Civic activists, dump truck drivers join forces to request hauling-time change

That's a terrible mix, civic activists and dump truck drivers say.

The two sides, which have been at odds in the past, have now joined forces to lobby county officials to allow the dump trucks to leave the pits earlier than is now allowed under county law.

The idea is that many trucks would not be hitting highways such as Immokalee Road and Oil Well Road in the heart of rush hour.

But the dump truck drivers may have a difficult sell to some Collier County Commissioners, who have concerns that some residents might not take kindly to dump trucks loaded will fill dirt rumbling through their neighborhoods in the wee hours of the morning.

Under current county law, the hours of operation for the pits from which dump trucks haul fill is from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The dump truck drivers can't leave the pit property until 7 a.m.

The coalition of neighborhood groups, as well as pit operators and dump truck drivers, are trying to convince the County Commission to change the hours of operation to 5:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Doug Rankin, the president of the Golden Gate Estates Area Civic Association, said a coalition of civic groups in that area support the proposal.

"We wish we could move schools and the pits (apart), but that is not going to happen. We're looking for ways to try and limit the interaction of these trucks in rush-hour traffic and school traffic," he said.

The revised hours of operation would result in fewer trucks hitting the highways at morning and evening rush hour, said County Commissioner Jim Coletta.

Coletta wants the county try out the new hours for a three-month trial period to see how it works out.

"What I'd like to see, if possible, is if we can relieve that large morning congestion that now takes place with trucks making a big contribution to it," Coletta said earlier this week.

Coletta said when the dump trucks are leaving the pits at 7 a.m. they create a "conga line" along Immokalee Road.

"You can only go as fast as the slowest truck," he said. "That's why people have to leave probably a good half an hour earlier than they normally would," he said.

Last week, the commissioners listened to a petition for the revised hours from William McDaniel, the owner of Big Island Excavating on Immokalee Road.

"What we are suggesting is taking in excess of 150 trips off of those peak hours, and moving them to non-peak hours," McDaniel told commissioners.

He also pointed out that this plan could help relieve traffic during rush hour on Immokalee Road as the county begins work on a widening project.

Coletta told other commissioners that this proposal has garnered the support of various civic associations in his County Commission District 5.

"I realize that there is some reservation on the part of staff, but generally, everyone I've talked to (in his commission district) is pretty accepting of the fact that this might be a good idea," he said.

However, Commissioner Fred Coyle said he is concerned that changing the hours of operation could solve one problem and create another.

"If we adopt these revised hours, that certainly seems to solve one of the problems of traffic on the road at peak hours," Coyle said. "But does that mean that trucks will be arriving in areas where construction is under way prior to the permitted times for construction? ... While I understand the need to balance the traffic on the roads, I also understand the concern of people who are in residential areas or in developing areas who are going to be disturbed at 5:30 or 6 o'clock in the morning by dump trucks."

Commissioner Frank Halas also had concerns.

"As you know, last year we wrestled with the problem here with jake brakes (on dump trucks making noise in neighborhoods), and trucks running at 5 o'clock in the morning and running up and down the highway," he said. "I'm afraid that the constituency in all districts are going to oppose this."

But McDaniel noted that there is currently no law that prohibits commercial vehicles from driving the roads at any time of the day.

Commissioner Donna Fiala said she is concerned about allowing dump trucks to hit the roads while it is dark and some school children are waiting for school buses.

"I'm afraid this could be dangerous for kids waiting for school buses," she said. "My grand kids live in the Estates. It's all dark there (in the early morning hours). It's not like there is a lot of bright lights there so dump truck drivers can see kids while they are waiting for the school bus."

The commissioners did agree to hold a hearing on the subject at a later meeting.

Dump truck drivers and Estates residents have not always been allies. Neighborhood groups recently successfully lobbied the County Commission to pass a law requiring that the dump trucks only travel in the slower right lane of certain multilane roads unless the driver was making a left turn or passing. That law drew the ire of drivers, who said it could hurt their business by cutting down on the number of loads they haul.

"I realize that we need the fill (dirt)," Fiala said. "I realize that that's their business, and they want to provide it. We have to find a way to allow everyone to win without anyone losing."