Chino Hills, CA – At the November 22, 2022, Council Meeting, the Chino Hills City Council unanimously voted to adopt an ordinance to prohibit large semi-trucks from traveling along the Chino Hills portion of Carbon Canyon Road (SR-142) which includes the narrow S-curves. While this is a significant step towards improving safety and mobility by restricting truck traffic in Carbon Canyon, a similar ordinance must be adopted by the City of Brea and approved by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) before it can be enforced by the City of Chino Hills.

“As a resident of Carbon Canyon for over 30 years, I have seen firsthand the danger semi-trucks traveling through the Canyon pose to our residents and commuters’ safety,” said Mayor Peter Rogers. “Our past and present City Council Members and City leaders have worked tirelessly towards enforceable action to restrict truck traffic on this State highway, and it is encouraging to finally see progress being made.”

SR-142 is a two-lane highway that is considered a principal arterial in the national highway system and the responsibility of the State of California with two different Caltrans Districts responsible for its maintenance. The Carbon Canyon road portion of the SR-142 corridor extends from Chino Hills Parkway in Chino Hills on the north to Valencia Avenue in Brea on the south. Caltrans District 8 maintains the Chino Hills side to the County line and District 12 maintains the Brea side to the County line. The 8.4 mile stretch of roadway is often congested or even blocked for hours at a time as a result of semi-trucks using the roadway as an alternative route and not being able to clear the narrow turns at the S-curve switchbacks. In some cases, semi-trucks have even collided with passenger vehicles.

Under the new ordinance, vehicles with more than four axles would be prohibited from traveling through Carbon Canyon Road as an alternative route to regional freeways such as State Route 57, State Route 60, and State Route 91. A semi-truck when attached to a trailer consists of five axles. Vehicles over four axles would still be permitted when necessary to provide goods or services to residents within Carbon Canyon or when directly related to City business.

City Council Members and City leaders have expressed concern over resident and commuter safety throughout the corridor for over 20 years. After many discussions with Caltrans, the City of Chino Hills formally began the effort to identify a solution to truck traffic issues along Carbon Canyon Road in 2016. The City held numerous meetings with Caltrans District 8 officials and staff from the City of Brea on how the three agencies could work together to reduce truck traffic on the highway and enhance vehicle safety for residents of both cities.

Since then, the City of Chino Hills retained Iteris Inc., a global leader in technology-driven mobility infrastructure management, and funded three different traffic studies in 2017, 2018, and 2021 at a cost of $113,167. The studies have all been supported by the City of Brea and Caltrans. In 2019, the City of Chino Hills and City of Brea adopted similar resolutions to formally express a strong desire to prohibit excessively large trucks from utilizing this highway.

The new City ordinance to formally prohibit large truck traffic and allow for enforcement is a result of the latest 2021 Truck Restriction Study and one of the many steps the City has taken towards improving vehicle safety along the highway. The ordinance will not be enforceable until Caltrans issues final approval. The next step is for the City of Brea to review and consider adopting a similar ordinance. Once an ordinance is approved by both Cities, the respective Caltrans Districts will review the study and submit their recommendation to Caltrans Headquarters. If approved, the Caltrans Director will issue a written approval of the ordinances, allowing each respective City to install signage and to then enforce the restriction by local law enforcement agencies.

“As Chino Hills and our surrounding cities have grown, we have heard the concern loud and clear from our residents that something needs to be done about semi-trucks in Carbon Canyon,” said Councilmember Ray Marquez. “Thank you to Caltrans and to the City of Brea Council Members and City officials for their partnership and support on this very important issue in our community.”

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