Chino police crack down on big rig drivers using city streets by issuing 400 citations
In a continued effort to keep big rig drivers from flooding the roads around their city, Chino police have issued hundreds of citations to truck drivers in recent months.
Despite the attempted crackdown, trucks still seem to be frequenting the area, much to the chagrin of residents and city officials alike.
"Preferably, I would like to see that the big rigs don't come through here," said William Jimenez, who lives off of Chino Avenue.
He's been in the area for more than two decades, and says that the road has been some sort of beacon for big rigs in recent years, especially after expanding from two lanes to four.
The problem though is that Chino Avenue is a residential road, meaning 18-wheelers aren't permitted to use it on their routes, which is well noted by the signs adorning the street.
Those weren't doing enough apparently, which led city officials to put up a large electric sign to double down on their efforts to deter truckers.
"Chino Avenue is not a designated truck route, nor has it ever been," said Matthew Bramlett, a spokesperson for the city. "What we're doing right now is responding to residential concerns."
They've even reached out to Google to see if they can update their software to show the drivers that Chino Avenue is not a designated area.
On top of this, police have begun to issue citations to big rigs that use the road. In the last year, they've issued more than 400 of the citation — each worth $250.
They say that the issue is much larger than just the noise nuisance usually associated with the semis.
"We also want to maintain our infrastructure," Bramlett said. "Chino Avenue isn't really built for heavy truck traffic, so over time the trucks drive on Chino Avenue, the pavement degrades, cracks start to open up, potholes start to open up."
Chino Avenue isn't the only option for the drivers, officials say. Both Edison Avenue and Riverside Drive, which are large enough to accommodate big rigs, connect to the 71 Freeway.
