INLAND EMPIRE, CALIFORNIA — California Attorney General Rob Bonta has sent enforcement letters to Riverside County and seven cities — Chino, Moreno Valley, Perris, Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto, Riverside, and Ontario — alleging they failed to comply with a state law requiring truck routes to be redrawn away from residential areas and sensitive locations like schools, daycares, parks, and hospitals by January 1, 2026.
The letters, announced October 5, cite violations of Assembly Bill 98, which requires jurisdictions in California’s highest-concentration warehouse region to redesign their truck routes to minimize exposure to communities bearing the heaviest burden of diesel truck traffic.
For residents of cities like Fontana and Rialto, the issue is not abstract. Martha Arias, a Fontana resident of 34 years, told KTLA that semi-truck traffic has grown exponentially and her house shakes when trucks turn around in the middle of the night. “The trucks shouldn’t be coming over here, but they do anyway,” she said.
Ana Gonzalez, executive director of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice and a North Rialto resident, said her involvement in the issue began after her son was diagnosed with asthma — which she attributes to their proximity to warehouse pollution and heavy truck traffic. Her organization has attended city council meetings for years trying to push change.
“The community is tired of advocating and screaming from the top of their lungs that there is a problem in their community,” Gonzalez said. “We were able to provide at least two years for cities to get into compliance and some of these cities started at the end of last year, so they didn’t get to meet their deadline.”
Bonta said the stakes are real for residents. “Trucks travelling to and from warehouses emit nitrogen oxide and diesel particulate matter, which contribute to smog formation and the development of health problems like asthma, cancer, and heart disease. Trucks can also create noise pollution and create safety issues like traffic jams, deterioration of road surfaces, and traffic accidents.”
Several of the cited jurisdictions said they are actively working toward compliance. Rancho Cucamonga said it adopted a General Plan amendment on December 17, 2025, prior to the statutory deadline and is working with the AG’s office to confirm compliance. Rialto noted it has been implementing truck route restrictions since 2004 and is working with the AG to update its status. Perris cited the need for additional technical analysis in response to public comment as the cause of its delay, saying it had not been due to inaction. Riverside County said it is actively developing draft routes using community input and moving through the required steps.
Interviews courtesy of local media.
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