December 18, 2023 |
Photo – Semi parked in a row – Courtesy Business Insider
Truck drivers traveling through the Town of Medicine Bow are banned henceforth from using engine brakes within town limits.
At the December 11th Medicine Bow town council meeting, Mayor Justin George brought up the newly created jake brake ordinance for a third and final reading.
Medicine Bow sits at the intersection of two highways frequently used by semi-trucks: Highway 487 from Casper and Highway 30 from Laramie. The trucks must slow from highway speeds to 30 miles an hour before entering the town limits. In order to meet the lower speed limit, the large trucks sometimes use engine compression brakes, or jake brakes, to slow down. The jake brake opens the exhaust valves in the engine to release air trapped in the cylinders. The back pressure slows the vehicle, but also makes a lot of noise.
To prevent the large trucks from disturbing the residents of Medicine Bow, the council elected to have Town Attorney Cameron Smith write an amended ordinance banning the use of engine brakes.
The Town of Medicine Bow passed a ban on the use of engine brakes once at the November 13th town council meeting and again during a special meeting on the 29th. The third and final reading took place last Monday. Mayor George said the council has chosen to amend the town’s existing ordinance to ban the usage of engine brakes.
The new engine brake ordinance stems from the October 9th Medicine Bow town council meeting where Marshal Roger Hawks said residents have criticized the loud semi-trucks. Marshal Hawks asked Town Attorney Smith to draft a municipal code change to address the issue.
Mayor George continued reading the amended ordinance at the December 11th meeting. The mayor said engine compression braking is now forbidden from being used in town.
The new ordinance does allow an exemption to the total engine brake ban. Mayor George said a jake brake can legally be used to prevent a collision. However, the mayor said slowing down to the speed limit is not covered by the exemption.
Mayor George said per Medicine Bow’s municipal code, violating the new ordinance will carry a maximum penalty of $750 and or six months in jail. The mayor said the engine brake ban will be enforced after the ordinance is officially adopted.
After the mayor finished reading the amended ordinance, Councilwoman Sharon Kahl motioned to approve the engine brake ban. A second came from Councilwoman Kristi Wickizer and the motion was approved unanimously.
