McKee makes his first vetoes of the year. Here's what he sent back to lawmakers.

Gov. Dan McKee has vetoed a truck ban on one East Providence street, as well as legislation that would have allowed people who lease vehicles to register them for less than two years.

Residents of Pleasant Street in the Rumford neighborhood wanted lawmakers to stop big rigs from driving by their homes on the way to Seekonk, and earlier this month the General Assembly passed a ban on trucks weighing more than 35,000 pounds on that street between Pawtucket Avenue and the Massachusetts line.

Some of them told lawmakers they got used to the street being quiet during the COVID pandemic and construction on the Hunts Mill Bridge. When the world returned to normal and the bridge work stopped, they were appalled by the roar of trucks thundering past their windows.

"Since purchasing my home I have also moved into a work-from-home position," Kerry Quaile wrote to lawmakers. "In order to complete my day-to-day tasks at a sustainable level I need quiet and the ability to focus without the constant disruption of a rumbling house."

Why did McKee veto keeping trucks off Pleasant Street?

But that stretch of Pleasant Street is a state highway, also known as Route 114A, and in his veto letter on Monday, McKee said a vehicle ban on such a route should go through the State Traffic Commission and have a safety study.

"Indeed, there does not seem to be any public safety rationale for the measure," McKee wrote. "I respect the concerns of neighbors who support the legislation. But without using the proper statutory procedure ... and without the appropriate supporting safety study, this measure would likely violate federal reasonable access laws."

The veto letter said federal law prohibits states from blocking commercial vehicles' "reasonable access to the 'national network' of roads."

The truck ban was backed by the East Providence City Council and sponsored by East Providence lawmakers, Rep. Katherine Kazarian and Sen. Robert Britto. It passed the House 63-to-3 in March and passed the Senate 31-to-4 this month.

Sen. Gordon Rogers, R-Foster, called the bill an "overreach" that could "reroute trucks through residential neighborhoods."

In a joint statement Monday evening, Kazarian and Britto called the veto "unfortunate" and said they would continue to look for a way to help Pleasant Street residents.

"The veto is unfortunate because this legislation would have rectified a serious safety and quality-of-life issue for the residents of East Providence," Kazarian and Britto said. "We will continue to advocate for our neighbors and work with all of the stakeholders to determine the next course of action. Our goal is to ensure that this residential road is no longer disrupted by large commercial trucks barreling through the neighborhood."

The Monday vetoes were McKee's first this year. Last year he didn't veto any bills. Two years ago lawmakers override his veto of a bill creating a registry for short-term housing rentals.

What else was vetoed?

The other legislation vetoed Monday would have allowed people who lease an automobile for 36 months to get a one-year registration – instead of the normal two years – if the shorter registration coincides with the end of the lease.

In his veto message McKee said the shorter leases would be an administrative headache for the Division of Motor Vehicles and cost the state money.

"Implementation of the act would require substantial structural changes to the DMV's computer system," McKee wrote. "This major change would require a substantial diversion of resources currently dedicated to developing enhanced online transaction capabilities."

The veto did not say how much the state expected to lose due to extra work and lost revenue.

The leased-vehicle registration bill was introduced by Rep. Gregory Costantino, D-Lincoln.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: A ban on big trucks on an East Providence street fell to McKee's veto