Police warn of sight-line hazards from food-truck parking on Route 44; chief to propose study

Glocester police told the town council on June 4 that mobile food-truck parking on Route 44 west of Douglas Hook Road has produced sight-line obstructions for vehicles attempting to turn from Douglas Road, creating near-miss incidents and raising public-safety concerns.

Officers conducted directed observations near the post office entrance and found that drivers pulling from Douglas Road had to creep into the westbound lane to see oncoming traffic when trucks blocked the view. One near-collision involving a motorcycle was reported during the observation period. The police chief recommended temporarily suspending food-truck parking in the problem area and said he would provide a clearer, location-specific description and a traffic assessment to guide any ordinance updates.

Council members discussed options including writing more-specific rules for town properties, identifying alternative locations (the pavilion was mentioned), and limiting the number of trucks at a time. Solicitor David noted the chief has authority to direct vehicles for public-safety reasons but recommended revising ordinance language so permitted locations are unambiguous.

What’s next: The police chief will prepare descriptive location language and a traffic-safety assessment for the council to consider; the council discussed potentially suspending parking in the identified stretch of Route 44 until revisions are adopted and enforcement protocols are clarified.