Pastor at Joliet Township church seeks action to deter truck traffic

Pastor said he wants more signage while local officials say they are limited in what they can do

Pastor Tracy Jennings poses for a photo on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, at Total Christian Life Ministry in Joliet, Ill. Pastor Jennings is working to convince local officials to lessen truck traffic on the residential roads near his church.

The unauthorized truck traffic which drives by Total Christian Life Ministry in Joliet Township got so bad last year, the pastor there said he started tracking it.

Pastor Tracy Jennings said the large semitrailers which use Patterson Road by his church, which is in a residential area, have caused significant damage, especially over the last year while the nearby Brandon Road bridge has been shut down. This has been a problem despite there being a posted weight limit for vehicles under 10 tons.

Jennings said between August and around Thanksgiving of last year, there have been four instances in which trucks have run into and tore down overhead utility cables while trying to turn around in the church parking lot. A fence right outside the church has also been damaged multiple times. Jennings said trucks improperly using Patterson Road have caused damage to his and other local properties.

“These trucks are tearing up the road,” he said.

Even though insurance has paid to repair damage and the utility company has adjusted the cables to avoid accidents, Jennings said the hassle has been frustrating.

So the pastor said he’s complained to the Will County Sheriff’s Office in hopes of deputies stepping up enforcement, which Jennings said they’ve done.

Traffic Sgt. Kyle Lakomiak of the sheriff’s office said deputies have “saturated” the area and have issued 23 citations and 20 warnings in trucks since May of last year.

Jennings has also been asking Joliet Township Highway Commissioner Mike Turnbull for additional signage to alert truck drivers that they are not permitted on Patterson Road.

The lack of progress on that front has been frustrating for Jennings because Turnbull has said he is limited in what signs he can put up per state law.

Specifically, Jennings has asked for a sign threatening a fine for trucks that improperly use Patterson Road. The pastor said members of his congregation who are in the trucking industry told him drivers are less willing to take a chance if they see such a sign.

But Turnbull said state law does not allow him to put up signs with language about fines.

Jennings has also argued for a sign with a silhouette of a commercial truck and a line through it indicating that trucks are not allowed. But such a sign, Turnbull said, might hinder appropriate traffic from coming into the residential area.

“We can’t be too restrictive because people need to have goods and services delivered to their houses,” Turnbull said.

Jeff Ronaldson, the director of transportation for Will County, confirmed that a sign indicating a ban on trucks would prohibit such vehicles as buses and garbage trucks. He also said that since the township is not a home-rule community, Turnbull is even more restricted than some cities in what signs he can install.

Even with the legal restrictions, Jennings said he feels Turnbull hasn’t done all he can to address the issue. Robert Hanlon, the attorney for the township road district, wrote a letter to Jennings earlier this month to explain the legal difficulties in fulfilling his requests and to invite him to meet and “explore the fundamental issues that have raised your concern.”

Jennings said he doesn’t want just a private meeting, but instead prefers a public hearing so that he can hold officials accountable.

“We need to get this on the record,” Jennings said.

He also said he wants a public hearing to allow for anyone against more signage from going up.

The pastor added he’s lost confidence in Turnbull and accused him of not doing his job as a public official.

Turnbull said he wants to “provide a safe environment for all the citizens of the road district” and has done all he can within the law. He said the unauthorized truck issue is a matter of enforcement, effectively pointing the finger at the sheriff’s office.

Overall, Jennings said, he’s simply tired of not enough being done for the residents in the neighborhood near Patterson Road.

“We’re tired of this,” he said. “Those people deserve better than what they’ve been getting.”