Comments on: Ayr, Ont. residents seek relief as trucks squeeze into downtown core

By: Clive Reddin

Clive Reddin — Sun, 21 Apr 2024 17:08:56 +0000

Problem is that trucks were half the size they are today when these little towns were incorporated.

By: Duane Watson

Duane Watson — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 19:37:40 +0000

I have lived in Ayr my entire life (50yrs) and grew up in a trucking family. I myself am a truck driver (30yrs) and have seen the increase in traffic. I can attest to the frustration of travelling through downtown Ayr. The truck drivers are no happier about being there than the car drivers are. The biggest problem is the lack of courtesy and common sense of the people driving their cars through the area. When cars are lined up to make the corners they just keep pulling ahead even when they see the truck waiting to make the turn. The biggest part of the traffic issue is the addition of 1,000 plus new homes on the south side of town and all the people that live there that need to get to the north side of town to access the 401 or travel to Kitchener. Before there is a complete ban on trucks through town there needs to be an acceptable alternate route established and cooperation with neighbouring counties. Maybe before the next subdivision is built there could be a plan in place for the additional traffic and a truck route. Like usual, poor planning has resulted in a problem that people want solved right now.
As far as the trucks passing on narrow streets, that is a total non issue. The picture submitted is an isolated case where I’m sure the truck on the right was broke down for some reason and the driver was probably trying to do all he could to get out of town and pull over in a more appropriate place.
Also, as for the 500-600 trucks/day travelling through town I think that is a completely ridiculous number. A traffic study would surely give a more accurate number. I recently spent two hours downtown Ayr on a Tues from 1pm-3pm. On that particular day there were five trucks that went through Ayr. One was a FedEx tractor trailer and the other four were gravel tractor trailers. Those four trucks each made 4-5 trips through town. As you can see in the pictures that were submitted by Mr Gilchrist, every truck was a gravel truck. Our town is surrounded by gravel pits and farms, with that comes trucks. Maybe better planning by the people that are collecting all the tax dollars from these industries could have a better outcome for everybody involved! Maybe the “planning committee” could use a truck driver involved to help create an acceptable alternative for trucks to bypass downtown instead of a complete ban.

By: David Kennedy

David Kennedy — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 17:45:32 +0000

I live near Ayr and I do not think there 500 0r 600 hundred trucks a day going into the downtown core. May 100 is more like it. They need to do a traffic count on CMVs in downtown Ayr

By: Chris McGaughey

Chris McGaughey — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:26:58 +0000

Ayr isn’t that tight of a town for a truck. I’ve been through Ayr many times in a transport truck with zero problems. The issue is the quality of truckers on the roads. Someone that actually knows how to drive a truck and has some courtesy for the people that live there don’t have an issue. I highly doubt the number of trucks they claim go through that town on a daily basis and you barely see any trucks at night going through as well. Cars could learn to be courteous and leave space for us truckers to do our maneuvers. Ayr residents have been known for years to be whiny about truck traffic. Truck News just helped them get more publicity and wrote an article painted in a bad light towards the trucking industry.

By: Michael Gower

Michael Gower — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 22:55:11 +0000

It’s a shame that Township council moved the cenotaph in downtown Ayr to make it more difficult for trucks to navigate through the village! Has everyone forgotten that already?