093_SR0168

                                     LRB093 07242 DRH 07400 r

 1                          SENATE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, the State of Illinois is committed to protecting
 3    the safety of motorists on Illinois highways  and  protecting
 4    taxpayers' investment in our highway infrastructure; and

 5        WHEREAS,  the  federal government by law has, since 1991,
 6    prohibited the introduction of triple trailers,  trucks  with
 7    weights  greater than 80,000 pounds, and trailers longer than
 8    53 feet on the interstate highway system; and

 9        WHEREAS, a recent U.S. Department of Transportation study
10    found that (1) double and triple trailer trucks are at  least
11    11%  more  likely  to  be involved in a fatal accident than a
12    single trailer truck, and (2) nationwide use of these  trucks
13    would  result in $53 billion in bridge construction costs and
14    an additional $266 billion in congestion costs; and

15        WHEREAS, there are attempts to convince the  congress  of
16    the United States to permit longer and heavier trucks; and

17        WHEREAS,    heavy    trucks   are   responsible   for   a
18    disproportionate amount of pavement damage; according to  the
19    American  Association  of  State  Highway  and Transportation
20    Officials (AASHTO), one 80,000 pound five-axle truck does  as
21    much pavement damage as 9,600 cars; a 100,000 pound five-axle
22    truck would do as much damage as 27,000 cars; and

23        WHEREAS,  each  introduction of longer and heavier trucks
24    in American history has resulted in a substantial increase in
25    the number of trucks on the  road  because  goods  previously
26    shipped by more environmentally friendly methods -- waterways
27    and  rail  --  are  placed  on  trucks instead; thus allowing
28    longer, heavier trucks will increase congestions; and

29        WHEREAS, heavier trucks will take more time to stop, thus
30    increasing their potential for accidents; therefore be it
 
                            -2-      LRB093 07242 DRH 07400 r
 1        RESOLVED  BY  THE  SENATE  OF  THE  NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL
 2    ASSEMBLY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  ILLINOIS,   that   we   support
 3    maintaining   the  current  federal  truck  size  and  weight
 4    limitations and oppose proposals to  experiment  with  longer
 5    and heavier trucks on public highways; and be it further

 6        RESOLVED,  That  suitable  copies  of  this resolution be
 7    delivered to the President pro tempore of  the  U.S.  Senate,
 8    the  Speaker  of  the U.S. House of Representatives, and each
 9    member of the Illinois congressional delegation.