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May 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.
- 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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