MISSION VIEJO : Truck-Ban Proposal to Be Considered

Some commercial trucks would be limited to certain major streets in the city under a plan to be considered by the Traffic and Transportation Commission tonight.

The commission is scheduled to vote on an ordinance that would prohibit trucks carrying more than 3 tons on streets except El Toro Road and Oso Parkway. Such trucks found on other city streets could be issued a traffic citation.

The ordinance would require final approval by the City Council, and officials say the proposed law could come before the council next month.

City officials say they want to guard a recent $1-million investment in road improvements on Alicia Parkway, a major east-west street in the city. The street is expected to become a major route to the Rancho Santa Margarita community when construction is completed on an eastern extension of the road.

Dennis Wilberg, city traffic engineer, said that delivery trucks with destinations at stores within the city would be exempted from the ordinance.

“Our main concern is that a lot of construction trucks heading to sites in Rancho Santa Margarita will use Alicia Parkway,” he said. “We don’t want it torn up.”

Alicia Parkway runs through heavily residential areas of the city, where increased heavy truck traffic would cause other problems, Wilberg said.

Oso Parkway is also a future connection between Interstate 5 and Rancho Santa Margarita. The road extension has been delayed several times, but latest estimates indicate that the street could be open by April, Wilberg said.