They scrape parked cars, rattle bedroom windows and literally crush the pavement. Now, trucks are under fire from Citrus Heights residents and officials who want large commercial vehicles off their roads.
In response to years of complaints from residents and business owners, city officials drafted an ordinance that would prohibit large commercial vehicles from utilizing most residential and small streets. The city council is expected to take a final vote on it February 13.
The ordinance, approved 5-0 at an introductory council hearing on January 9, proposes to restrict truck traffic to several main arteries and allow use of nondesignated roads only when vehicles are making local deliveries.
Stuart Hodgkins, the city’s principle civil engineer, said complaints about commercial vehicles using city streets—taking wide turns at sharp corners, damaging the roadways and generally disturbing the peace—have been heard since the late 1990s. He added that some trucks have even used city streets to avoid freeway weigh stations and inspection stops. The vehicles of concern include single-compartment delivery trucks as well as double-trailer semis.
The ordinance will not likely be made law before April. If implemented, the truck ban would involve penalties as large as $250. Because moving violations can seriously impair a truck driver’s professional record, Hodgkins said that clearly visible and legible road signs will need to be placed, and information about the ban made available online before any law takes effect
“We need to do due diligence in making sure that truckers know about this,” he said.
