatlands.
At 6:30 p.m. Dec. 16 the public can weigh in on the issue during a community town hall hosted by Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, with presentations by Caltrans and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
Miley said the diversion of truck traffic to I-880, which dates back to the 1960s, has “created a legacy of air pollution, asthma and other impacts” in Oakland neighborhoods.
According to a study by the Environmental Defense Fund, neighborhoods along I-880 had 80% higher concentrations of black carbon, 60% higher nitrogen dioxide concentrations and more than double the concentrations of nitric oxide compared to neighborhoods near I-580.
“It’s time to evaluate if and how the truck ban should remain in place. Both Caltrans and the BAAQMD analysis over the next year or so will help determine what best serves the public interest,” Miley said in a statement.
According to Caltrans, efforts to reverse the ban have been met with strong opposition. In 2000 the state Legislature made it part of the California Vehicle Code.
Residents can RSVP to the virtual meeting via https://tinyurl.com/580TruckTownhall.
