If there’s no red curb, can you legally park beside a fire hydrant? – Press Telegram

P: Chuck Call of Menifee asked if he can park legally next to a fire hydrant if there isn’t a red curb there. He said some fire hydrants in Menifee residential areas are not next to the red-painted sidewalks.

A: No, it is illegal to park in front of a fire hydrant regardless of whether the sidewalk is painted red or not. Some municipalities and homeowners associations simply do not paint the edge red to avoid paying for repeated paint jobs after the red paint fades.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles Driver’s Manual clearly states that it is illegal to park less than 15 feet from a fire hydrant or less than 15 feet from the sidewalk of a fire station. In addition, section 22514 of the California Vehicle Code states that you may not leave any vehicle within 15 feet of a fire hydrant unless the vehicle is serviced by a licensed driver who is seated in the front seat and can move the vehicle. vehicle immediately if necessary; unless the local authority (city or county) adopts an ordinance that reduces that distance and if the distance is less than 10 feet there must be signage; or unless the vehicle is owned or operated by a fire department and is clearly marked as a vehicle by the fire department. Anyone who sees a vehicle illegally blocking a fire hydrant can call the police to get it started.

P: David Zarbok, of San Bernardino County, asked about the Waterman Avenue and Fourth Street area in San Bernardino. East of Waterman, he said, the road is very rugged and several years old. Zarbok thinks the area is in San Bernardino County and not within the city limits. He asked who to contact to repair this road.

A: If part of the road is within the city limits, then the Department of Public Works of the city of San Bernardino (https://sbcity.org/cityhall/publicworks/default.asp) would be the agency to contact. Our reader may attempt to send an e – mail to Daniel Hernández, director of Public Works of the city, a Hernandez_Da@sbcity.org or call 909-384-5140. Outside the city limits, the agency to contact for county road maintenance is likely to be the San Bernardino County Department of Public Works (https://cms.sbcounty.gov/dpw/Transportation.aspx or https://cms.sbcounty.gov/dpw/Home/ContactUs.aspx for a list of contacts and phone numbers).

In the event that there is another responsible agency (perhaps Caltrans), the city or city council may refer our reader to the appropriate agency. Caltrans has an office in San Bernardino and can be contacted at 909-383-4631.