By Mary O’KEEFE

Signs banning big rig parking are being prepared and soon Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Works will be placing them around the La Crescenta area.

The L.A. County board of supervisors approved the ban that would affect commercial vehicles weighing in excess of five tons from parking along the streets and alleys of unincorporated L.A. County/ La Crescenta and Montrose.

Big rigs have been a topic of conversation at several meetings of the Crescenta Valley Town Council. In those meetings the public and councilmembers voiced concerns not only about those big rig drivers who park to sleep, but also those who park their semi-trucks on local streets for days, and sometimes weeks.

The CVTC invited public works and law enforcement to the meetings to discuss similar bans in nearby areas including La Cañada, Glendale and Altadena.

“The [La Crescenta] ban is [similar] to Altadena,” said Kerjon Lee, public affairs manager, L.A. County public works.

In addition to public meetings, the CVTC conducted a survey on its website. The public voted overwhelmingly for the ban. The council then sent a letter to L.A. County Supervisor Michael Antonovich who brought it before the board.

“The ordinance is in effect now but it will not be enforced until the appropriate signage is posted,” Lee said.

“Although the ban does include commercial trucks in excess of 10,000 pounds from parking on streets and alleys, it also makes allowances for the loading and unloading of these vehicles, as well as their use in construction and service-related activities,” Antonovich’s office stated in a release.

“I think [the ban] matches with what the community wanted,” said Robbyn Battles, president of CVTC.

Opposition to the ban came from those who voiced concerns that it was unfair to big rig owners and operators. During discussions both Battles and CVTC vice president Harry Leon both emphasized it was not the drivers who were tired and pulled over for safety but those using local streets as storage for their big rigs who are the target of the ban.

The signs are expected to be up within four weeks. At that time CHP and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept. can begin issuing citations.

  Mary Okeefe