Riverside County Municipal Code Ch. 10.32 Miscellaneous Traffic Regulations

A. Pursuant to Section 21657 of the California Vehicle Code, one-way highways requiring that vehicular traffic shall proceed in one direction at all or such times as shall be indicated by official traffic control devices, may be established by the board of supervisors upon county highways.

B. The transportation director of Riverside County shall, on the streets so designated, place and maintain appropriate signs and other traffic markings at all intersections of roads so provided necessary to give notice of the one-way direction. No such regulation shall be effective until signs or markings are in place.

C. Any person, who violates the provisions of subsection A of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail for not exceeding five days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(Ord. 802 § 1(i), 2000; Ord. 798 § 2I and J, 1999; Ord. 512.1 § 1, 2000; Ord. 512 §§ 1—3, 1967)

A. The county road commissioner is authorized to place and maintain on county highways in mountain areas where winter snow conditions are a traffic hazard signs bearing appropriate words to require the use of tire chains on all motor vehicles using such highways when snow or ice conditions constitute a hazard. Such signs may be removable or adjustable so as to be readily placed in use and made visible when conditions require, and to be covered or otherwise not in view when not required.

B. The county road commissioner and his or her employees, the sheriff and his or her deputies, and any officer of the California Highway Patrol are authorized to place such signs in use when snow or ice conditions on such highways are such as in their judgment as to constitute a traffic hazard, and to remove or withdraw such signs when no longer needed.

C. When such a sign has been placed in use and there is snow or ice on such highway, every motor vehicle using such highway shall be equipped with tire chains installed on at least two drive wheels, or snow-tread tires if permitted by law.

(Ord. 446.1 §§ 1—3, 1970)

A. Findings. The board of supervisors find that as Riverside County continues to grow and become more urbanized many highways, roads and bridges within residential areas are not suitable for use by certain vehicles.

B. Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to enable the county to regulate vehicles traffic on highways, roads and bridges in or near residential areas pursuant to provisions in the California Vehicle Code so as to improve quality of life and traffic safety.

C. Authority. This chapter is adopted pursuant to California Vehicle Code Section 21101, Sections 35701 through 35714, and Section 42030.1. Taken together, these sections authorize Riverside County to prohibit any commercial vehicle exceeding a certain manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating, subject to certain exemptions, from using certain highways within residential areas. These sections also authorize Riverside County to reduce the permissible weight of vehicles and loads upon unimproved county highways or county bridges. Section 42030.1 provides the table of monetary fines for violations of this chapter.

D. Exempt vehicles. This chapter shall not apply to or regulate the following:

1. Any commercial vehicle coming from an unrestricted county highway, unimproved county highway, CSA road or county bridge having ingress and egress by direct route to and from an restricted county highway, unimproved county highway, CSA road or county bridge when necessary for the purpose of making pickups or deliveries of goods, wares, and merchandise from or to any building structure located on the restricted county highway, unimproved county highway, CSA road or county bridge or for the purpose of delivering materials to be used in the actual and bona fide repair, alterations, remodeling or construction of any building or structure upon the restricted county highway, unimproved county highway, CSA road or county bridge for which a building permit has a previously been obtained.

2. Any vehicle owned by a public utility or a licensed contractor while necessarily in use in the construction, installation, or repair of any public utility.

3. School buses and public transit buses.

4. Vehicles that have been issued and display a permit pursuant to County Ordinance No. 449 "Relating to Encroachments on County Highways", or County Ordinance No. 524 "Regulating Oversize and Overweight Vehicles and Loads".

5. Vehicles that are allowed to be parked on private property owned by the owner of the vehicle pursuant to County Ordinance No. 348 "Providing for Land Use Planning and Zoning Regulations and Related Functions of the County of Riverside", when using the most direct route from an unrestricted county highway, unimproved county highway, CSA road or county bridge to access the vehicle owner's property.

6. Emergency response vehicles.

7. Hearses.

8. Any commercial vehicle using any county highway, unimproved county highway, CSA road or county bridge by direct route to or from a state highway for the purpose of delivering or loading for transportation goods, wares, or merchandise.

9. Vehicles operated as an incident to any industrial, commercial or agricultural enterprise conducted within the boundaries of the unincorporated residential subdivision area.

E. Definitions. The following definitions apply to this chapter:

"Commercial vehicle." Any vehicle of a type that is required to be registered under the California Vehicle Code used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit or designed, or used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.

"County bridges." Any structures carrying a county highway or CSA road over or across a depression or obstacle.

"County highways." Any streets, roads or highways that have been accepted into the county-maintained road system and are maintained by the Riverside County Transportation Department.

"CSA roads." Any streets, roads and highways that have been dedicated and accepted by the county as public use roads, and are maintained by a county service area (CSA).

"Director of transportation." The Director of the Riverside County Transportation Department and functional equivalent of "road commissioner" as used in the California Vehicle Code.

"Identified." Identified by the board of supervisors in the manner described in subsection G. of this section.

"Residential area." A neighborhood where the prevailing land use is primarily residential including, but not limited to, a residence district.

"Residence district." That portion of a highway and the property contiguous thereto, other than a business district, (a) upon one side of which highway, within a distance of a quarter of a mile, the contiguous property fronting thereon is occupied by thirteen (13) or more separate dwelling houses or business structures, or (b) upon both sides of which highway collectively, within a distance of a quarter of a mile, the contiguous property fronting thereon is occupied by sixteen (16) or more separate dwelling houses or business structures. A residence district may be longer than one-quarter of a mile if the above ratio of separate dwelling houses or business structures to the length of the highway exists.

"Restricted." Limited to use by vehicles that do not exceed maximum permissible weight prohibitions.

"Unimproved." Not built to a standard or quality sufficient for acceptance into the county maintained road system and not maintained by the Riverside County Transportation Department.

"Unrestricted." Not confined to use solely by vehicles weighing under a maximum weight.

F. Weight prohibitions and reductions.

1. Pursuant to California Vehicle Code Sections 21101 (c) and 35712 (a), the board of supervisors hereby prohibits any commercial vehicle exceeding a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of fourteen thousand (14,000) pounds (seven tons) from using any identified county highways or identified CSA roads within a residential area for any duration of the day or from using any identified county highways or identified CSA roads if the use of such highways or roads may adversely affect safety within a residential area.

2. Pursuant to California Vehicle Code Section 35706, the board of supervisors hereby reduces the permissible weight of vehicles and loads upon identified unimproved county highways and identified county bridges.

G. Identification of affected county highways, unimproved county highways, CSA roads and county bridges. Upon recommendation of the director of transportation and based on an engineering study, the board of supervisors hereby identify those county highways, unimproved county highways, CSA roads and county bridges to which the weight prohibitions and reductions described in subsection F. of this section apply.

1. Identified county highways.

a. On Sycamore Canyon Boulevard between Central Avenue and the City of Riverside, a total of approximately 0.61 miles in the Riverside area. The alternate route for this restriction is designated in subsection I.1.a of this section.

b. On Washington Street between Van Buren Boulevard and Hermosa Drive, a total of approximately 1.76 miles, in the Woodcrest area. The alternate route for this restriction is designated in subsection I.1.b of this section.

c. On De Palma Road between Indian Truck Trail and Horsethief Canyon Road, a total of approximately 1.69 miles, in the Temescal Canyon area. The alternate route for this restriction is designated in subsection I.1.c.(i) of this section.

d. On Campbell Ranch Road between Indian Truck Trail and Temescal Canyon Road, a total distance of approximately 1.54 miles, in the Temescal Canyon area. The alternate route for this restriction is designated in subsection I.1.c.(ii) of this section.

e. On Seaton Avenue between Cajalco Road and Markham Street, a total distance of approximately 1.00 miles, in the Perris area. The alternate route for this restriction is designated in subsection I.1.d of this section.

f. On Indiana Avenue between Neece Street and Grant Street, a total of approximately 0.45 miles in the Home Gardens area. The alternate route for this restriction is designated in subsection I.1.e of this section.

g. On Indiana Avenue between Grant Street and Hillview Drive (at the City of Riverside limits), a total of approximately 1.45 miles, in the Home Gardens area. The alternate route for this restriction is designated in subsection I.1.e of this section.

h. On Temescal Canyon Road between Tom Barnes Street and Minnesota Road, a total of approximately 0.67 miles, in the El Cerrito area. The alternate route for this restriction is designated in subsection I.1.f of this section.

2. Identified unimproved county highways.

3. Identified CSA roads.

4. Identified county bridges.

H. Sign requirements. Any restriction of a county highway, unimproved county highway, CSA road or county bridge identified in subsection G. of this section shall not be effective until the director of transportation posts signs indicating that a vehicle weight restriction is in effect and indicating either the places affected or the places not affected, as the director of transportation may determine will best serve to give notice of a weight restriction to the motoring public.

I. Alternate route designation. Restrictions of county highways, unimproved county highways, CSA roads or county bridges identified in subsection G. of this section shall not be effective unless the board of supervisors also designates an alternate route for such affected vehicles which shall remain unrestricted by any local regulation as to those affected vehicles so long as the vehicle weight prohibition or reduction shall remain in effect.

1. Identified alternate route designations. The board of supervisors hereby designates the following alternate routes for identified restricted county highways, unimproved county highways, CSA roads or county bridges:

a. Interstate 215/State Route 60.

b. Van Buren Boulevard.

c. Temescal Canyon Road between:

(i) Indian Truck Trail and Horsethief Canyon Road, and

(ii) Campbell Ranch Road and Indian Truck Trail.

d. Harvill Avenue.

e. Magnolia Avenue.

f. Interstate 15.

J. Violations and penalties. Every person convicted of a violation of any declared gross vehicle weight limitations provision of this section shall be punished by a fine that equals the appropriate amount specified in Vehicle Code Section 42030.1.

K. Severability. If any provision, clause, sentence or paragraph of this section or the application thereof to any person or circumstances shall be held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions of this section which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end, the provisions of this section are hereby declared to be severable.

(Ord. 500.1 §§ 1—10, 2008: Ord. 500 §§ 1, 2, 1964)

(Ord. No. 500.2, §§ 1—11, 3-10-2020; Ord. No. 500.3, §§ 1—5, 6-29-2021)

A. Pursuant to Section 21109 of the Vehicle Code, the board of supervisors may, by resolution, adopt rules and regulations, regulating vehicular and pedestrian traffic in subways, tubes, tunnels, bridges and viaducts in the unincorporated area of the county.

B. No rules and regulations adopted by resolution pursuant to this section shall be effective until:

1. Appropriate signs have been posted giving notice to drivers and pedestrians approaching the structures;

2. Approved in writing by the department of transportation, if the resolution affects a state highway.

C. It is unlawful for any person to violate any of the provisions of this chapter, whether adopted in this chapter or by resolution; provided, however, the provisions do not apply to persons engaged in the performance of official duties or to vehicular travel authorized by a resolution of this board.

D. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter or any of the provisions of a resolution adopted pursuant to this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(Ord. 802 § 2(j), 2000; Ord. 585 §§ 1—4, 1981)