The City of Cambridge is committed to reducing the adverse impacts of truck noise and vibrations on residents while ensuring the continued delivery of goods and services to businesses and residences in the City. The City works toward these goals through a number of efforts, including:
Authority to restrict trucks lie in Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 85 and the 2006 Massachusetts Amendment to the 2003 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) Section 11A-9. Key criteria for a truck exclusion from a municipal way include, a suitable alternative route is available and one or more of the following:
While trucks are permitted on any street in Cambridge if they have a destination on that street or a nearby street, all trucks are encouraged to use the system of Posted Truck Routes for the majority of every trip. The Posted Truck Routes in Cambridge are:
State Numbered Routes (except where prohibited by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation on Memorial Drive and Fresh Pond Parkway), are open to trucks at all times, including:
Hazardous material carriers have not been able to travel through the Prudential Tunnel on I-90 in Boston since 1968. The signed HAZMAT routes in Cambridge are as follows:
The City has received permission to ban trucks on a number of streets to all commercially-plated trucks over 2.5 tons gross vehicle weight 24-hours a day (unless they have a delivery on that street or a nearby street). For a full list, click Truck Restrictions or view the map.