Houston city leaders discussing plan to combat heavy truck traffic in residential areas

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Patricia Ridley has lived in the Settegast neighborhood in northeast Houston for 60 years, but she says the last few years have been unbearable.

The video above is from ABC13's Live Streaming Channel.

Minutes into her interview with ABC13's Pooja Lohdia, it was clear why.

In plain view, an 18-wheeler drove past a sign that reads "No Thru Trucks."

"What I see out here is destruction. We try to sleep at night, the trucks are making U-turns, they're over there getting gas, the music is up loud," she said. "We can't sleep. I'm 71. I shouldn't have to go through this."

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Heavy truck traffic has continued to increase across Houston neighborhoods, especially in places like Settegast, that run directly into major highways.

"We need a break. And the streets are horrible from the weight of the trucks," Whitney Hall, a business owner in Settegast, said. "It's putting wear and tear on your vehicles. They're putting holes in the streets. It's not made for that."

"I think they're just picking on the poor Black people in this area," Ridley said. "Not trying to sound biased or racist, but I do think that's what's going on here."

According to the city's Planning and Development Department, there were 4,778 truck-related crashes along Houston's non-interstate roadways between 2018 and 2022.

City officials are now working on a plan to enforce a ban on trucks weighing more than 26,000 pounds from neighborhoods.

City engineers would even work with GPS systems like Google Maps to create truck routes using highways and roads and then fine drivers who don't follow them.

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"I am really scared for our grandkids and our great-grandkids. What can we do? Just pray and ask God to keep us covered, that's it," Ridley said.

Houston city council members will vote next month on requiring city-wide truck routes.

If it passes, Settegast would be part of a pilot program next spring, and the plan could be implemented across Houston as early as next summer.

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