Semi-trailer trucks will be restricted from traveling on Lincoln Street in Porter unless they are making deliveries to downtown businesses.
The Porter Town Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the ordinance that regulates truck traffic.
The council took the action because Lincoln Street has become a shortcut for truck traffic. The heavy loads above five tons cause wear and tear to the road surface.
Councilwoman Laura Madigan, D-Ward 1, said the issue surfaced again about two years ago after a semi-truck apparently clipped a new streetlight while making the turn onto Lincoln Street. She said the council had made prior attempts, particularly in 2008, to regulate truck traffic on Lincoln Street.
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The council’s new enforcement effort will have some definite consequences for L.A. Bell Motor Lines, a trucking business established in 1967 that operates on Woodlawn Avenue.
John Bell, who now runs the family business, said he calculates a $105,000 to $165,000 loss annually because of added diesel fuel expenses because of not being able to use Lincoln Street.
Madigan said that council’s action was not punitive against Bell’s business. She told Bell, who was in the audience, that he’s a “nice guy” and that they appreciate how his drivers are careful in driving through town.
“But in my opinion, allowing an exception for trucks to use the town of Porter as a cut-through to deliver to Chesterton is not something the town would allow in perpetuity,” Madigan said.
Bell said he doesn’t take the council’s action personally.
Councilman James Burge, I-Ward 4, proposed that the council not put its new ordinance into effect until Sept. 1, 2027, to give Bell time to adjust.
The council reached a compromise, deciding that their new law would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. It would also give the town time to post new signs with the regulations.
Linda Brolsma told council that the town also needs to be aware of trucks using other side streets. She said that she regularly sees semi-trucks rumbling down Franklin Street where she lives.
Madigan said that the town will also need to take a closer look at that issue, because there are five-ton load limits on the side streets.
The council also extended the town’s local disaster emergency declaration for two additional weeks.
Porter Fire Chief Jay Craig, Jr. said his volunteer fire force responded to 75 calls within four hours after the storm hit on Aug. 11.
Craig said that there were also 25 people from the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center who took shelter at the town’s fire station after the tornado sirens activated. The people ranged in age from infants to retired folks, with some being from South Africa and Italy.
A three-person crew from the Porter Volunteer Fire Department responded on Aug. 11 to the house explosion on Harrison Avenue in Portage that killed 86-year-old Leona Rice.
Craig said that the Portage Fire Department was having trouble reaching the house because of downed trees and power lines.
The Porter Fire crew, which approached from the north, was the first to put water on the fire. Craig said he is proud of how his crew improvised as they had to put down 600 feet of hose through a garage and a backyard to reach the blaze.
Volunteers logged at least 269 hours from when the storm hit until Sunday, Aug. 16.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.