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March 05, 2004
Construction
Industry Advancement Fund and CDTOA
Dear Trustees
and CDTOA EC:
Following are some of
the major issues your Industry Transportation Consultant
has been dealing with to date.
Caltrans has approved
our request from November 8, 2003, to the current Reducible
Load Policy. Currently if you are a permitted self-propelled
vehicle, you are restricted from towing anything behind.
The following was approved, "Self Propelled single
permit vehicles may tow a legal size motorized vehicle"
and has also agreed that a trailer would also be allowed
in the place of a vehicle. The limitations would be that
the trailer would not exceed legal weight, height and
width. This will be implemented approximately June 9,
2004.
Caltrans has also approved
another significant change to our Industry in regards
to Tridem Axle Weights. It was requested that Caltrans
allow #60,000 based on certain configurations, 15% of
chart weight was approved. This will help most anyone
with portable plants, such as crushers and hot plants.
This will be implemented approximately June 9, 2004.
Caltrans has also approved
our request from November 8, 2003, that the Annual Permit
Policy be reviewed and no longer require an Original Annual
Permit. Currently you are required to have the original
Annual Permit in the drivers cab. When the new Transportation
Permit Management System (TPMS) is implemented, Caltrans
will no longer require an original. They expect the TPMS
system to be in place approximately December 2004.
Caltrans agreed to review
our request from November 8, 2003, that Hours of Travel
24 / 7 are being reviewed and considered for approval,
to be implemented by this summer.
The County of San Bernardino
has responded to our request to have their summer Desert
Restriction reviewed, "Overweight travel is permitted
on County desert roads only from 12:01 am until 10:00
am from June 1 through October 15". This restriction
is due to heat and according to the weather statistics,
there maybe a few hot days in certain areas, but not a
reason to just stop all travel throughout the County for
an entire 4 ½ months. Caltrans doesn't allow overweight
movement until 3:00 am, which restricts our Industry even
more. This also means that every overweight load for this
4 ½ month period will need to obtain a single trip
permit.
The County of San Bernardino is the largest county in
the continental United States. Containing over 20,000
square miles, it covers more territory than the states
of Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts
combined. Of the 2,825.90 miles of road in the San Bernardino
County Maintained Road System approximately 533.37 are
still unpaved The Desert Region contains ninety percent
of the total land area in the county which puts restrictions
on our Industry and 18,000 square miles which contains
County roads.
We requested a list of problem roads that the county feels
are not intended for truck traffic and the County has
requested that we provide a list of roads that are important
routes to the trucking industry. This list has been compiled
and being reviewed by Industry.
City of Colton's City Council will lower their permit
fees to be consistent with C.V.C. 35795 (b) and not charge
in excess of Caltrans. The City has been charging $120.00
for Annual Permit and our Industry should have only been
charged $90.00. The City has agreed to request City Council
for an ordinance change to revise their current annual
permit policy to allow more height, weight, night and
weekend travel.
The County of Riverside
Board of Supervisors meeting on April 6, 2004.
Agenda item 3.1 Supervisor Tavaglione:
Authorization for Transportation Director to commence
a countywide study dealing with semi and service truck
parking particularly in and around residential neighborhoods.
I was contacted by the
County Transportation Department to see if this would
impact our Industry. I stated that we do have some concern
and would like to be included in any and all meetings.
The request was appreciated and they will keep us informed.
The City of Santa Paula
has started leaving warnings on any vehicle over ¾
ton vehicle in a resenditial area.
The City Ordinance 72.17 PARKING OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
(A) It is unlawful to park any vehicle of a rated size
of more than three-fourths of one ton, special construction
equipment, implement of husbandry or any trailer not connected
to a vehicle on any street or highway in any residential
area for a period of more that five hours or more that
the time reasonably necessary to carry out such work or
service as reasonably requires the presence of such a
vehicle in the residential area, whichever is longer.
A member contacted me, that one of his employees was given
a warning. We have requested a review of this ordinance
and to take into consideration there are residents that
drive vehicles that exceed three-fourths of one ton for
business and pleasure. Our Industry employees a great
number of people that are supplied with company vehicles
to get to their jobs daily. These trucks are supplied
with both company and personal property. The tools that
are carried on these vehicles are their livelihood and
they are only going to be safe where they can see them
and that is sometimes difficult. To force residents that
have purchased homes within those residential areas to
now park their vehicle somewhere else could be devastating
and would leave them more vulnerable to those thieves
that already prey on our Industry.
The Coachella Valley: We are continuing meetings with
local officials on our proposal for uniform legal truck
routes throughout Riverside County. The Desert Contractors
Association, DCA has been very instrumental in our efforts.
With assistance from Ken Wood of Elms Equipment of Indio,
a DCA member, meetings have been arranged to help educate
localities of the trucking industry's needs.
We are seeing that each city is unique and has it's own
but similar situations and would rather not have trucks
on their / our roads. They just haven't figured out how
they can keep up their quality of life with the shelves
empty at their local supermarket or hardware store. Trucks
are a necessity, there isn't anything at home or in your
office that isn't shipped on a truck and we need to work
together to keep commerce flowing smoothly. Residents
would rather have trucks travel on their neighbor's streets
and contribute to the already growing Air Quality problem.
We need to continue to educate localities and their elected
officials on the following.
• Our Economy is being affected because currently
trucks must to take longer routes. This means business,
consumers, and the economy are suffering.
• Our Air Quality
is being impacted because legal trucks that must take
longer routes are increasing emissions. This negatively
affects air quality - a major concern in Southern California.
• Our Traffic Congestion
will be reduced because legal trucks will have shorter
routes to travel
rather being limited to only minimal routes.
• TRAFFIC DEATHS are reduced by fewer miles traveled.
• SAFETY will be
enhanced through uniformity
City of Beverly Hills
Through the building permit issued to the owner the City
requires all construction related trucking, picking up
or dropping off construction related equipment, or materials
to have a Police Escort at a cost of $50.00 an hour. The
Contractor is issued the permit, which he then gives to
his sub-contractor to use and follow the restrictions.
The Sub-Contractor would have to call the Police Department
and make arrangements for an Escort in and out of the
City. You would have to wait at the City limits for the
officer to escort you to the jobsite, whether you are
empty or loaded.
The City has now reviewed their policy and has lifted
the restrictions from legal width to 10' wide within certain
areas of the City - actually about 2/3rds of the City.
In most of the area north of Sunset Blvd you are still
required to have a Police Escort for all loads. There
is a map available at your request.
City of Whittier's, City
Council has passed the new permit fee proposal and agreed
to lower the permit fees from $125.00 to $16.00. The City
recently hired a private consultant to review all the
permit fees for the city. Will issue 5-10 permits a day
and were hoping to generate $141,000.00 in extra revenue
over the next year with this increase from our Industry.
They have also agreed to begin issuing Annual Permits.
The city currently doesn't allow faxing, so Industry must
send a runner to pick up permits in person. The issuance
of annuals will lessen the burden. This has been rescheduled
for City Council and passed. Another significant savings
to our Industry continuing well into the future.
The City of Los Angeles
has required for years, that operators be certified and
licensed. We have requested, the City of Los Angeles accept
OSHA's certification as meeting their requirements and
not have to re-certify operators. The City will continue
to require our Industry to have Crane Operators licensed
through the City's current program and it would require
the ordinance to be changed.
Ordinance Sec. 97.0102 (a) (eff. 11/30/69)
The Department shall have authority and jurisdiction over
all boilers, pressure vessels, hoists, cranes, monorails,
shovels, draglines, road rollers, locomotives and tractors,
any of which shall be operated by steam, air, gas, gasoline,
electricity or diesel or semi-diesel engines, and over
all steam engines or turbine or multiple units thereof,
developing 50 horsepower or more, and shall inspect and
license the use and operation of any of said apparatus,
machinery or equipment as hereinafter provided.
We are requesting that the City change their current ordinance
to reflect the new OSHA mandate that supercedes the City
requirements and makes this redundant for both the City
and the Industry.
Assembly Bill No.
939
I recently attended meetings
conducted by Construction Materials Recycling Association
of Southern California (CMRA) and the Southern California
National Association of Demolition Contractors (SCNADC)
Demolition Contractors,
recycle and reduce waste on almost all their projects
as waste reduction, recycling is a major part of their
business. The Demolition Contractors recycle materials
such as wood, bricks, steel / metals, electrical equipment,
fixtures, concrete, asphalt, green waste and trees. Our
Industry has been burdened by major cost on all demolition
projects and they are going to continue to increase unless
we as an Industry begin to educate all localities on our
recycling objectives. Localities are comparing our Industry
with the curbside Trash Industry and we need them to understand
that our Industry has been recycling for years without
their knowledge of how we are reducing waste. Landfills
are currently increasing tipping fees and reducing daily
tonnage allowances which will affect our everyday projects.
We need to be proactive on this issue or we are going
to be broadsided in the end.
AB 939 approved by the Governor September 29, 1989. Solid
waste management, source reduction, recycling, composting,
and market development. The bill would provide for permit
fees, disposal fees, and other charges levied by the board
and the State Board of Equalization, and the bill would
require that revenue be deposited in the Solid Waste Management
Fund, which would be created by the bill, to pay, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, for the regulation of
solid waste facilities, as defined.
Cities and Counties were mandated to reduce the solid
waste currently disposed into landfills. In 1990, the
municipalities had to report their current consumption
into the landfills and then they had until 1995 to reduce
the waste by 25% and then by 2000, to be reduced 50%.
There are administrative civil penalties of not more than
ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per day on any city or
county, which fails to submit an adequate plan in accordance
to the planning requirements.
Our Construction Industry
falls under this Solid Waste Management Program. The following
Construction and Demolition materials were classified
in the waste character study, Concrete, Asphalt paving,
Asphalt roofing, Lumber, Gypsum wallboard, Rock, Soil,
Fines, Composite C & D.
This problem is not just
the Demolition Contractors, but also any contractor with
debris that is generated from their jobsite who will have
to follow these guidelines.
Some cities that are
taking it a step further and have contracted Franchise
Haulers for their cities. Some cities allow you to use
your own trucks, but then some do not. Some cities charge
a percentage surcharge on top of the dump fees and some
do not.
AB 939 is 14 years old
but has not been enforced up until recently and is now
part of the CA. Public Resources Code Division 30.
1. Waste Management Code.
C. Waste Management, Part 2. Integrated Waste Management,
Chapter 8. Local Fee Authority, Section 41900-41904. This
Part was created as a result of AB 939, which passed in
1989 (City & County Demonstration of Funding Sources)
This section specifically states:
41902. A local agency may directly collect the fees authorized
by this chapter or may, by agreement, arrange for the
fees to be collected by a solid waste hauler providing
solid waste collection for the city or county.
Political subdivisions have too much latitude on how they
want fees to be collected, even by a waste hauler. We
believe that legally licensed motor carriers should be
an exempt type of hauler because, 1.) They are part of
the motor carrier permit program and already taxed. 2.)
They contribute significantly to the recycling program
outlined within this Part and 3.) They have no origination
interest in the recycled demolition construction materials.
Due to these factors these types of carriers should be
exempted from these fees or the collection of fees. All
fee burdens should fall solely on property owners.
Our Industry needs to educate localities on how we can
partner with them to meet their recycling requirement.
There is an opportunity to take a proactive position in
this looming problem.
Sincerely,
Gregory D. Dineen
Industry Transportation Consultant
Cc: John Hakel, AGC Jim Burton, SCCA
Gary Futral, ECA Seth Hammond, MCOG
Richard Lambros, BIA Lee Brown, CDTOA
Aimee Shook, DCA
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