Town of Lowell, WI Street Traffic Regulations

Designation — roads and highways. All roads and highways maintained by the Town of Lowell, Dodge County, Wisconsin, are hereby designated as Class B highways for the purpose of putting into effect the weight limitations and other authorized controls set forth in Chapter 348, Wis. Stats.

Vehicles — size, weight and load.

(1)

The Town of Lowell hereby adopts the descriptions and phrases set forth in § 348.01, Wis. Stats., as amended.

(2)

The Town of Lowell shall have the authority to impose special or seasonal weight limits on any highway, bridge or culvert maintained by the Town to prevent injury to the roadway or for the safety of the users of such bridge or culvert and shall be responsible for erecting uniform traffic control devices giving notice thereof.

(3)

The owner of a vehicle who causes or permits such vehicle to be operated on a highway within the Town in violation of this section is guilty of the violations the same as if he/she actually operated the vehicle himself/herself.

(4)

Limitations on size, weight or load imposed by this section do not apply to road machinery actually engaged in construction, repair, or maintenance of a highway within the limits of the project.

(5)

The limitations on weight, length and number of vehicles and combination imposed by this section shall not apply to a combination of vehicles in an emergency towing operation in which the towing vehicle is being used to remove a stalled or disabled vehicle or combination of vehicles from the highway to the nearest adequate place for repairs, or in which the towing vehicle is an emergency truck tractor temporarily substituted for a stalled or disabled truck tractor, provided that the limitation and the number of vehicles in combination imposed by this section may be exceeded only if the vehicles comprising the towed combination of vehicles cannot reasonably be separated as to be transported singly. The vehicle's owner or the owner's agent shall designate the nearest adequate place for repairs for vehicles or combination of vehicles exceeding the length limits or limits on the number of vehicles and combination.

Width of vehicles. No person shall cause or permit a vehicle to be operated on any Town road which exceeds the size and load provisions set forth in § 348.05, Wis. Stats., as amended (which is hereby incorporated herein by reference).

Height of vehicles. No person, without a permit therefor, shall cause or permit a vehicle to be operated on Town roads which exceeds the height requirements set forth in § 348.06, Wis. Stats., as amended (which is incorporated herein by reference).

Length of vehicles. No person, without a permit therefor, shall cause or permit a vehicle to be operated on Town roads with an overall length of that set forth in § 348.07, Wis. Stats., as amended (which section is incorporated herein by reference).

Vehicle trains. No person, without a permit therefor, shall cause or permit a vehicle to be operated on Town roads any motor vehicle which is prohibited to be operated on highway as set forth in § 348.08, Wis. Stats., as amended (which section is incorporated herein by reference).

Projecting loads on side of vehicles. No person, without a permit therefor, shall cause or permit a vehicle to be operated on Town roads any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer carrying any load extending beyond the fender line as set forth in § 348.09, Wis. Stats., as amended (which section is incorporated herein by reference).

Special limitations on load. No person, without a permit therefor, shall cause or permit to be operated on Town roads any motor vehicle or combination of vehicles with any load thereon extending more than three feet beyond the front of the foremost vehicle as set forth in § 348.10, Wis. Stats., as amended (which is incorporated herein by reference).

Penalty for violating size and load limitations.

(1)

Any person violating this section in conformity with § 348.09 or § 348.10, Wis. Stats., may be required to forfeit not less than $10 nor more than $200.

(2)

Any person violating this section where it is in substantial conformity with §§ 348.05 through 348.08, Wis. Stats., may be required to forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $100 for the first offense and may be required to forfeit not less than $100 nor more than $200 for the second and each subsequent conviction within one year.

Weight limitations.

(1)

The Town hereby adopts the weight limitations set forth in §§ 348.15 and 348.16, Wis. Stats., as amended, as those weight limits affect the permissible limits on Class B highways within the Town.

(2)

No person without a permit shall operate or cause a vehicle to be operated, on any Class B highway within the Town, any vehicle or combination of vehicles unless the vehicle or combination of vehicles comply with the weight limitation as set forth in §§ 348.15 and 348.16, Wis. Stats., as amended.

Exceptions.

(1)

No person shall operate, whether operating under a permit or otherwise, a vehicle in violation of any special weight limitations imposed by the Town Board on particular highways, highway structures, or portions of highways if signs have been erected as required by § 349.16(2), Wis. Stats., as amended, except when the vehicle is being operated under a permit expressly authorizing such weight limitations to be exceeded. In situations where a particular use would regularly cause heavy traffic to use a Town road, such as a quarry operation, the owner and/or operator of such use may be required to enter into an agreement with the Town agreeing to repair any damage done to a Town road due to that use.

(2)

Whenever the operator of a vehicle is ordered by the officer or agency in charge of maintenance or by a traffic officer to suspend operation of such vehicle because of the damage such vehicle is causing or is likely to cause to the highway or the public investment herein, he/she shall forthwith comply with said order.

(3)

Certain vehicles may operate in excess of the gross limitations above specified if said operation is in full compliance with §§ 348.175 and 348.18, Wis. Stats. (which are hereby incorporated herein by reference).

Weight indication. No person shall operate upon any Town road any motor truck, truck tractor, road tractor or motor bus, or a trailer or semitrailer used in connection therewith, unless there is attached to or lettered upon the left side thereof a sign giving its empty weight. A sign in conformity with any regulation or alternate rule which has been designated by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation would be deemed to be in conformity with this section.

Forfeitures. If convicted, violations of this section shall be subjected to the same forfeitures as set forth in the corresponding sections of Chapter 348 and/or 349, Wis. Stats. Each day of violation shall be deemed to be a separate and distinct violation, and if an owner or operator operates more than one truck on Town roads in violation, each occurrence shall be a separate and distinct violation.

Compliance with state statutes. Nothing in this section shall be construed, or is intended to be contrary to, or inconsistent with, Chapters 341 to 348, Wis. Stats., and any provision of this section which may appear in conflict with said statutes, and which is not expressly authorized by §§ 349.06 to 349.25, Wis. Stats., shall be and hereby is modified and interpreted to conform to said statutes and the authority permitted therein for creation of this section and each section thereof, and authorizing penalties for violation hereof.

Permits. Applications for permits shall be made through the Town Clerk and the designated local official, now being the Town Chairperson, countersign, and all permits may be signed by the Town Chairperson or his/her designee and certified by the Town Clerk. Permits shall be generally subject to the provisions set forth for issuance of such permits as set forth in § 348.25, Wis. Stats.