Police say $100 penalties fail to deter commercial vehicles from residential areas; new $1,000 fines would target drivers who view current citations as 'cost of doing business'.
City Proposes Tenfold Increase in Fines for Trucks Using Restricted Streets
Police say $100 penalties fail to deter commercial vehicles from residential areas; new $1,000 fines would target drivers who view current citations as 'cost of doing business'.
The City is moving to increase fines for commercial vehicles operating on restricted residential streets from $100 to $1,000, following mounting complaints from residents and acknowledgment from truck drivers that current penalties are merely a business expense.
The Safety, Wellness and Youth Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to advance an ordinance amendment that would create what officials hope will be a more effective deterrent against large trucks using neighborhood streets as shortcuts.
"I get a lot of calls, comments, emails regarding these type of vehicles on streets where they shouldn't be," said Councilmember Sean Mill, who made the motion to approve the measure. "The fines as they are today, it's just an inconvenience for these folks," Mill added.
Lieutenant Adam Levesque told the committee that the Police Department has received "quite a large number of complaints over the last few months" about commercial vehicles violating axle restrictions designed to keep heavy trucks off certain residential streets.
When officers contact truck drivers for violations, Levesque said, "they sort of have a response that indicates that they more or less look at it like that's the cost of doing business." Drivers often blame their GPS mapping programs for routing them through restricted areas as shortcuts, he added.
The proposed amendment would add a new subsection to Chapter 10.56 of the Riverside Municipal Code, specifically raising the fine to $1,000. Officials believe this is the maximum allowable penalty.
Councilmember Chuck Conder expressed support but raised concerns about out-of-town drivers who genuinely follow GPS directions unknowingly. He recounted speaking with a driver from Oklahoma who received a citation after his navigation system directed him through a restricted area while traveling from San Diego.
"We've got to find a way to get to Waze, to get to Google Maps, to get to these companies," Conder said, noting that many violators "are just following their maps and that's a challenge when they're not from here."
Problem areas identified by committee members include La Sierra Avenue, Trautwein, Alessandro Boulevard and Van Buren Boulevard, with particular challenges where city streets meet county jurisdiction.
The committee acknowledged staffing limitations in enforcement, with Conder noting that officers are "like octopuses, you need more arms" to handle the volume of violations. Committee Chair Jim Perry expressed hope that as more officers join the department, commercial vehicle enforcement could increase.
If approved by the full City Council, the increased fines would apply to violations of existing axle restrictions that prohibit vehicles with certain numbers of axles from using designated streets unless they qualify for specific exemptions.
The measure now advances to the City Council for consideration. No date was announced for when the council will take up the ordinance amendment.
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