Montclair schedules workshop on oversized-vehicle parking as truck traffic prompts traffic review

The Montclair City Council scheduled a workshop for Monday, May 5 at 5:45 p.m. to review a revised ordinance that would regulate parking of oversized vehicles on public streets, a measure staff and council members said is part of a broader response to resident complaints about large trucks using residential routes.

Mayor Pro Tem Martinez said the revised ordinance reflects council recommendations collected in prior sessions and that staff wanted one more workshop before bringing it back for formal consideration. “We just want to go over it with the council as another workshop, before we bring it back for consideration,” a city staff member told the council.

Several council members raised recurring concerns about large diesel trucks traveling on Monte Vista Avenue. Council member Lopez said residents had posted photos of a “massive, diesel truck” and asked for the most recent traffic study. The city manager confirmed a speed survey is due and staff would coordinate with the police department; the city also is pursuing engineering improvements along Monte Vista from Holt to the freeway.

Police and city staff described a two-pronged approach: enforcement and education now, and a regulatory and engineering response through the proposed oversized-vehicle ordinance and planned roadway improvements. “The large vehicle ordinance that we’re asking the council to consider is part of the overall solution,” said City Manager Star, noting some commercial deliveries use vehicles too large for residential streets and that companies are increasingly using larger trucks for efficiency.

Council members voted to calendar a May 5 workshop date and asked staff to provide the most recent traffic-study data ahead of the meeting. The council did not take final action on the ordinance at this meeting; the May 5 session is intended for review and direction before any ordinance is introduced for adoption.