When a vehicle gets caught on a downtown bollard, it creates a number of headaches.
It often damages the vehicle.
It closes the road for about an hour while a tow truck gets the vehicle unstuck.
And it regularly results in a ticket, and fine, for the driver because big trucks are not permitted in downtown McMinnville.
“These things are giving us a bad name,” said Industrial Development Board president Tommy Foster of the red bollards, commonly called bells. “They are tearing up people’s trucks. A lot of times a camper will get hung on one and it will ruin somebody’s vacation.”
Foster mentioned the bollards because he wants Industrial Development Board members to consider possible solutions and bring those ideas to the next IDB meeting in December.
Certain areas of downtown McMinnville are designated as no-truck zones and there is signage in place indicating such. However, it was said the signage doesn’t cover every downtown point of entry and it isn’t sufficient for truckers following directions on a GPS device.
IDB member Gary Judkins asked about the likelihood of getting a data update that would appear on GPS mapping systems to clearly show downtown as a no-truck zone. IDB member Mike Millard said even if that is doable it wouldn’t be a comprehensive solution because some people opt not to take their updates.
IDB members seemed to agree the bollards are a nuisance. Despite periodic criticism, city officials have opted to keep the bollards in place. Trying to get the city to remove the bells wasn’t mentioned in the meeting.
“This is something I want the board to think about,” said Foster, a downtown businessman. He said he recently had to meet a trucker at Three Star Mall because the driver is familiar with downtown McMinnville and said he didn’t want to get anywhere near it.