Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

First I want to commend you and your staff for an outstanding job done on the Manteca Bulletin. We always enjoy reading it each day and your column is very often something that is of real interest to us so thank you for your easy reading style and interesting subject matter.

Today I am writing in response to articles I have read lately in the Bulletin regarding trucks in Manteca. Or should I say “more” trucks. It seems we are overrun with trucks in certain areas of Manteca, however, I do understand that trucks are necessary to our economy and the overall economy of our country. It is disconcerting, however, to read how trucks are responsible for much of the tearing up of our roadways however they do pay a larger percentage of road maintenance costs. 

We are taxed over and over for road maintenance in Manteca so far, it seems roads are not being repaired as they should. Yes it costs money but we the average citizen keep hearing if we vote for this tax bill the money will go to road repairs, etc. Yosemite Avenue from Airport Way west is a disaster. My mechanic is down there and I hesitate to drive that section of road for fear my wheels will get out of alignment or something worse. Also Airport Way is terrible.

Oh, it’s “pretty” up near the Stadium Retail Center and Big League Dreams area but keep going north where many Manteca citizens drive and it’s a mess. Yesterday coming from Louise Avenue south to Costco I was behind a big rig hauling what appeared to be green tomatoes and the cars behind the slow moving truck were lined up almost to Yosemite Avenue from Crom Street. There is a hospital that might need to be accessed in a rush on Yosemite Avenue but no chance with how the situation exists on Airport Way.

I think it should be a priority to repair Airport Way and turn it into a four lane road so it is a viable way to get across that part of town. Are we waiting for businesses to develop along that section (as I read that may be happening at Louise and Airport) so they will pay for the road widening, etc.? If it’s like what has happened on Airport down by the Lowe’s warehouse and 5.11 Tactical very little of the road has been widened, just like happened at the back entrance to Del Webb. Something needs to be done there and not just throw in something to patch holes. A Band-Aid fix is nothing more than that and everyone knows Band-Aids don’t last for long.

Another thing regarding trucks is their excessive speeding on the highway. I drive two round trips a days to Stockton five days a week. As I enter Highway 99 going north on Yosemite Avenue, very often, or I should say “most” often there is a big rig in the outside lane so that it is impossible to enter the freeway at a decent speed enabling a person to keep up with other traffic as you have had to slow down for the length of the truck to pass. I don’t blame officers for not wanting to pull over vehicles in the light of the current demeanor some are exhibiting for police officers (and authority of any kind it seems) but I think when the highways are posted 55 for those big trucks and for vehicles towing boats and trailers those laws should be enforced. It is very common to be going 65 of the highway and the big rigs zoom past with some of them pulling two trailers.

Of course on the other side of the coin are people who must think “it’s all about me” and almost fly between other drivers who are trying to obey the laws. Commute time is terrible on Highway 99 for that reason.

Anyway, just a comment or two (or three) on the big trucks. When I read more are coming it makes me shudder. Not because I don’t think we need them, but I think they should have limited (night time) hours on city streets, their speed limits need to be enforced and the damage they do to roadways should be repaired and the citizens of this town should not be penalized with higher gas taxes to repair roads that are going to be torn up right away by more large trucks.

Paul Anderson

Manteca