BACK

Why do I always see big trucks on Keystone Parkway? I thought they were illegal on this road?

You are correct. Trucks carrying more than 19,500 pounds are restricted from certain City streets listed in our City Ordinance, including Keystone Parkway.  However, there are nine exceptions to this rule. Here they are:

 

  • Any public or private emergency or medical services vehicle;
  • Regular trash removal and pickup service vehicle;
  • Recreational vehicles owned by Carmel residents or visiting guests;
  • Vehicles picking up and/or delivering goods, or performing services to or at any location abutting or accessed by a City street, provided that the drivers of same have in their possession written confirmation or the name and telephone number of an individual who is authorized and able to confirm that they are then engaged in such pick-up, delivery of goods or provision of services;
  • Moving vans engaged in removing or delivering residential or business property;
  • Construction vehicles which are entering or leaving a construction site which cannot reasonably be accessed by another route;
  • School buses titled to a municipal entity and used to transport school children to and from school and to and from athletic games, events or school functions, but not including privately owned vehicles with the capacity of five passengers or less.
  • Any vehicle(s) for which permission is granted by the Carmel Board of Public Works and Safety to use residential streets or establish a service route on residential streets. However, in any such case, such vehicles shall travel over the shortest possible route upon said street from the point of entry and shall leave the same at the nearest available point of exit.
  • Vehicles owned and operated by a governmental agency.

Other than these exceptions, trucks shouldn’t be using Keystone Parkway for regular travel through the City.  They should be using U.S. 31. Officers regularly patrol and observe for these violations on Keystone Parkway and other roadways. To account for the exceptions, officers would need to be sure that the truck did not make any local stops. This means that the officer would need to see the truck enter and exit Keystone Parkway, which is very difficult.

Authored by Laura Campbell, Sue Finkam, Kevin Rider, Jeff Worrell, Tim Hannon, Bruce Kimball, Miles Nelson, Anthony Green and Adam Aasen.