Q: Kent Harris of Kent Harris Trucking in Corona said one of his commercial drivers was cited recently by Yorba Linda police for using Yorba Linda Boulevard to reach a jobsite at Yorba Linda and Fairmont boulevards. Yorba Linda police told the driver that commercial vehicles cannot use Yorba Linda Boulevard west of Village Center and must use Imperial Highway, then backtrack. The delivery began in Corona and the most direct route was Yorba Linda Boulevard, Harris said. He asked, “Was California state money used when building or expanding Yorba Linda Boulevard? If so, then the California Vehicle Code allows for the most direct route for ingress and egress, and invalidates Yorba Linda’s city code.” Harris noted that he took the citation to court and lost; the judge said the truck driver violated a Yorba Linda municipal ordinance. Harris insists commercial drivers are making legal deliveries on Yorba Linda Boulevard because, “If state or federal funds were used to build or maintain Yorba Linda Boulevard, then the California Vehicle Code would take precedence. Simply a way to enrich Yorba Linda coffers,” he said.
A: The California Vehicle Code, as the judge ruled in this case, allows cities to regulate oversized vehicles and loads in their jurisdiction. Yorba Linda, like other cities, can pass local ordinances restricting truck traffic from certain streets. Cities do this all the time. They regulate oversized trucks for several reasons, including to “ensure the streets are capable of accommodating the proposed weight of vehicles and loads,” according to the Yorba Linda city website.
In Yorba Linda, Imperial Highway is the only allowed oversize truck route, said Yorba Linda Traffic Engineering Manager Tony Wang. This route is clearly shown on a map on the city’s website. He said Harris can apply for a permit from the city. “He needs to get a permit from us first,” Wang said, adding that Yorba Linda has fortunately had few problems with oversized trucks because over 90% of the big trucks coming into Yorba Linda know they need a permit.
As to whether Yorba Linda is trying to “enrich its coffers,” you can be the judge: a single trip transportation permit costs $16. The city’s website details how to apply for a transportation permit, Yorba Linda’s legal authority, and the truck route map: https://www.yorbalindaca.gov/319/Transportation-Permits.
Q: James Wilkerson of Moreno Valley and Craig Covell of Upland both said they see many expired license tags on vehicles in the Inland Empire. “Are traffic officers giving these drivers a free ride? Were they given a grace period because of the pandemic?” Wilkerson asked. Covell asked what is being done about the problem.
A: Seeing lots of expired tags doesn’t necessarily mean the problem of unregistered vehicles is as big a problem as it appears. Sgt. James Elliot of the Riverside Police Department Traffic Bureau said officers do stop vehicles displaying expired tags and issue citations for expired registration. “Many, if not the majority, of vehicles displaying expired tags actually have current registration,” he said, “they are just not displaying the current registration tag. This is typically due to theft.” As a result, he said, a current registration tag is not a reliable means of determining whether or not a vehicle has current registration.
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