An appeals court ruled Thursday in favor of the city of Santa Clarita, as well as three other Los Angeles County cities, upholding a ban on trailer-mounted mobile billboard signs in the city.

“The city is happy that the court upheld our ability to restrict these trailer mounted signs,” said Jason Crawford, the planning and economic development manager for the city of Santa Clarita.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals made the ruling against owners of mobile billboards, who had sued claiming the ordinances violated their first amendment rights.

The city restrict mobile billboards for a variety of reasons, including to prevent traffic congestion, improve visibility on the road and to uphold the aesthetic of the city.

“It’s been a part of our sign ordinance for as long as i can remember,” said Crawford. “But even with the restrictions people were still doing it.”

He added that in recent years the city has stepped up responses whenever these signs are used in the city.

Crawford said that this ruling acknowledges that the concerns around these billboards are legitimate and the way the city enforces them is within the law.

“Sometimes when they weren’t blocking traffic lanes, they were blocking parking spots that our businesses and residents wanted to use,” said Crawford, “We restrict those for traffic, safety and aesthetic reasons.”