Trucks carrying hazardous materials are banned from traveling through Boston during daytime hours, according to the state transportation department that instituted the ban on Friday. Hazmat carriers are now banned from traveling in the city between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The move is designed prevent hazmat vehicles without a destination in the city from using the local streets as a “cut-through” for traveling between northern and southern points in the city, according to a report in the Boston Globe.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino called the move a triumph for city residents. “Today’s announcement is a victory for the people of Boston,” Menino said in a statement.
The decision follows a lengthy review process of travel procedures for hazardous materials through the city, the mayor’s office said, and pointed out that the transportation department is also considering a recommendation to extend the ban through the evening.
