Richmond Municipal Code Ch. 14.52 Restricted Use of Certain Streets

(a) No person shall operate any of the following vehicles in the central traffic district between the hours of seven a.m. and six p.m. of any day:

(1) Any freight vehicle more than eight and one-half feet in width, with load, or any freight vehicle so loaded that any part of its load extends more than twenty feet to the front or rear of the vehicle;

(2) Any vehicle carrying building material that has not been loaded, or is not to be unloaded, at some point within central traffic districts;

(3) Any vehicle conveying refuse, rubbish, garbage or dirt;

(4) Any freight vehicle with a trailer;

(5) Any vehicle containing explosives or inflammable material.

(b) Provided that the chief of police may by written permit authorize necessary exceptions to the above.

No person shall ride or drive any animals or animal-drawn vehicle into or within the central traffic district between the hours of seven a.m. and six p.m. of any day, except by permission of the city council and/or chief of police.

(a) Whenever any ordinance of this city designates and describes any street or portion thereof as a street the use of which is permitted by any vehicle exceeding a maximum gross weight limit of three tons, the director of public works is authorized to designate such street or streets by appropriate signs as "Truck Routes" for the movement of vehicles exceeding a maximum gross weight limit of three tons.

(b) When any such truck route or routes are established and designated by appropriate signs the operator of any vehicle exceeding a maximum gross weight limit of three tons shall drive on such route or routes and none other except that nothing in this section shall prohibit the operator of any vehicle exceeding a maximum gross weight of three tons coming from a "Truck Route" having ingress and egress by direct route to and from restricted streets when necessary for the purpose of making pickups or deliveries of goods, wares and merchandise from or to any building or structure located on such 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 such restricted streets for which a building permit has previously been obtained therefor.

(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to (1) passenger buses under the jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Commission, or to (2) any vehicle owned by a public utility while necessarily in use in the construction, installation or repair of any public utility.

(d) Those streets and parts of streets established by ordinance of the council are declared to be truck routes for the movement of vehicles exceeding a maximum gross weight of three tons.

(a) Whenever any ordinance of this city designates and describes any street or portion thereof as a street the use of which is prohibited by any commercial vehicle, the director of public works shall erect and maintain appropriate signs on those streets affected by such ordinance.

(b) Those streets and parts of streets established by ordinance of the council are declared to be streets, the use of which is prohibited by any commercial vehicle. The provisions of this section shall not apply to passenger buses under the jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Commission.

(a) When determined by engineering investigation by the director of public works that certain streets or portions of streets are structurally inadequate to carry heavy loads the city council may by ordinance designate such as restricted gross weight streets and a maximum weight limit shall be specified. The public works director is authorized to post signs stating that vehicles over the specified gross weight are prohibited. When appropriate signs are in place no vehicle over such posted weight shall be operated on such street without a permit as provided in this section.

(b) The director of public works may, by written permit, authorize the operation of a vehicle upon such restricted gross weight streets when the gross weight of such vehicle exceeds the maximum gross weight posted for such streets, if such streets can safely withstand the additional weight for limited operation. Such permit shall be granted under such conditions and upon depositing such bond as the director of public works may require. A copy of such permit shall be furnished to the chief of police.

(c) This section shall not apply to vehicles referred to in Section 50 ¼ of the Public Utilities Act of the state; nor shall this section prohibit commercial vehicles coming from an unrestricted street having ingress and egress by direct route to and from such restricted streets when necessary for the purpose of making pickups or deliveries of goods, wares, or merchandise from or to any building or structure located on such restricted streets 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 such restricted street for which a building permit has previously been obtained therefor; nor shall it apply to any vehicle owned by a public utility while necessarily in use in the construction, installation or repair of any public utility.

(a) The director of public works may, by written permit, authorize the operation and moving of vehicles and loads upon streets of the city with a maximum gross weight in excess of the maximum gross weight of vehicles and loads specified in the California Vehicle Code. Such excess gross weight vehicles shall not operate or move on city streets without such permit. The permit shall be granted under such conditions and upon depositing such bond as the director of public works may require, and a copy shall be furnished the chief of police.

(b) This section shall have no application to highways in the State Highway System.

(Source: Ordinance No. 1753.)