3 Ordinances Limit Parking of Semitrucks

Dear Traffic Talk:

I have a question regarding semitrucks:

Can they park overnight, every night and over the weekends on public streets?

I live at the top of Hubbard Street in Sylmar. Although there are no houses on Hubbard, there is a gated community at the top of the street.

Mark Stevens

Sylmar

Dear Mark:

There are three city ordinances that severely limit the parking of commercial trucks, trailers or semitrailers and even normal vehicles on residential streets and other thoroughfares.

For instance, one law prohibits parking of “any trailer or semitrailer upon any highway, street, alley or public way or upon any public place ordinarily used for vehicular parking,” unless the trailer or semitrailer does not exceed 22 feet in overall length.

However, there are certain circumstances under which the prohibited vehicles may park, said Michael Inouye, parking administrator for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Those circumstances include vehicles parked to load, unload or stopped to serve the disabled.

Another ordinance prohibits parking of commercial vehicles on any residential street or for longer than three hours on any other public street--except under the same special circumstances, Inouye said.

The second law defines commercial vehicle as any truck tractor or motor vehicle with commercial license plates, which exceed 22 feet in total length, or shorter than 22 feet but with the name of a business or a sign advertising a product or service, Inouye said.

The law defines a residential street as any public street where a majority of the buildings near the property in question are residences.

A more general ordinance also prohibits parking of any vehicle on highways, public streets or alleys for more than 72 consecutive hours during any period of 73 hours, Inouye said.

Valley residents concerned about parking violations can call the Valley parking enforcement office at (818) 756-8408, Inouye said.

Dear Traffic Talk:

About 30 years ago Calvert Street was repaved from Valley Circle Boulevard to Rod Avenue.

Shortly after, a cement truck lost some cargo on the hill and the spillage has lasted better than the paving.

When is this section of Calvert scheduled for repaving?

Hal Landy

Woodland Hills

Dear Hal:

Calvert from Valley Circle Boulevard to Rod Avenue is being considered for resurfacing.

The street has been evaluated and included in the Bureau of Street Maintenance 1998/99 Annual Resurfacing Program, said Richard Evans, an engineer with the agency.

The streets submitted from throughout the city are selected for actual work on criteria that include age, pavement defects, drainage, soil samples and riding quality, Evans said.

However, actual repair work is often slowed by limited resources.

Those streets not repaved one year due to budget constraints are reconsidered for the following year’s program, Evans said.

In the meantime, some temporary asphalt repairs on that portion of Calvert were finished in July.

Traffic Talk appears Fridays in The Times Valley Edition. Readers may submit comments and questions about traffic in the Valley to Traffic Talk, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited, and no anonymous letters will be accepted. To record your comments, call (818) 772-3303. Fax letters to (818) 772-3385. E-mail questions to valley@latimes.com