(a) “Commercial Vehicle” Defined. “Commercial vehicle”, within the meaning of this article, includes any vehicle designed or used for the transportation of merchandise or freight.
(b) Maximum Weights. No person shall operate any tractor, traction engine or commercial vehicle having a gross weight, including load, of more than ten thousand pounds, upon or over any street or alley of class No. 3; or any such vehicle having a gross weight, including load, of more than fourteen thousand pounds, upon or over any street or alley of class No. 2; or any such vehicle having a gross weight in excess of those permitted by laws of the State upon or over any street or alley of class No. 1; provided, that this article and any classification hereunder shall not apply to nor include any streets forming a part of, or connecting link in, the primary road system of the State.
(c) Streets; Class No. 3. All streets and alleys, or parts thereof, within the City which are unimproved or unpaved or surfaced with cinders or macadam are classified and designated as streets and alleys of class No. 3.
(d) Streets; Class Nos. 1 or 2. The Traffic Commission shall classify all streets in the City as class Nos. 1 or 2 as set forth in subsection (b) hereof.
(e) Signs for Class No. 2 Streets. Limitations as to weight imposed in this article for streets and alleys of class No. 2 shall be designated by appropriate signs placed on such streets and alleys.
(f) City Vehicles. The weight limitations imposed by subsection (b) hereof, shall not apply to any vehicle operated by the City nor to any vehicle operated under and in accordance with any franchise or permit granted by the City.
(g) Permit for Overweight Moves. The City Engineer may, in his discretion, upon written application, issue a special permit authorizing the applicant to operate or move a vehicle of a weight exceeding the maximum provided in this article upon any street in the City except streets forming a part of or connecting link in the State primary road system. In case of emergency, such permit may be issued by the City Manager or his agent and be in effect until the City Engineer is notified. The City Manager and Council may review the decision of the City Engineer at any time. Any conditions for or limitation upon the operation of any vehicle necessary to assure against undue damage to any such street may be imposed upon the issuance of such permit. No person shall violate any terms or conditions of such permit and such violation shall be grounds for revocation of the permit by the authority granting the same.
(h) Permit; Bond. As a further condition for the granting of any special permit authorized in subsection (g) hereof, the City Engineer or the officer issuing the same shall require the applicant to enter into bond, in such surety as the City Engineer or such officer shall deem sufficient and conditioned to save the City harmless from any damage which the City might sustain, or incur from any operation by applicant which would be destructive of or by means of heavy loading or unusual traffic should damage any street or alley in the City to such an extent that the cost of repairs or maintenance thereof would be more than the average cost of repairs or maintenance of other streets or alleys of like type and construction in the City.
(Ord. 91-14. Passed 12-5-91.)
(i) Bridges. The maximum gross weight or speed of any vehicle using any bridge within the City shall not exceed the gross weight or speed indicated upon any sign placed in the City or other proper authority at or near the approach to the bridge, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Traffic Code.
(1969 Code §§ 15-118, 15-130 to 15-137)