Title 10 — VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
Chapter 10.48 — TRUCKS AND TRUCK ROUTES
Palo Alto Municipal Code · 2026-09 edition · updated 2026-09-29 · Palo Alto
10.48.010 Certain vehicles prohibited in business district.¶
No operator of the following vehicles shall drive the same in any business district between the hours of seven a.m. and six p.m. on any day except Sunday.
Any vehicle so loaded that any part of its load extends more than three feet to the front or more than ten feet to the rear of said vehicle.
(Ord. 2125 (part), 1963: Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.131)
10.48.020 Definitions.¶
(a) For the purpose of this chapter, unless it is plainly evident from the context that a different meaning is intended, certain terms used herein are defined as follows:
(1) "Destination" or "destinations" mean either a single delivery or several deliveries within multiple delivery zones as delineated on the maps attached to the ordinance codified in this chapter and made a part thereof.*
- Editor's Note: The maps referred to herein may be found at the end of this title in a printed edition of this code.
(2) "Local truck route" means any street as herein designated upon which trucks with an origin and/or destination within the city may operate only between the hours of seven a.m. and seven p.m.
(3) "Restricted street" means all streets in the city except through truck routes and local truck routes as herein established.
(4) "Through truck route" means any street as herein designated upon which the unrestricted use of trucks is permitted.
(5) "Truck" means any vehicle exceeding a maximum gross weight of seven tons.
(Ord. 2181 (part), 1963: Ord. 2280 (part), 1966: Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.132(a))
10.48.030 Trucks prohibited on restricted streets.¶
(a) All streets or parts of streets in the city of Palo Alto other than those designated in this section as through or local truck routes are hereby designated as restricted streets.
(b) When appropriate signs are erected, as hereinafter provided, no person shall operate, drive or cause or permit to be operated or driven, any truck on any restricted street, except as hereinafter provided.
(Ord. 2181 (part), 1963: Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.132(b))
10.48.040 Through truck routes established.¶
The following named streets are hereby declared to be through truck routes for the movement of trucks, and the city engineer is hereby authorized and directed to designate such streets by appropriate signs as "THROUGH TRUCK ROUTE," which method of designation the city council has determined will best serve to give notice of this chapter.
Street From To
Street From To
Alma Street Palo Alto Avenue South city limit Arboretum Road Willow Road Quarry Road Bayshore Freeway and North city limit South city limit Frontage Roads Charleston Road Fabian Way South city limit El Camino Real North city limit South city limit Fabian Way West Frontage Road Charleston Road Los Trancos Woods Road Los Trancos Creek Los Trancos Creek Middlefield Road San Antonio Avenue South city limit Page Mill Road West city limit Alma Street Palo Alto Avenue El Camino Real Alma Street San Antonio Avenue West city limit East city limit Willow Road West city limit Arboretum Road
(Ord. 2181 (part), 1963: Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.132(c))
10.48.050 Local truck routes established.¶
The following named streets are hereby declared to be local truck routes upon which trucks with an origin and/or destination within the city may operate only between the hours of seven a.m. and seven p.m.
Street From To
Embarcadero Road El Camino Real Alma Street Embarcadero Road Bayshore Freeway City refuse disposal area Hillview Avenue Boulevard Arastradero Road Junipero Serra Lytton Avenue Alma Street Middlefield Road Middlefield Road North city limit Lytton Avenue University Avenue El Camino Real Alma Street
Oregon Avenue from Alma Street to Bayshore Freeway is hereby declared to be a truck route twenty-four hours a day but only for trucks making pickups or deliveries from or to the Middlefield Road multiple delivery zone; as to all other trucks Oregon Avenue from Alma Street to Bayshore Freeway is hereby declared to be a restricted street twenty-four hours a day.
(Ord. 2282, 1966: Ord. 2281, 1966: Ord. 2280 (part), 1966: Ord. 2181 (part), 1963: Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.132(d))
10.48.060 Truck traffic originating outside city.¶
(a) Entering City. No truck shall enter or leave the city except on a through or local truck route.
(b) Outside Destination, Through Traffic. All trucks entering the city for destinations outside the city shall operate only over a through truck route.
(c) Inside Destination. All trucks entering the city for destinations in the city shall proceed only over a through or local truck route and shall deviate therefrom only by the shortest and most direct route to the nearest through or local truck route, except that a truck may go directly to the next destination by the shortest and most direct route without renaming to the nearest through or local truck route if it will result in a shorter distance being traveled on restricted streets.
(Ord. 2181 (part), 1963: Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.132(e))
10.48.070 Truck traffic originating inside city.¶
(a) Portion of Trip Outside of the City. If any portion of a truck's trip is outside of the city even though its origin is inside the city it shall be considered as an outside origin trip upon re-entry into the city and Section 10.48.060 shall apply.
(b) Outside Destinations. All trucks, on a trip originating in the city and traveling in the city for destinations outside the city, shall proceed by the shortest and most direct route to the nearest through or local truck route.
(c) Inside Destinations. All trucks, on a trip originating in the city and traveling entirely within the city for destinations in the city, shall proceed by the shortest and most direct route to the nearest through or local truck route and shall deviate therefrom only by the shortest and most direct route between each destination and the nearest through or local truck route except that a truck may go directly to the next destination by the shortest and most direct route without returning to the nearest through or local truck route if it will result in a shorter distance being traveled on restricted streets.
(Ord. 2181 (part), 1963: Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.132(f))
10.48.080 Weigh-in.¶
Any police officer shall have the authority to require any person driving or in control of any commercial vehicle not proceeding over a through truck route to proceed to any public or private scale available for the purpose of weighing and determining whether this section has been complied with.
(Ord. 2181 (part), 1963: Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.132(g))
10.48.090 Exceptions.¶
(a) The provisions of this chapter shall not prohibit the operation of any truck coming from a through truck route having ingress or 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 so long as the operator of such truck takes a route as prescribed in Sections 10.48.060 and 10.48.070 hereof.
(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to:
(1) Passenger buses under the jurisdiction of the public utilities commission and school buses;
(2) Any vehicle owned or operated by a public utility, or by the city, or any vehicle used for the removal of refuse under contract with the city;
(3) Any vehicle which is authorized by written contract with the city to use the Palo Alto solid waste disposal site;
(4) Any authorized emergency vehicle.
(Ord. 3855 § 1, 1989: Ord. 2661, 1972: Ord. 2181 (part), 1963: Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.132(h))
10.48.100 Grading permits.¶
Truck routes designated in permits issued under the provisions ofChapter 16.28 of this code shall be in compliance with routes established in this chapter.
(Ord. 2181 (part), 1963: Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.132(i))
Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.
Ask AI about this code▸Contents — Palo Alto Municipal Code
- Article VIII — A. Board of Education
- Title 1 — GENERAL PROVISIONS
- Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
- Title 4 — BUSINESS LICENSES AND REGULATIONS
- Title 5 — HEALTH AND SANITATION
- Title 6 — ANIMALS
- Title 8 — TREES AND VEGETATION
- Title 9 — PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND SAFETY
▸Title 10 — VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
Overview- 10.04 Definitions
- 10.08 Enforcement and Obedience to Traffic Regulations
- 10.10 Temporary Street Closures
- 10.12 Traffic-Control Devices
- 10.16 Turning Movements
- 10.20 One-Way Streets and Alleys
- 10.24 Special Stops Required
- 10.28 Miscellaneous Driving Rules
- 10.32 Pedestrians
- 10.34 Abandoned, Wrecked, Dismantled or Inoperative Vehicles
- 10.36 Stopping, Standing and Parking - Generally
- 10.40 Stopping, Standing and Parking - Loading and Unloading
- 10.44 Stopping, Standing and Parking - Prohibited or Restricted
- 10.45 Valet Parking
- 10.46 College Terrace Residential Parking Permit Program (RPPP)
- 10.47 Large Vehicle Parking
- 10.48 Trucks and Truck Routes
- 10.50 Residential Preferential Parking Districts
- 10.51 Crescent Park No Overnight Parking Program
- 10.52 Trains
- 10.56 Special Speed Zones
- 10.60 Parking Violations
- 10.62 Idling of Vehicles
- 10.64 Bicycles, Roller Skates and Coasters
- Chapter 10.04 — DEFINITIONS
- Chapter 10.08 — ENFORCEMENT AND OBEDIENCE TO TRAFFIC REGULATIONS
- Chapter 10.10 — TEMPORARY STREET CLOSURES
- Chapter 10.12 — TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICES
- Chapter 10.20 — ONE-WAY STREETS AND ALLEYS
- Chapter 10.24 — SPECIAL STOPS REQUIRED
- Chapter 10.28 — MISCELLANEOUS DRIVING RULES
- Chapter 10.32 — PEDESTRIANS
- Chapter 10.34 — ABANDONED, WRECKED, DISMANTLED OR INOPERATIVE
- Chapter 10.36 — STOPPING, STANDING AND PARKING - GENERALLY
- Chapter 10.40 — STOPPING, STANDING AND PARKING - LOADING AND U…
- Chapter 10.44 — STOPPING, STANDING AND PARKING - PROHIBITED OR
- Chapter 10.45 — VALET PARKING
- Chapter 10.46 — COLLEGE TERRACE RESIDENTIAL PARKINGPERMIT PROG…
- Chapter 10.47 — LARGE VEHICLE PARKING
- Chapter 10.48 — TRUCKS AND TRUCK ROUTES
- Chapter 10.50 — RESIDENTIAL PREFERENTIAL PARKING DISTRICTS
- Chapter 10.51 — CRESCENT PARK NO OVERNIGHT PARKING PROGRAM
- Chapter 10.52 — TRAINS
- Chapter 10.56 — SPECIAL SPEED ZONES
- Chapter 10.62 — IDLING OF VEHICLES
- Chapter 10.64 — BICYCLES, ROLLER SKATES AND COASTERS
- Chapter 10.70 — RESERVED
- Title 11 — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PROCEDURE
- Title 12 — PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
- Title 13 — IMPROVEMENT PROCEDURE
- Title 15 — FIRE PREVENTION
- Title 16 — BUILDING REGULATIONS
- Title 17 — HAZARDOUS MATERIALS STORAGE
- Title 18 — ZONING
- Title 19 — MASTER PLAN
- Article 7 — AUTHORITY FOR AND SCOPE OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLANS.
- Article 8 — PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLAN.
- Chapter 19.06 — SPECIFIC PLANS
- Chapter 19.10 — COORDINATED AREA PLANS
- Title 20 — PRECISE PLANS
- Title 21 — SUBDIVISIONS AND OTHER DIVISIONS OF LAND
- Title 22 — PARKS