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Weirton’s truck parking plan a good start

Weirton may have a solution for a parking issue in the city’s north end…at least for now.

In recent weeks, officials have been discussing the parking of numerous tractor trailers on both sides of North Main Street. The pothole-ridden street has seen the large trucks, many driven by local residents, parked overnight or for a few days in between trips. The problem arises from the difficulty those trucks create for Bidell Gas Compression, the lone employer currently on the street. Bidell Gas Compression fabricates and repairs large compressor units for the natural gas industry, and, when the units are shipped out, they need plenty of room to get their loads through.

Having more than a dozen trucks and trailers parking on both sides of the street makes that impossible. The city’s Traffic Commission has recommended creating a no parking area on the east side of the street, leaving the west side still available for use by the truck drivers. It will go before Weirton Council at its next meeting, Aug. 8.

As we’ve said, this could be a good compromise, at least for the time being. We’re sure it will need additional work down the road, though.

There are continuing efforts to redevelop the areas of north Weirton, which will mean additional traffic. Some of that will be alleviated with a planned access road bypassing Route 2, but probably not everyone will use that particular throughway.

We also understand these truck drivers are in a bit of a fix as there aren’t many places available for them to park. Some of the areas they previously used, such as the parking lot in the Three Springs Drive plaza, have seen new businesses open, leading them to look for new places to park their vehicles while they are home.

We would suggest the city, in preparing for the growth it anticipates in the coming years, reach out to these truck drivers, as well as those working to develop the community for new business opportunities, to see what can be done to accommodate everyone’s needs.

We can’t ignore one group for the needs of another, and, hopefully, open communication can lead to a permanent solution.

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