On July 31, 2020, RMA shared information about changes to the Traffic Safety Act (TSA) regulations. These changes will impact how several commercial carrier permits are regulated by moving them from permits to requirements in the regulations. For more information, please see the Alberta Transportation summary document.
Since then, RMA has learned from Alberta Transportation that if a municipal council chooses to regulate a weight restriction lower than the TSA regulations across the entire municipality (by bylaw, not through a road ban), signs must be posted to inform drivers of this. For example, the changes increase the weight allowed on local roads to the same as that allowed on provincial roads for vehicles with tridem axles and a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) exceeding 53,500 kilograms. If a municipal council wishes to restrict the weight allowed on tridem axles within the municipality by bylaw, signs with the restriction information must be posted.
The legislation requiring these signs is sections 154(1) and 154(4) of the TSA, which states:
- 152(1) Subject to this Act and the Dangerous Goods Transportation and Handling Act, a council of a municipality may, for the physical preservation of a highway under its direction, control and management, including any bridge that forms part of that highway, make bylaws restricting the weight of a commercial vehicle or a commercial vehicle and any goods being carried by the vehicle, to weight that is less than the weight that may be borne under this Act.
- (4) Where under subsection (1) a council of a municipality imposes a prohibition, limitation, condition, or restriction in respect of a highway, the council shall cause signs to be erected along the highway as the council considers necessary to notify persons using commercial vehicles on the highway of the prohibition, limitation, condition, or restriction.
For more information, please contact Andrew Pillman, Director of Permitting and Approvals with Alberta Transportation at 403.340.5086 or andrew.pillman@gov.ab.ca.
For enquiries, please contact:
Warren Noga
Policy Advisor
warren@RMAlberta.com
Tasha Blumenthal
Director of External Relations & Advocacy
tasha@RMAlberta.com