Ban on Hwy 580 Big Rigs Revisited

After 70 years of banning heavy trucks on a part of Interstate 580, state and local officials are holding a town hall meeting this Thursday (December 16) to find out where the public stands on the issue before recommending any changes.

The meeting, sponsored by Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, will include presentations by Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD). More than 370 people have already signed up for the event. Opinions are expected to focus on equity between neighborhoods along Interstates 580 and 880, environmental protection, and chronic health issues.

Those in favor of lifting the ban include a sixth-grade class at Life Academy of Health and Bioscience in East Oakland. Students wanted to know why all of the big rigs were driving in their neighborhoods along I-880 and not in the hills along I-580. The students researched the connection between the air pollution put out by heavy vehicles and health problems common in their households like asthma, heart attacks, lung cancer, and heart disease. They sent a letter with their findings to Supervisor Miley, which initiated this week's meeting.

“This is something that has to be explored,” Supervisor Miley said. “Our community will benefit from a thorough review of the history, the health disparities, and the economic impacts of this decision from 70 years ago to see if the ban should be changed in any way. The 1951 decision reflected an imbalance of political power and inequity and it's time to evaluate if and how the truck ban should remain in place.”

Miley, who had been in favor of the ban when he sat on the Oakland City Council in 1999, is now in favor of lifting the ban. 

The truck restriction covers an 8.7-mile segment of 580 from Foothill Boulevard in San Leandro to Grand Avenue in Oakland. Currently, no trucks over 4.5 tons (9,000 pounds), except passenger buses and paratransit vehicles are permitted. For perspective, an 18-wheeler weighs about 35,000 pounds empty and can be no more than 80,000 pounds loaded, according to the Department of Transportation rules.

The initial ban in 1951 was enacted to protect MacArthur Boulevard from wear and tear and cut down noise and pollution in the then middle-class white neighborhood. That restriction was extended to the parallel section of I-580 in 1967 as long as there were periodical reviews by Caltrans. The ban was last reviewed in 2000 and remains one of fewer than a dozen such bans on a US Interstate nationwide.

Once the public has had a chance to chime in, lifting the ban would still require an extensive review by Caltrans and BAAQMD, which could wrap up in 2023, Miley said. Even if the restriction is removed, California’s legislature would review the reports and recommendations with the earliest decision taking place in 2024, likely adopting a phased-in manner, Miley said.

The phased-in approach is likely, he said, given the California Air Resources Board passed a rule in 2020 requiring truck manufacturers to transition from diesel engines to electric ones starting in 2024 and a full conversion to zero emissions for every new truck sold in California by 2045. 

The online meeting will be held this Thursday, December 16 between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm. To attend and add your thoughts, register at https://tinyurl.com/580TruckTownhall.