Residents on Stanford Distraught with Truck Traffic

The residents in South Gate with concerns about truck traffic.  The inhabitants of Stanford Avenue are also unhappy with the traffic on their street.  They believe that the narrowness of Stanford Avenue has made it more likely for trucks to have accidents.

“We are always worried, ” said Olivia Carmona, 64, whose home is located on Stanford Avenue. “Two cars can barely fit in this road.”

Residents claim that truck drivers are having a difficult time driving through the street.

“You worry about the safety of your cars and property,” said Walter Perez, 30, a resident who lives on Sequoia Drive, but close to its intersection with Stanford Avenue. “Especially when you see trucks trying to get around some of the tight corners.”

Other residents, such as Diego Carmona, 40, allege to have already been victims of poor driving.

“My truck was damaged,” said Carmona, whose parked pickup truck was pushed two years ago on to the curb after a truck allegedly bashed into it. “As a truck driver, I would turn away from these streets.”

Carmona was not there to see the crash. However, witnesses told him that it was a truck.  The driver responsible for this has yet to be found.

Property damage is not the only concern of residents. Parents are also worried about the safety of their children.  

“These streets are used by a lot of parents and their kids,” said Yesenia Mendoza, 38, a Stanford Avenue mother with five children. “There are also a lot of schools in this area.”

The residents are also starting to worry about damage to trees. Last month, a truck supposedly knocked over a tree branch.

“What if a child or car had been under that tree?” asked Crystal Torres, 26, of Stanford Avenue. “We are all very concerned.”

The South Gate Police Department (SGPD) is aware of these anxieties and claims to be looking into ways to address them.

“Commercial truck traffic is occasionally a problem in residential areas on the west side of South Gate,” said Captain Keith Hupp of the SGPD. “This usually happens when the truck drivers are not familiar with the area and read the map incorrectly.”

A lot of these trucks are on their way to businesses located on Little Alameda Street.

In an attempt to remedy the situation the SGPD is reaching out to businesses and requesting that their delivery drivers use only Little Alameda Street.

The South Gate Public Works Department admits to not being too familiar with the trucking problems of Stanford Avenue and Sequoia Drive. However, they want to know more and encourage residents to get in contact with them.

“I would suggest that they come to the public works counter [in ],” said Scott Ma, a traffic consultant who works with the city of South Gate.  “They can talk to our engineering staff, we can look at the issues, and see what can be done.” 

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