Numerous complaints about safety and eyesores have prompted Manteca officials to propose tougher rules governing the parking of oversized vehicles.

Ordinance modifications recommended by Police Chief Jodie Estarziau would:

make rules about oversized vehicle parking apply to all streets and not just residential streets.

reduce the time for loading, unloading, or cleaning such oversized vehicles from 72 hours to 24 hours.

place a 2 hour limit for unhitched trailers to be left on any street and not just residential streets.

essentially ban the parking of semi-trucks on any public street or alley unless they are being loaded, unloaded or cleaned and then it can not be there for more than 24 hours.

A PowerPoint the police chief will share with the City Council when they meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St., incudes photos of RVs parked along city parks at night, unhitched trailers with personal water craft and tarped covered items, countless campers and RVs, and unhitched and unloaded trailers.

The most pressing reason given to justify the tightening of the rules are an upswing in complaints that the oversized vehicles are severely impacting sight lines making traveling city streets more precarious for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.

The ordinance changes will apply to semi-trucks that pose the biggest risk for motorists and pedestrians trying to cross higher speed streets such as Moffat Boulevard where it is often impossible to see around the trucks without pedestrians stepping into — or motorists inching out — into the travel lane.

The city ordinance being proposed for amendment — Chapter 10.46 Parking of Oversized Vehicles — under findings specifically states “parking residential vehicles and trailers on streets interferes with the normal flow of vehicle traffic, parking effects the safety of drivers using such streets, and creates visual obstacles for motorists and pedestrians.”

Under definitions it states that oversized vehicle “means any vehicle, including marine vessels, which exceeds the following criteria: 1. Twenty feet in length; or 2. Seven feet in height; or 3. Seven feet in width.” It goes on to state that “trailer” means  “trailer, semi-trailer, camp trailer, unmounted camper or trailer coach as defined in the California Vehicle Code.”

By chance on Wednesday morning there were two unhitched semi-trailers left on Moffat sometime before dawn — one before the intersection at Cowell Street and one near an intersection by Manteca High — that remained there throughout the day before being moved.

Given semi-trailers are part of the definition, charges to the section dealing with exceptions to parking prohibitions makes it clear that semi-trailers whether or not  they are attached to a tractor trailer as well as other oversized vehicles cannot be parked on any city street “Monday through Fridays, exclusive, federally observed holidays excepted.”

That would mean semi-truck parking except for specific exceptions is not allowed even along designated truck routes such as Moffat Boulevard and Lathrop Road except on Saturdays and Sundays as well as federal holidays

The exceptions to the prohibition would be:

making emergency repairs to an oversized vehicle not exceeding 24 hours.

the picking up or the delivering of goods.

any person holding a valid oversized parking permit issued by the city.

public emergency vehicles.

any person parking their vehicle or trailer on a street within a space already designated for timed parking.

trailers owned by a public utility or a licensed contractor while actually in use during the construction installation, or repair of any public utility.

By dropping specific references to just residential streets and making the ordinance apply to all city streets the long standing practice of drivers parking their rigs along Main Street and Airport Way just off the 120 Bypass as well as elsewhere in Manteca when they are home during runs would be illegal.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com