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Rest stop neighbors want trucks banned By TONY BOOM ASHLAND - The jarring sound of "jake brakes" as big rigs decelerate into a nearby rest stop could interrupt Steve Lawrence's sleep when the stop and a welcome center are built on the north side of Interstate 5 just south of Crowson Road. Residents in the area would like to see a truck stop at the state's port of entry a few miles north. The Oregon Department of Transportation figures that a second rest area would cost $4 million in addition to the $3.5 million already budgeted. Trucking industry representatives say their drivers need places to rest to comply with regulations designed to keep the highways safe. A rest stop has been in the works ever since one closer to the Siskiyou Summit was closed in 1996 for safety reasons. When ODOT said land use planning costs would be too high in January, the project appeared to be halted. But Sen. Lenn Hannon, R-Ashland, led an effort that secured $3.5 million to allow construction in 2003. "There's going to be trucks slowed with jake brakes. They'll be parked there idling all night," said Lawrence, who lives on Crowson Road. Lawrence is not opposed to automobile use at the proposed site. He thinks cost estimates for truck parking at the port of entry are too high and that sites might be available between Phoenix and Talent. ODOT says the next closest site would be in Rogue River. The port of entry is not set up for overnight truck parking, said ODOT area manger Monte Grove. Restrooms would need to be enhanced. Exit and entry ramps would be revised for truck weighing and inspection, as well as overnight parking. "It seems like it could be too expensive," said Grove. ODOT officials will consult with trucking industry representatives on the possibility of banning trucks from the new stop. "The biggest problem that we have right now is that the rest stop areas for big trucks are severely limited in Oregon," said Mike Moises, president of the Oregon Trucking Association. "It's all about safety. It's about driver fatigue. These guys need to have places to get off the road to stay in compliance." No rest stops ban trucks on I-5 in Oregon, California or Washington, Moises said. "The money that is used for the rest areas comes from monies that both trucks and cars put into the highway trust fund," said Mike Card, chairman of the Oregon Trucking Association board of directors and operator of Combined Trucking in Central Point. Copies of a petition signed by more that 200 area residents against truck parking have been given to Ashland Mayor Alan DeBoer. "I will have a meeting within the next 30 days with people who are generating the petition," said DeBoer. "But we really need to hear what the truckers have to say." ODOT acquired the 18-acre site for the stop in 1997. The agency will need a land use variance from Jackson County before construction can begin. The site is zoned for farm use. Ashland has approved a plan to connect water lines to the site, which is just beyond city limits. The stop will connect to a sewer line that was built to serve the previous rest stop. Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.