Proposed idling-truck law spurs talk

Ordinance to be introduced during tonight’s meeting

An ordinance that would prohibit the idling of trucks and trailers on residential streets spurred discussion among members of the Yuma City Council during a Tuesday work session.

Staff is proposing changes to the portion of the city’s Streets and Traffic Code that regulates trucks and trailers. The proposed ordinance will be introduced during tonight’s regular meeting which will be held at 5:30 p.m. at that City Hall Council Chambers, 1 City Plaza.

The proposed text amendment updates existing regulations by inserting language about the idling of vehicles on residential streets and updates the types of vehicles which are permitted to stand, idle or park on residential streets.

Staff noted that residents have voiced concern about the lack of regulations regarding idling of commercial vehicles within residential neighborhoods. The proposed amendment presented at the work session limits the time permitted “for the standing, idling or parking” of certain vehicles to no more than five consecutive minutes. This proposed time limitation is in keeping with the recommendations made by the Environmental Protection Agency, staff noted.

In addition, the proposed amendment updates the type of vehicles that can park on local or collector streets within residential areas. Currently the code restricts vehicles with a rated chassis capacity in excess of three-fourths of a ton, stating that such vehicles are not permitted to

stand or park on residential roads. This restriction refers to vehicles which are capable of hauling more than 1,500 pounds; typical half-ton trucks are capable of hauling more than 3,000 pounds.

Senior planner Alyssa Linville told the council that when this code was initially adopted in 1978, half-ton trucks were only capable of hauling less than 1,000 pounds. However, as trucks became more popular and technology evolved, “the terms half-ton, threequarter ton and one-ton became a placeholder rather than an accurate form of measurement.” Therefore, she said, staff is recommending an update which will reflect modern vehicle specifications.

In drafting the amendment, she added, staff looked at what other Arizona cities allow.

During the work session, Mayor Doug Nicholls said he was concerned that the law would exclude people who make a living on a 24-hour response. City Administrator Greg Wilkinson said the text would be changed to reflect that exception.

Councilman Mike Shelton asked what parking options are available for truckers and expressed concern that truckers need to run their engines to keep their “creature comforts” going while parked. He did not want the city to be “anti-truck,” he said.

Nicholls pointed out that options include truck stops like Love’s or truck yards, but he noted that these commercial trucks should not be in neighborhoods anyway and should be parked at more appropriate sites. He stressed that the idling prohibition is only for residential-zoned areas and agriculture trucks and buses, for example, could park in areas zoned for agriculture.

“From that perspective, I don’t have a problem here,” Nicholls said. “I don’t believe I want semis parked up and down my street, on any street in Yuma.”

He’s also not interested in “chasing away” any industry but rather manage traffic to “maintain safety and appropriateness,” Nicholls said.

The proposal addresses idling of trucks due to complaints of semi-trucks or agriculture buses parked in residential neighborhoods for long periods of time while picking up or dropping off farm workers, staff noted.

Shelton said he would like to hear from representatives of the agriculture industry. Councilmen Gary Wright and Bill Craft said they would like the proposed amendment be more broken down and specific.

However, Wright agreed that he doesn’t want to see agriculture vehicles in inappropriate places, such as near schools.

“That’s an accident waiting to happen,” he said.