By Moses Leos III.
Eighteen-wheelers disrupting the land near McDonald’s on South Loop 4 forced Buda to amend a six-year-old ordinance.
On Sept. 3, the Buda City Council approved a motion to replace Article 31 of Chapter 22.04 in the Code of Ordinances. Originally, the ordinance called for a parking ban on Main Street from Cabelas Drive to Old San Antonio Road.
That measure was done in the name of safety, according to Mayor Todd Ruge. In 2007, 18-wheelers parked along Main Street, obstructing the view of those trying to exit Bill Miller’s BBQ. The city installed no parking signs to keep the street safe for commuters.
Today, big rigs no longer clog Main Street. However, the issues are now on the other side of the highway. The new Article 31 extends the parking ban past the IH-35 overpass onto the east side of Main Street. It encompasses the area between IH-35 and the Main Street entrance to the Comfort Inn and Suites and the Holiday Inn Express hotels.
Mike Beggs, Public Works and Emergency Management Director, said semi-trucks are parking on the grassy areas.
He said drivers often park there to visit the gas station. However, due to their parking on the grassy area, they are damaging the right-of-way.
The issue worsens when it rains. Trucks parking in the grass dig up mud, tracking it on the street.
It becomes a problem, as the mud places the city in violation of the Stormwater Pollution Permit it has with the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ). As a result, Beggs and the Public Works team have to send a street sweeper to clean up the mess.
“It is more of an inconvenience,” Beggs said.
It also leads to a safety hazard for drivers travelling on the frontage road. Mud caught in wheel wells can be expelled onto oncoming traffic. Visibility issues also come into play, as mud obscures the stop lines and arrows at the Main Street and IH-35 frontage road intersection.
Ruge said it also provided a fire hazard, as trucks parking there could affect the turning radius of fire vehicles trying to turn into the Comfort Suites or Holiday Inn parking lots.
After receiving complaints, the city felt it prudent to fix the issue.
The new ban will extend the no parking zone from Old San Antonio Road to County Road 118.
Buda has installed 16 additional no parking signs in the area for a total cost of $1,440 – all of which comes from the streets fund.
For Beggs, it’s a relief, as he and his crew can forgo any worry of accruing violations. It also helps keep the right of way clear of any more damage.
“I’m very pleased to see [the amended ordinance],” Beggs said.
Ruge was also happy to see the ordinance in place, as the trucks parking along the road were “unsightly.”
“It’s extremely important to have this ordinance, but to also enforce it,” Ruge said.
Those in violation of the no parking ordinance face a penalty of $5 to $500 fine, and are responsible for any towing fees.
