In the Summer of 1999, the City of Cambridge enacted a zoning ordinance that banned through trucks from Cambridge during the hours of 11PM to 7AM. This Ordinance was met with strong opposition from surrounding communities and trucking organizations, and the Massachusetts Attorney General stepped in to prevent litigation. An agreement was reached whereby in lieu of litigation, a regional truck study would be conducted.

The Committee on Regional Truck Issues submitted its final recommendations in the summer of 2001after an 18-month regional truck study sponsored by the Massachusetts Highway Department and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. The State and municipal study participants are now responsible for implementing those recommendations.

In January 2003, the City of Cambridge passed a new zoning ordinance, number 1261, which implemented that portion of the recommendations of the Regional Truck Study within Cambridge’s borders.  Full text of that ordinance can be found by clicking Truck Ordinance.  Enforcement of that ordinance began on March 31, 2003, but it was suspended in April 2003 when MassHighway stated that an alternate approach was required to avoid state and federal action.

MassHighway lifted the existing truck restrictions on River Street and Western Avenue.  They are now reviewing formal requests for 24-hour truck restrictions on Putnam Avenue, Cardinal Medeiros Avenue, and Warren Street.  After their review is complete, MassHighway has committed to issuing restrictions on the majority of other streets in Cambridge between the hours of 11PM and 7AM as originally identified in the Regional Truck Study and City ordinance 1261.  MassHighway intends to continue to keep River Street and Western Avenue open to trucks at all times.

For more information about these on-going efforts in the City of Cambridge, please email jschrieber@cambridgema.gov or visit the links to the right.