Study should settle Spence truck debate

Should big rigs be banned from the Brent Spence Bridge during rush hours? It was an interesting idea when Covington Mayor Butch Callery, among others, suggested it. The idea was worth studying.

Well, a study done by the Ohio-KY-Indiana Regional Council of Government concludes the ban would eliminate few accidents, move traffic congestion to Int. 471, do nothing to improve air quality and cost truckers a lot of money because, in the trucking industry, time is money.

On top of that, it would be difficult to enforce. Realistically, when you see the number of violations that don't get enforced now, it could become little more than a joke. Click here to see the data in detail. Here is our story.

So, now we know. Let's move on. If nothing else, the study underscores the importance of getting Int. 471 ready for a big traffic increase once work starts to replace the Spence.

The issue really is a symptom of a national problem with transportation and infrastructure, where all answers seem to lead to roads and highways. If we're serious about saving energy, lowering pollution and reducing truck congestion -- all excellent things to take seriously -- we could take a fresh look at having a world-class system for rail freight.