Bell Municipal Code Ch. 10.28 Stopping, Standing and Parking Generally

The provisions of this chapter prohibiting the stopping, standing or parking of a vehicle shall apply at all times or at those times specified, except when it is necessary to stop a vehicle to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or official traffic-control device.

(Prior code § 3190)

The city traffic engineer is directed to maintain, by appropriate signs or by paint upon the curb surface, all no-stopping zones, parking areas, and restricted parking areas, as defined and described in this chapter.

(Prior code § 3192)

The city traffic engineer is authorized and required, subject to the provisions and limitations of this chapter, to place the following curb markings to indicate parking or standing regulations, and such curb markings shall have the meanings as set forth in this section.

A. Red means no stopping, standing or parking at any time except as permitted by the Vehicle Code, and except that a bus may stop in a red zone marked or signed as a bus zone.

B. Yellow means no stopping, standing or parking at any time between seven a.m. and six p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays for any purpose other than the loading or unloading of passengers or materials, provided that the loading or unloading of passengers shall not consume more than three minutes nor the loading or unloading of materials more than 20 minutes.

C. White means no stopping, standing or parking for any purpose other than loading or unloading of passengers, or for the purpose of depositing mail in an adjacent mailbox, which shall not exceed three minutes and such restrictions shall apply between seven a.m. and six p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays and except as follows:

1. When such zone is in front of a hotel or in front of a mailbox the restrictions shall apply at all times;

2. When such zone is in front of a theater, the restrictions shall apply at all times except when such theater is closed.

D. When the city traffic engineer as authorized under this chapter has caused curb markings to be placed, no person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle adjacent to any such legible curb marking in violation of any of the provisions of this section.

(Prior code § 3222)

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle within any parkway.

(Prior code § 3191)

No owner and/or operator of any motor vehicle shall stop, stand, park or leave standing such vehicle in any of the following places, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the direction of a police officer or other authorized officer, or traffic sign or signal:

A. Within or alongside of any divisional island unless authorized and clearly indicated with appropriate signs or markings;

B. Upon, along or across any railway track in such manner as to hinder, delay or obstruct the movement of any train traveling upon such track;

C. On any street or alley where the restricted use of such street or alley or a portion thereof, is necessary for the cleaning, repair or construction of the street or highway or the installation of underground utilities or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is authorized for a purpose other than the normal flow of traffic or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is necessary for the movement of equipment, articles or structures of unusual size, and the parking of such vehicle would prohibit or interfere with such use or movement; provided that signs giving notice of such restriction are erected or placed in such areas;

D. At any place within 20 feet of a point on the curb immediately opposite the mid-block end of a safety zone, when such place is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface;

E. At any place within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection in any business district when such place is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface except that a bus may stop at a designated bus stop;

F. At any location where the city traffic engineer determines that parking or stopping of a vehicle would constitute a traffic hazard or would endanger life or property, when such area is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface;

G. At any location established by resolution of the council as a no-parking area, when such area is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface;

H. At the approaches to any traffic signal, boulevard stop sign, or official electric flashing device, within a distance determined by the city traffic engineer to be sufficient to permit a safe orderly movement of traffic at the location of such traffic devices.

(Prior code § 3193)

No person who owns or has possession, custody or control of any vehicle shall park such vehicle upon any street or alley, where all-night parking is not prohibited, for more than a consecutive period of 72 hours.

(Prior code § 3194)

The city traffic engineer is authorized to place signs or markings indicating no parking upon any street when the width of the roadway does not exceed 20 feet, or upon one side of a street as indicated by such signs or markings when the width of the roadway does not exceed 30 feet.

(Prior code § 3198)

No person shall park or leave standing any vehicle unattended on a highway when upon any grade exceeding three percent without blocking the wheels of such vehicle by turning them against the curb or by other means.

(Prior code § 3199)

The city traffic engineer is authorized to erect signs indicating no parking upon that side of any street adjacent to any school property when such parking would, in his or her opinion, interfere with traffic or create a hazardous situation.

(Prior code § 3200)

A. Whenever the city traffic engineer shall determine that an emergency traffic congestion is likely to result from the holding of public or private assemblages, gatherings, or functions, or for other reasons, the city traffic engineer shall have power and authority to order temporary signs to be erected or posted indicating that the operation, parking or standing of vehicles is prohibited on such streets and alleys as the city traffic engineer shall direct during the time such temporary signs are in place. Such signs shall remain in place only during the existence of such emergency and the city traffic engineer shall cause such signs to be removed promptly thereafter.

B. When signs authorized by the provisions of this section are in place giving notice thereof, no person shall operate, park or stand any vehicle contrary to the directions and provisions of such signs.

(Prior code § 3202)

A. Green curb marking means no standing or parking for a period of time longer than 20 minutes at any time between nine a.m. and six p.m. on any day except Sundays and holidays.

B. When authorized signs, or curb markings have been placed in areas designated by the city traffic engineer, giving notice thereof, no operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand or park any motor vehicle adjacent to any such area for a period of time in excess of 20 minutes.

(Prior code § 3210)

When authorized signs or curb markings have been placed in areas designated by the city traffic engineer, giving notice thereof, no operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand or park such vehicle in such areas between the hours of eight a.m. and six p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays for a period of time longer than one hour.

(Prior code § 3211)

When authorized signs or curb markings have been placed in areas designated by the city traffic engineer, giving notice thereof, no operator of any motor vehicle shall stop, stand or park such vehicle in such area between the hours of eight a.m. and six p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays for a period of time longer than two hours.

(Prior code § 3212)

The chief administrative officer may, for good cause, order the temporary removal of the parking limitation established pursuant to this section and Section 10.28.130 of this chapter for days or portions of days other than Sundays or holidays. Upon receipt of such an order from the chief administrative officer, the city traffic engineer shall proceed to remove or cover the parking limitations signs and curb markings for the duration of the parking limitation temporary removal period.

(Prior code § 3219)

A. Subject to other and more restrictive limitations, a vehicle shall be stopped or parked within 18 inches of the curb facing in the direction of traffic movement upon any street unless signs are in place prohibiting such stopping or standing.

B. In the event a street includes two or more separate roadways and traffic is restricted to one direction upon any such roadway, no person shall stand or park a vehicle upon the left-hand side of such one-way roadway unless signs are in place permitting such standing or parking.

C. The city traffic engineer is authorized to determine when standing or parking shall be prohibited upon the left-hand side of any one-way street or when standing or parking may be permitted upon the left-hand side of any one-way roadway of a highway having two or more separate roadways and shall erect signs giving notice thereof.

D. The requirement of parallel parking imposed by this section shall not apply in the event any commercial vehicle is actually engaged in the process of loading or unloading freight or goods, in which case such vehicle does not extend beyond the centerline of the street and does not block traffic thereby.

(Prior code § 3213)

A. On any of the streets or portions of streets established by resolution of the council as diagonal parking zones, when signs or pavement markings are in place indicating such diagonal parking, it is unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to park the vehicle except:

1. At the angle to the curb indicated by signs or pavement markings allotting space to parked vehicles and entirely within the limits of the allotted space;

2. With the front wheel nearest the curb within six inches of the curb.

B. The provisions of this section shall not apply when such vehicle is actually engaged in the process of loading or unloading passengers, freight or goods, in which event the provisions of Section 10.28.150(D) of this chapter shall be complied with.

(Prior code § 3214)

A. The city traffic engineer is authorized to install and maintain parking space markings to indicate parking spaces adjacent to curbs where parking is permitted.

B. When such parking space markings are placed on the highway, subject to other and more restrictive limitations, no vehicle shall be stopped, left standing or parked other than within a single space unless the size or shape of such vehicle makes compliance impossible.

(Prior code § 3215)

A. The city traffic engineer shall designate established no-stopping zones by placing and maintaining appropriate signs indicating that stopping of vehicles is prohibited and indicating the hours and days when stopping is prohibited.

B. During the hours and on the days designated on such signs, it is unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to stop such vehicle on any of the streets or parts of streets established by resolution of the council as no-stopping zones.

(Prior code § 3216)

A. No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle on any street for any period of time between the hours of two a.m. and five a.m. of any day; provided that this section shall not apply to a vehicle of any licensed physician or ordained minister when actually engaged in making professional calls.

B. Eastern Avenue shall be excepted from the parking prohibitions set forth in this section.

C. The chief of police may issue a permit for overnight parking if he or she finds that any of the following conditions exist:

1. A vehicle is disabled and cannot be conveniently or easily moved the day that such disability occurs;

2. There is no off-street parking for an out-of-town visitor to a local resident;

3. Construction in progress on the premises of the owner or occupant makes it impossible or impractical to park a vehicle on the premises;

4. Street construction or repair in progress makes it impossible or impractical to park a vehicle on the premises of the owner or occupant.

D. The chief of police shall keep and maintain an accurate record of all permits issued pursuant to the provisions of this section and shall have the authority to deny a permit if he or she finds that any person is misusing or abusing the privileges or exceptions granted pursuant to this section.

(Prior code § 3217; Ord. 1146 § 1, 2002)

A. No person shall park or leave standing any commercial vehicle having a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000 pounds or more on any city street. For purposes of this section, a "commercial vehicle" means a vehicle of a type used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation or profit, or designed, used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.

B. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any vehicle owned by a public utility or a licensed contractor while necessarily in use in the construction, installation or repair of any public utility, or to any vehicle actually being used for the pickup or delivery of goods, wares and merchandise or for the delivery of materials to be used in the repair, alteration, remodeling or construction of any building.

(Prior code § 3218; Ord. 1133 § 1, 1998)

A. No person shall park or leave standing any trailer, semitrailer or trailer coach on any city street unless the same is attached to a vehicle capable of moving the trailer, semitrailer or trailer coach in a normal manner upon the street.

B. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any trailer, semitrailer or trailer coach owned by a public utility or a licensed contractor while actually then in use in the construction, installation or repair of any public utility, or to any trailer, semi-trailer or trailer coach which is actually then in use for the pickup or delivery of goods, wares and merchandise or for the delivery of materials to be used in the repair, alteration, remodeling or construction of any building.

(Prior code § 3220)

A. No person shall stop, stand, park or leave standing, any motor vehicle, as that phrase is defined in the Vehicle Code of the State of California, whether attended or unattended, on any private property within the city, except with the consent of the owner or person in possession of such private property. Such consent, for the purpose of this section, shall be deemed, for all purposes, not to have been given if the private property has displayed thereon, in plain view, a sign which:

1. States that public parking is prohibited; and

2. Refers to this code section; and

3. Contains the telephone number of the Bell police department.

B. The owners or persons in lawful possession of such private property may cause vehicles parked in violation of subsection A of this section to be removed in accordance with the provisions of the Vehicle Code of the State of California.

(Prior code §§ 3280, 3281)

It is unlawful for any person to stop, park or leave standing any vehicle on any municipally owned or operated off-street parking facility at any place, location or stall thereon where a conspicuous sign has been erected indicating that such place, location or stall is reserved for a particular individual, officer or employee.

(Pr or code § 3283)