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October 29, 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:
Our request from June 28, 2004, to allow Maximum Chart
Weight for Fix Load Vehicles Section 305.2.1. The Annual
Permit Committee Workgroup recently had a conference call
meeting with Caltrans. We discussed and recommended the
following change to the original proposal:
Maximum Chart Weight will only be allowed within the qualifying
chart weight class at the time the unit or vehicle is
weighed for the Caltrans Inspection Report. If you are
within the Green weight class, you will be allowed maximum
green weight. If you are within the Purple weight class,
you will be allowed maximum purple weight. This was referred
to Caltrans for their approval.
Our request from June
30, 2004, to allow the Issuance of Laden Multi-Vehicle
Combination Annuals not to exceed established weights.
This was discussed in the workgroup meeting and we agreed
to go back and visit the original proposal for 7, 8, and
9-axle Annual Purple Weight Annual Permits. If Caltrans
would consider approving our original request, that would
resolve the need for a Laden Multi-Vehicle Combination
Annual.
Our request from November
08, 2003, regarding the Caltrans practice that annuals
and repetitive permits must be an original. We are requesting
that a facsimile copy be acceptable. We discussed this
proposal again during our workgroup meeting and have submitted
it back to Caltrans for their approval.
Our request from September
29, 2004, allows Annual Permit for Fixed Loads Tridem
60,000 lbs, was sent to the newly formed Fixed Load Committee.
Some members from industry felt that there shouldn't be
two separate types of permits for fixed and haul loads.
Caltrans has for years had different rules for different
segments of the Industry. The fixed loads industry would
rather move forward than be involved with the political
issue that arises from the haul loads proposal that currently
is being held.
The 60,000-pound Tridem
proposal that was submitted by CTA and SC&RA currently
continues under review, due to the controversy over reciprocity
between 60,000-pound Tridems vs. 60,000-pound Trunnions.
As long as we have members of the industry that think
if we hold back on the 60,000 pound Tridem trailer until
the other states allow 60,000 pounds on Truunion trailers
the cost of freight will continue to increase
Our request from June 30, 2004, Uniform Pilot Car Requirements
for Green and Yellow Route is being re-visited. This change
is currently waiting for the second revision of Pilot
Car maps.
The following Caltrans proposals are approved:
Our request from November
8, 2003, to the current Reducible Load Policy.
"Tow Legal Vehicle behind Extra Legal Fixed Load
Vehicle". This change should be implemented by December
1, 2004.
Our request from November
8, 2003, Hours of Travel 24 / 7. This change will be implemented
by December 1, 2004.
The Surface Transportation
Assistance Act (STAA) Annual Permits. A "STAA"
truck is, in many cases, longer than a "California
Legal" truck, and may operate only on specific highways
in California. This will allow a five-axle combination
up to 75 feet long with a kingpin up to 45 feet long on
trailers up to 48 feet long. This change will be implemented
by December 1, 2004.
The delay on all three
of these proposals was due to the new maps being produced
and printed, which will be ready November 15th.
The County of Los
Angeles will start implementing 24 / 7 movement approximately
October 15, 2004. This will allow continuous movement
excluding curfew hours. Curfew hours restrict travel for
loads exceeding 10' wide Monday through Friday from 6:00
am to 9:00 am and 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
The City of Beverly
Hills: a member that was starting a new project in
the City of Los Angeles contacted me. The problem was
that they had to go through Beverly Hills to get to the
jobsite. The city was requiring a transportation permit
for a legal truck. I spoke with Mr. Gustavson, Director
of Engineering and Transportation, and he agreed to allow
the truck to travel through the city with a no cost permit
until he was able to receive a legal opinion.
Mr. Gustavson has since received an opinion from his legal
council and has agreed, the city may not charge for a
legal truck to travel through the City of Beverly Hills.
The City of Los Angeles: We met with the City of
Los Angeles and Los Angeles County on September 30th and
agreed on the following.
- On Overload applications/permits,
the words minimum and maximum shall be used in the description
of the dimensions of the following:
a. King Pin to last axle
b. Combination Vehicle Length
c. Axle spacing (doesn't apply to axles between axle
groups, i.e. 4'6").
- Heavy Haul Records be
shall required for cranes and loads 250,000 pounds (125
tons) or more.
- Eliminating curfew for loads
that are 10' wide or less, which allows travel 7a.m.
to 9a.m. and 4p.m. to 6p.m. Extending curfew, restricting
movement 7 days a week from 7a.m. to 9a.m. and 4p.m.
to 6p.m., which allows movement of loads on days that
had previously been restricted, such as Saturdays and
Sundays. Guidelines for movement of loads in excess
of 110' in length; in excess of 15' in width; 18' or
higher in height; traveling within the Central Traffic
District; and Inspection Loads, remain restricted to
movement between the hours of 12:01 am and 6:00 a.m.
- 24 / 7 Travel
was discussed and the city was very receptive, DOT was
going to review a list of restricted routes in the metropolitan
areas and high traffic volume areas.
- Pilot Cars being required
for weight is being reviewed and considered to be eliminated
- 7 and 9-axle Annual Permits:
The Bureau of Engineering (B.O.E.) shall provide a list
of bridges that can support 9 axle purple weights for
the purpose of allowing 9 axles purple weight Annual
Permits to be issued. Also, B.O.E. has agreed to allow
7 axle purple weight Annual Permits to be issued.
- Inspectors
are no longer going to be required for certain short
moves when CHP is present. We are going to be working
on routes. The example that was agreed upon was when
loads reach the 5 Freeway and Balboa Avenue, then park
for the night. They aren't able to leave till the following
night and if CHP is present, the City of Los Angeles
inspector will not be required. This action represents
a savings to the industry of up to $300 per trip. This
also makes available the Inspector for another load,
saving the city from having an inspector come in on
overtime at $485.
The City of Los Angeles
has made a change that will affect Street Use Permits
applicants and the industry. The City's Street Services
Division discovered a memo from the City Attorney's office,
originally published November 13, 1984. The City Attorney's
office established that lane closures are to be processed
the same way as full-width street closures. This means
that City Council approval is necessary where major and
secondary streets are involved. Because of the length
of time it takes to get that approval (up to 45 days),
this procedure is presently under review. An alternative
is being sought that would speed up the permit process,
while complying with LAMC requirements.
The main issue that we have with this change, industry
was given no warning. The memo is issued over 20 years
ago and then it is decided without any input from industry
to start implementing it.
The City of Culver
City: several members regarding the City requiring
a permit for any vehicle exceeding 6,000 pounds have contacted
me. The city's police department is aggressively citing
any vehicle travel on a non-truck route. If you have been
in the city lately, you will notice "No Vehicles
over 6,000 pounds" on just about any street. Watch
out Hummer owners! The current practice is, if you don't
want a ticket, you need to have a permit, whether you
are legal or not.
The Vehicle Code clearly states,
35703. No ordinance adopted pursuant to Section 35701
shall prohibit any commercial vehicles coming from an
unrestricted street having ingress and egress by direct
route to and from a restricted street when necessary for
the purpose of making pickups or deliveries of goods,
wares, and merchandise from or to any building or
Structure located on the restricted street or for the
purpose of delivering materials to be used in the actual
and bona fide repair, alteration, remodeling, or construction
of any building or structure upon the restricted street
for which a building permit has previously been obtained.
The city's chief administrative office has agreed to look
into this problem and will respond back to us.
The City of Calabasas
has agreed to lower their permit fees from $60 to $16
to be in compliance with the California Vehicle Code 35795
(b). This will need to be approved through City Council,
but until then they will charge accordingly on a case-by-case
basis. Currently you have to pick up the permit in person
or through a permit service at a considerable extra cost
that shouldn't be necessary. We have also requested the
public works director consider allowing Los Angeles County
to issue their permits, which are available on line.
The City of Santa Ana has agreed to lower their
permits fees from $21.03 to $16 to be in compliance with
the California Vehicle Code 35795 (b). It has been sent
to City Council for approval.
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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