Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Ch. 14.28 Miscellaneous Driving Rules

No operator of any vehicle shall drive between the vehicles comprising a funeral procession or a parade, provided that such vehicles are conspicuously so designated. The directing of all vehicles and traffic on any street over which such funeral procession or parade wishes to pass shall be subject to the orders of the Police Department.

No person shall attach himself with his hands, or to catch on, or hold on to with his hands or by other means, to any moving vehicle or train for the purpose of receiving motive power therefrom.

No person shall operate or drive a commercial vehicle in, on or across any private driveway approach or sidewalk area or the driveway itself without the consent of the owner or occupant of the property, if a sign or markings are in place indicating that the use of such driveway is prohibited.

For the purpose of this section a commercial vehicle shall mean a vehicle having a rated capacity in excess of one-half ton.

No person shall ride, drive, propel, or cause to be propelled any vehicle or animal across or upon any sidewalk excepting over permanently constructed driveways and excepting when it is necessary for any temporary purpose to drive a loaded vehicle across a sidewalk; provided further, that said sidewalk area be substantially protected by wooden planks two inches thick, and written permission be previously obtained from the City Traffic Engineer. Such wooden planks shall not be permitted to remain upon such sidewalk area during the hours from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

A. Definitions.

The term "downtown area" refers to that portion of the City of Manhattan Beach west of Ardmore Avenue, east of the mean high tide line north of 8th Street and South of 15th Street.

The term "electric personal assistive mobility device" (which may also be referred to as an EPAMD or Segway) shall mean a self-balancing, non-tandem, two (2) wheeled device that can turn in place, designed to transport only one (1) person, with an electric propulsion system averaging less than seventy-five (75) watts (one (1) horsepower) the maximum speed on which, when powered solely by a propulsion system on a paved level surface is 12.5 miles per hour or less.

The term "pier" shall mean the Manhattan Beach Pier.

The term "strand" shall mean the bicycle and pedestrian walkways which parallel the sandy beach.

B. Regulations. No person shall ride or propel any EPAMD or similar device along, or upon any street, alley, school, public parking lot, parking facility or structure. EPAMDs shall be legal to operate on sidewalks in the City of Manhattan Beach with the following exceptions:

1. EPAMDs shall be prohibited within the Manhattan Beach downtown area.

2. EPAMDs shall be prohibited anywhere on the strand and pier.

3. EPAMDs shall be prohibited if the operator is not wearing a safety helmet which meets the specifications of Vehicle Code Section 21212.

4. EPAMDs shall be prohibited if the operator is under the age of seventeen (17) years old.

5. The Chief of Police is authorized to designate any area within the City where EPAMDs are prohibited and cause the posting as required in this section. This prohibition shall not be effective unless signs are posted on the area in which EPAMD use is prohibited.

6. Any person who is disabled, as defined by Vehicle Code Section 295.5, shall be exempt from the restrictions of this section.

7. City employees conducting City business on City equipment including, but not limited to public safety officers.

C. Any violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor, provided, however that the City Attorney in his or her discretion may file a complaint for violation of this section as an infraction.

(§ 2, Ord. 2095, eff. March 20, 2007)

No person shall ride or drive any animal or any vehicle over or across any newly made pavement or freshly painted markings in any street when a barrier sign, cone marker or other warning device is in place warning persons not to drive over or across such pavement or marking, or when any such device is in place indicating that the street or any portion thereof is closed.

No person, public utility or department in the City shall erect or place any barrier or sign on any street unless of a type approved by the City Traffic Engineer or disobey the instructions, remove, tamper with or destroy any barrier or sign lawfully placed on any street by any person, public utility or by any department of this City.

No person shall operate a vehicle contrary to the directions or provisions of any barrier or sign erected:

A. Pursuant to the provisions of any ordinance of the City, or

B. By any public utility, or

C. By any department of the City, or

D. By any other person pursuant to law or contract with the City, nor shall any unauthorized person move or alter the position of any such barrier or sign.

No operator of any vehicle shall enter any intersection or a marked crosswalk unless there is sufficient space on the other side of the intersection or crosswalk to accommodate the vehicle he is operating without obstructing the passage of other vehicles or pedestrians, notwithstanding any traffic-control signal indication to proceed.

No person shall drive a vehicle onto or from any limited access roadway except at such entrances and exits as are lawfully established.

Unless in compliance with the immediate direction or order of any police officer to the contrary, no person shall back or operate in reverse gear any vehicle on any street within the City for a greater distance than is necessary in order to place such vehicle in position for the lawful operation thereof in a forward direction upon such street.

It is hereby declared unlawful for any person to ride or drive, propel, or cause to be propelled, or park, or cause to be parked or left standing any bicycle, motorcycle, horse or other vehicle upon the municipal wharf or pier, or upon any part thereof, except by permission of the Chief of Police, with the exception of bicycles parked in City-designated bike racks located on the east section of the municipal wharf or pier adjacent to the foot of Manhattan Beach Boulevard.

(§ 1, Ord. 1312, eff. February 15, 1978)

It is hereby declared unlawful for any person to ride or drive any vehicle or horse upon or along any portion of the public beach.

That facility designed, constructed and designated as the beach bicycle path, including all ingress or egress ramps thereto, as shown on the map on file in the City Engineer's office, shall be used exclusively for the riding or propelling of bicycles by human power. The bicycle path shall not be used by pedestrians or animals of any kind, except that pedestrians may cross the same at right angles in a manner so as not to interfere with any bicycles on the bicycle path when necessary to do so to gain access to or from the beach.

(§ 1, Ord. 1351, eff. February 7, 1974)

Any public safety officer (Police Officer, Lifeguard or Firefighter) may declare that the number of pedestrians and bicyclists is sufficient so as to create an undue hazard upon the bicycle path. When such conditions exist, a "Walk Only" zone may be created to require the walking of bicycles, electric bicycles, and motorized bicycles in the designated area of the bicycle path. Where signs are erected, or flashing lights are present declaring a "Walk Only" zone, it shall be unlawful for anyone to ride a bicycle, electric bicycle, or motorized bicycle in the designated area.

(§ 1, Ord. 1801, eff. June 1, 1989 as amended by § 1, Ord. 15-0005, eff. June 19, 2015; § 5, Ord. 23-0008-U, eff. September 5, 2023)

No person shall ride, drive, propel, or cause to be propelled, or park, or cause to be parked or left standing any vehicle or animal across or upon any walk streets closed to vehicular traffic established by resolution of the Council as walk streets; provided, however, a special permit in writing may be obtained to drive upon a walk street from the City Traffic Engineer who may prescribe any reasonable terms and conditions upon or subject to which such permit is or may be issued. The applicant for such permit shall furnish all of the information requested and answer all of the questions contained in the application form prescribed by the City Traffic Engineer, who may impose such weight and size limitations as he deems reasonable. The terms and conditions attached to said special permit shall include but not be limited to the furnishing of a cash or surety bond in a form satisfactory to the City Attorney indemnifying the City for any loss which may be sustained as the result of the permission granted by the City Traffic Engineer pursuant to the provisions of this section.

(§ 1, Ord. 1196, eff. February 5, 1970)

A. No person shall ride or propel any skateboard or similar device along, across or upon any street, sidewalk, school, park, public parking lot, parking facility or structure, public right-of-way, or other public property, designated by the Chief of Police as being closed to such activities. The Chief of Police is authorized to designate such streets, sidewalks, schools, parks, public parking lots, parking facilities or structures, public rights-of-way, or other public property, and cause the posting as required in this section. This prohibition shall not be effective unless signs are posted on the street, sidewalk, school, park, parking lot, parking facility or structure, right-of-way, or other public property, so designated by the Chief of Police.

B. Notwithstanding the foregoing it shall be prohibited throughout the City, whether on public or private property, for any person to ride or propel a skateboard in a luge, prone or sitting position or to ride or propel a skateboard in such a way as to make contact with a planter, retaining wall, wall, railing or other architectural feature of any kind. Signage shall not be necessary for enforcement of this subsection.

C. Any violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor.

(§ 1, Ord. 1400, eff. February 20, 1975; Ord. No. 1905, Amended, 05/03/94; Ord. No. 1906, Amended, 06/16/94; § 2, Ord. 1964, eff. June 5, 1997; § 2, Ord. No. 2091, eff. October 5, 2006)

It is hereby declared unlawful for any person to ride, drive, propel, or cause to be propelled, or park, or cause to be parked, or left standing, any motorized vehicle, motorcycle, electric bicycle, motorized bicycle, or horse on or in any City-owned park except by permission of the Chief of Police. Said prohibition shall not apply to authorized City vehicles.

(§ 1, Ord. 1519, eff. February 16, 1978; § 6, Ord. 23-0008-U, eff. September 5, 2023)

Any person who operates a motorcycle, trail bike, minibike, dune buggy, motor scooter, jeep or other motor driven vehicle on any vacant lot, parking lot, railroad tracks, railroad right-of-way, vacant property or acreage within the city and disturbs the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or person by noise, dust, smoke or fumes caused by such vehicle shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(Ord. No. 1912, Enacted, 07/21/94)