However, Smith says she recognizes that the noise wasn’t the only concern with trucks – safety is also a concern. “There are always some trucks that will come in too fast or do something they are not supposed to do,” Smith says. If a truck comes in or through the operation too quickly, she calls the truck driver out on it. If that doesn’t work, she goes to the truck operator’s employer. And if a community member raises a concern, Smith takes care of it immediately. “You need to follow through and not just put it in your ‘in basket,’” she says. “Whenever you put in a mine, you are creating an asset. You need to make the community understand that and make its members part of your team.”

Running the numbers

Patriot Materials & Transport hired a third party to conduct a traffic impact study to determine if the company’s proposed mine development would cause any safety and/or traffic impacts on the intersection where it would be located, as well as to address any safety concerns from the surrounding residents – paying particular attention to current and future housing developments located east of the development.

The study ultimately determined that the proposed gravel pit would not have any adverse effect on the local traffic based on current and proposed traffic volume flow rates. Furthermore, the study determined that any additional truck traffic in the area caused by the proposed gravel pit would still have ample room to safely maneuver on existing roadways and intersections.