Cape Coral to Stop Commercial Trucks from Parking on Public Streets, $100 Fines Coming

Cape Coral, Florida, will start enforcing a new ordinance on Oct. 1, which prohibits commercial trucks and trailers from parking on public property. The city hopes the law will help limit commercial vehicle storage for the long term and reduce street congestion for our residents, as well as improve the safety of our residents. Violations will result in a $100 fine, with higher penalties for vehicles parked in handicap spaces.

Mayor John Gunter clarified that the ordinance applies only to public rights-of-way and does not affect private driveways. "This has nothing to do with parking vehicles in your driveway," said Gunter. "This is only for your public rights-of-way throughout the city."
The ordinance includes exceptions, such as allowing commercial vehicles like lawn care trucks to park for up to two hours in paved rights-of-way for service purposes. 

Additional allowances are included for service visits, construction projects with approved plans, and emergencies permitting 24-hour parking. Passenger car parking remains unaffected by the regulation.

Enforcement will be carried out by police officers, who will assess each situation to determine whether to issue a verbal warning, written warning, or citation. "The police officer would look at all of the facts and make a determination whether it be a written warning, verbal warning, or citation," said Gunter. Specific enforcement procedures have not been established yet.

Business owners are concerned over the impact it would have on them, not only the obvious logistical issues, but the additional costs and logistics as well. Local moving companies are more opposed to anything that would place additional expenses on their customers. "We charge off the time and distance, right? Especially if we're doing a 500-foot walk from your house to our vehicle. Yeah, we're gonna charge you more," said Gunthner.

For some companies, compliance with the ordinance will require maintaining strict driving records to prevent insurance costs from rising. "That could affect our drivers," Balart said. "We have to keep all our guys' driving records completely clean — no speeding tickets, no parking tickets. If not, our insurance rates go up."

City officials emphasize that the regulation is part of broader efforts to keep streets clear and safe for residents while accommodating necessary service vehicles and emergencies.