(a) Operation Over Noncommercial Streets. No person shall operate any vehicle in Whitehouse on any street which is not listed as a commercial vehicle route, when such vehicle, including any load, has a gross weight in excess of 5,000 pounds; provided, however, that heavier vehicles may pick up or deliver merchandise on any street by the most direct route between such location and the nearest commercial vehicle route in the manner specified for commercial vehicles in subsection (b) hereof.
(b) Truck Routes Where Origin or Destination is in Whitehouse.
(1) The operators of commercial vehicles traveling from a point outside of Whitehouse to a destination in Whitehouse shall proceed by the shortest route over any of the streets named in Schedule II to that point on one of the streets which is the nearest to the actual destination, before entering any street not designated as a commercial vehicle route.
(2) The operator of a commercial vehicle traveling from a point within Whitehouse to a destination outside of Whitehouse shall proceed from his starting point over the most direct route to that point on any of the streets which is the nearest to such starting point, and therefrom shall proceed over streets designated as a commercial vehicle route until reaching his point of departure from Whitehouse.
(c) Powers of Director of Public Service Regarding Commercial Vehicles. The Director of Public Safety is hereby empowered to make and enforce regulations necessary to make effective the provisions of this chapter and shall place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained legible and appropriate signs and markers on all streets and highways at the point of entrance to Whitehouse specifying the 5,000 pounds load limit for noncommercial streets and shall place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained legible and appropriate signs or markers along the streets named in Schedule II, to indicate that commercial vehicles may be operated on such streets.
(d) Industrial Truck Routes. Any provision of this chapter to the contrary notwithstanding, certain streets are designated as industrial truck routes. Trucks with load limits in excess of those limits found elsewhere in this Traffic Code may be operated upon the streets so designated, provided that:
(1) The gross vehicle weight does not exceed gross weight limits set by the State of Michigan; and
(2) The vehicle has a valid permit so to operate issued by the Department of Transportation of the State of Ohio.
No person shall operate a vehicle contrary to the provisions of this section.
(e) Permit for Vehicles Exceeding Maximum Size and Weight.
(1) Upon application in writing and for good cause being shown therefor, the Director of Public Safety may issue a special permit in writing authorizing the applicant to operate or move a vehicle or combination of vehicles of a size or weight of vehicle or load exceeding the maximum specified in this chapter or otherwise not in conformity with the provisions of this chapter, upon any street within the corporate limits of Whitehouse other than a State route. Any such permit may be issued for a single or round trip or in special instance for a certain period of time.
(2) The applications for any such permit shall be in such form as the Director of Public Safety may prescribe.
(3) The Director of Public Safety is authorized to issue or withhold such permit at his discretion; or, if such permit is issued, to limit or prescribe conditions of operation of such vehicle or vehicles, and may require such bond or other security as may be deemed necessary to compensate for any damage to any roadway or road structure.
(4) Every such permit shall be carried in the vehicle or combination of vehicles to which it refers and shall be open to inspection by any police officer of Whitehouse, and no person shall violate any of the terms or conditions of such permit.
(f) Penalty. Whoever violates any provision of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense; on a second offense within one year after the first offense; the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree; on each subsequent offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(Ord. 2-2016. Passed 8-16-16.)