HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - October 7, 1981 (31)TRUCK PARKING Lawrence Fowler, owner of an apartment complex
ON MURRAY at 510 Murray Street, has requested that the City of
STREET Lodi take action to prohibit heavy trucks from parking
all night on the street adjacent to his apartments.
Mr. Fowler states that residents of the apartments
have complained to him of:
lj Noise from truck refrigeration units;
2) Odors from cattle trucks;
3) Blocking of apartment driveways;
4) Use of the apartment parking lot by trucks as a
turning area; and
5) Dust, mud and dirt problems.
Truck parking is attracted to Murray Street because
Del Rancho Motel is located at the southwest corner
of Cherokee Lane and Murray Street and it is a con-
venient parking area for truckers using the motel.
The following City of Lodi code prohibits the all-night
parking of heavy duty trucks on most City streets:
Sec. 14-55.1. All-night parking of heavy
duty type commerical
ve hicles.
It shall be unlawful to park any heavy duty
commercial type vehicle on any street for
more than sixty minutes between the hours
of 12:00 a. m. and 5:00 a.m. where the abutting
lot is zoned either residential or commerical
under Ordinance No. 469, as amended. a
For the purpose of this section, "heavy duty
commercial %ehicle" shall mean any trailer over
six feet wide or a single vehicle having more
than two axles, a single vehicle or combination
of vehicles twenty feet or more in length,
including load if loaded, or single vehicle or
combination of vehicles six feet six inches or more
in width, including load if loaded, and shall include,
but not be limited to durnp trucks, moving vans,
tractors, pole or pipe dollies, cattle trucks,
gondolas, farm labor bus or truck, semitrailer.
(Ord. No. 673, 1. )
The Police Department has issued numerous citations
for this infraction on Murray Street. The penalty for
this infraction is $5 and to date no driver or trucking
firm has contested. Neither Murray Street nor any
other residential or commercial street in the City
has been signed to inform truck drivers of this section
of the City Code.
The attached Police truck survey of 9 days in August
shows just 2 trucks parked in the area during that
time. Mr. Fowler has indicated he has seen as many
as six (6) at one time.
Following are several possible alternates to the
Murray Street problem that might be considered by
the City Council:
1) Install signs informing the drivers of the
existing Code (No Truck Parking 12:00 a.m.
to 5:00 a.m. , City Code Section 14-55. 1) and
inc rease the penalty from $ 5 to a highe r amount
to discourage infractions. The cost of signing
would be approximately $600 (6 signs). This
alternate would still require Police to make
two (2) trips to the area prior to writing a
c itat ion;
2) Do nothing. This is the same as Alternate l
but without the installation of the signing;
3) Prohibit truck traffic on Murray Street by
establishing a load limit on Murray Street.
The cost of signing would be approximately
$200 (2 . i gns).
This action can be expected to generate similar
requests from other citiz:as for restrictions
on other City streets. It is also our understanding
that if a truck is found parked on such a restricted
street, it can be cited only for a $5 parking
violation. The driver can be cited for a moving
traffic violation only if a police officer observes
the truck being driven on the restricted street.
This altercate requires only one trip to the area
by Police;
4) Establish designated truck routes for the
entire City, thereby prohibiting non-delivery
truck traffic on all other streets. The cost of this
action would be difficult to ascertain due to the
major problems of implementing and enforcing
such a program. Designated truck routes
should be es' dished only after a full study by
a traffic engineering firm in cooperation with
the truck companies which will use them;
1 ' 5) Revise existing ordinanceto take care of all
truck parking problems. In reviewing this problem
with the other City departments, it has been
determined that the City has been in receipt of.
many different types of truck parking problems
on City streets and on private property. Some of
the types of complaints received are as follows:
Trucks hauling hazardous materials parked
on City Streets;
Semi -trailers with tractor cab detached parked
on City streets in or across from residential areas.