Menlo Park Municipal Code Ch. 11.24 Stopping—standing—parking

(a) The city council shall, by ordinance or resolution, establish such parking or stopping, standing and parking restrictions or prohibitions as may be necessary, and the city manager or designee shall designate such streets, portions of streets or city-owned parking lots, including but not limited to parking lots at publicly accessible park and recreational facilities (as those terms are defined in Section 8.28.020), by appropriate signs or markings giving effect to such parking or stopping, standing and parking restrictions or prohibitions.

(b) When authorized signs are in place giving notice of such prohibition or limitation, no person shall stop, stand or park any vehicle in violation of such sign.

(c) Whenever the stopping, standing or parking of a vehicle has been prohibited, restricted or limited as to time by this chapter or any resolution enacted pursuant hereto, the continued standing or parking of such vehicle after a citation therefor has been issued constitutes a separate and additional violation of the provisions for which the citation was issued, when such standing or parking continues for an additional period longer than the maximum permissible period of parking in such space or location after issuance of such citation, or if no such period of time is designated, when such stopping, standing or parking after a citation therefor continues for an additional period longer than one hour.

(Ord. 528 § 1, 1972; Ord. 593 § 1, 1976; Ord. 1120 § 2, 2024)

No person shall park, stop or stand any vehicle in a marked diagonal or right-angle parking space on any street or parking plaza so as to exceed the boundaries of the parking space by more than six inches on either side nor more than twelve inches on either end. Where diagonal or right-angle parking is marked along the face of a curb, the front wheels of the vehicle must be within six inches of the curb. No person shall park, stop or stand any vehicle in a marked parallel parking space on any street or parking plaza so as to exceed the boundaries of the parking space by more than twenty-four inches on either end.

(Prior code § 16.61)

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle within any parkway or on a sidewalk, nor shall any person stop, stand or park a vehicle on a street at a red zone, or a curb painted red; nor shall any person park a vehicle on a street at a curb painted yellow, white or green, in violation of regulations therefor set out in Section 11.08.030. The minimum fine and bail forfeiture for a violation of this section prohibiting parking in a red zone shall be five dollars for each violation.

(Ord. 484 § 1(4), 1969; Prior code § 16.62)

The public works director or designee is authorized to designate a no parking zone and to paint the curbs red within six (6) feet of a driveway if the public works director or designee determines that cars parked within such distances are causing an obstruction of the driveway or are interfering with reasonable ingress and egress from the driveway.

(Ord. 873 § 1, 1996; Ord. 1120 § 3, 2024)

(a) A person shall not stop, park or leave standing any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, within twenty (20) feet of the vehicle approach side of any marked or unmarked crosswalk or fifteen (15) feet of any crosswalk where a curb extension is present. The space may be used for bicycle parking. The space may be used as commercial loading zones if located in the "Downtown/Station Area" in the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan and in the "Commercial" areas as designated in the General Plan. The public works director or designee is authorized to designate a no parking zone using signs or painting the curb red to conform to this regulation and may install traffic control materials to restrict access to this space to prevent violations of this regulation.

(b) The complete streets commission is authorized to designate no parking zones adjacent to driveways, intersections, crosswalks, and other locations at up to five (5) spaces per location if the complete streets commission determines that parked vehicles are obstructing visibility, interfering with reasonable ingress and egress, or obstructing safe transit or bike lane travel requiring striping adjustments, except where the location is within the area designated as the "Downtown/Station Area" in the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan, which shall be limited to three (3) spaces per location.

(Ord. 1034 § 2 (part), 2017; Ord. 1120 § 4, 2024)

The complete streets (transportation) commission is authorized to designate timed parking restrictions, including but not limited to loading zones and time of day restrictions, near schools and businesses at up to five (5) spaces per location, except where the location is within the area designated as the "Downtown/Station Area" in the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan, which shall be limited to three (3) spaces per location.

(Ord. 1034 § 2 (part), 2017)

Any Menlo Park resident, business owner, or property owner may appeal the decision of the complete streets (transportation) commission to the city council in writing within fifteen (15) days after the decision of the commission. Such a request shall be submitted to the city clerk and it shall state the reasons for the appeal. The matter will be reviewed by the city council at its earliest opportunity. Parking restrictions shall not be implemented until all appeals are completed and/or the time for filing an appeal has expired.

(Ord. 1034 § 2 (part), 2017)

As part of a discretionary development project review process, the establishment of parking restrictions shall be considered by the relevant approval body. The relevant approval body is authorized to designate no parking zones through the development approval process if the relevant approval body determines that parked vehicles are interfering with fire access requirements.

(Ord. 1034 § 2 (part), 2017)

No person shall park a vehicle upon any street for the principal purpose of displaying such vehicle for sale, or of washing, greasing or repairing such vehicle except for repairs necessitated by emergency.

(Prior code § 16.63)

Subject to more restrictive limitations, a vehicle may be stopped or parked within eighteen inches of the left-hand curb facing in the direction of traffic movement upon any one-way street unless signs are in place prohibiting such stopping or standing. A divided highway is not to be considered as two one-way streets.

(Prior code § 16.64)

Parking at an angle to the curb or side of the street shall be permitted on streets as designated pursuant to a resolution of the City Council.

(Ord. 843 § 1, 1993; Ord. 881 § 1, 1997)

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle at any time between the hours of two (2) a.m. and (5) a.m. upon those certain streets or portions thereof located within a residential zone or located within three hundred (300) feet of a residential zone, or in a public parking lot, including parking lots serving parks and recreation facilities (as those terms are defined by Section 8.28.020). Physicians engaged in professional calls, persons engaged in governmental duties or emergency activities are exempt from this provision. A "residential zone" includes all lands where residential uses are a permitted or conditional use as defined in Title 16, Zoning.

(Ord. 697 § 1(A), 1984; Ord. 1123 § 2, 2025)

Permits authorizing all-night street parking may be granted to residents of residential living units in R-3, R-3-A and R-3-C zones if the building or complex in which the residential living unit is located was not required to have two (2) parking spaces per unit at the time it was constructed. Each such apartment complex or building will be permitted as many on-street parking permits as needed to supplement existing, potential or possible off-street spaces available to the building or complex so that the total available parking spaces equal two (2) per apartment unit. The city manager shall determine, in his discretion, how many on-street spaces are to be allowed, how they are to be distributed and the fee for each permit.

(Ord. 730 § 1, 1986; Ord. 883 § 1, 1997)

A resident or visitor may be granted permission to park between the hours of two (2) a.m. and five (5) a.m. in any residential zoning district in front of his/her own residence or the residence he/she is visiting by calling the police department by one (1) a.m., on the night he/she wishes to park. Such permission shall be available for not to exceed eight (8) nights in any calendar month.

Temporary permits for up to thirty (30) calendar days may be issued by the police chief or his/her designee in the case of construction pursuant to a valid building permit, visitors for longer than one (1) week, or other documented hardship situations such as medical needs as determined by the police chief or his/her designee. No more than three (3) consecutive temporary permits shall be issued in any calendar year except in unusual circumstances.

(Ord. 883 § 2, 1997)

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person shall stand or park any vehicle, wagon or pushcart from which goods, wares, merchandise, fruits, vegetables or foodstuffs are sold, displayed, solicited or offered for sale, or bartered or exchanged, or any lunch wagon or eating car vehicle, on any portion of any street within this city; except that such vehicles, wagons or pushcarts may stand or park only at the request of a bona fide purchaser for a period of time not to exceed ten (10) minutes at any one (1) location during the period between a half hour before sunrise and a half hour after sunset. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to persons delivering such articles upon order of, or by agreement with a customer from a store or other fixed place of business or distribution.

(b) No person shall park or stand on any street, any lunch wagon, eating cart or vehicle, or pushcart from which tamales, peanuts, popcorn, candy or other articles of food are sold or offered for sale, without first having obtained a written permit to do so from the City Council which shall designate the specific location and hour in which the cart shall stand.

(c) No person shall park or stand any vehicle or wagon used or intended to be used in the transportation of property for hire on any street while awaiting patronage for such vehicle or wagon without first obtaining a written permit to do so from the City Council which shall designate the specific location where such vehicle shall stand.

(d) In no event shall any person at the location of any vehicular accident, collision, or other catastrophe or calamity, solicit or offer the sale of any tow truck service, or the sale of any other service. No vehicles equipped for use as tow trucks shall be parked within five hundred feet (500') of the location of any vehicular accident, collision, or other catastrophe, unless requested by authorities. The prohibitions contained in this section shall apply from the time of the happening of any of the aforesaid occurrences until a reasonable time thereafter, and at all times while law enforcement officers, public health personnel, emergency personnel, and other persons discharging duties imposed by law, are actively engaged in the performance of duty at the location of such occurrences.

(e) Whenever any permit is granted under the provisions of this section and a particular location to park or stand is specified therein, no person shall park or stand any vehicle, wagon or pushcart on any location other than as designated in such permit. In the event that the holder of any such permit is convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction for violating any of the provisions of this section, such permit shall be revoked by the City Council upon the filing of the record of such conviction with the legislative body and no permit shall thereafter be issued to such person until six (6) months have elapsed from the date of such revocation.

(Prior code § 16.66)

When a vehicle is parked or left standing upon a street or highway for seventy-two (72) or more consecutive hours, the chief of police or his designated representative may remove such vehicle or cause the same to be removed without notice. It shall be an infraction to park or leave standing a vehicle upon a street or highway for seventy-two (72) or more hours. It shall be an infraction to park or leave standing a vehicle in a public parking lot, including parking lots serving parks and recreation facilities (as those terms are defined by Section 8.28.020) for seventy-two (72) or more hours.

(Ord. 759 § 1, 1987; Ord. 1123 § 3, 2025; Prior code § 16.67)

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to reduce the adverse impacts associated with oversized vehicle parking. Such impacts include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Oversized vehicle parking raises unique public safety concerns, including the obstruction of access to rights-of-way, reduced sight distance and reduced visibility at intersections.

(2) Oversized vehicles are typically heavier vehicles or trailers and thus have the potential to cause excessive wear and tear on roadways.

(3) Oversized vehicle parking has been the source of environmental hazards in the city by discharging waste into the street. Such waste includes gas, oil, human waste, and other forms of hazardous waste. These discharges create unsanitary conditions for members of the public and also result in downstream impacts such as waste flows into the city's storm drains and receiving waterways.

(4) Some oversized vehicles accumulate and discharge trash and debris in and around areas where vehicles are parked. The accumulation and storage of trash, debris, and other personal items in and around areas where oversized vehicles are parked has caused unsanitary conditions and accessibility hazards by obstructing and/or blocking walkways and preventing safe passage.

(b) Definitions. The following words and terms as used in this section shall have the following meanings:

(1)

"Oversized vehicle"

means a motor vehicle under Vehicle Code Section 670 which also meets one (1) or more of the following criteria:

(A)

Exceeds seven and one-half (7.5) feet in height; or

(B)

Exceeds seven and one-half (7.5) feet in width; or

(C)

Exceeds twenty-two (22) feet in length; or

(D)

Exceeds ten thousand (10,000) pounds in weight.

(E)

To determine the height, width or length of a vehicle, any extension to the vehicle caused by the mirrors, air conditioners, or similar attachments allowed by Vehicle Code Section 35109, 35110, or 35111 shall not be included.

(2) Any camp trailer, camper, fifth wheel travel trailer, house car, mobile home, trailer, trailer coach, as defined in Vehicle Code Section 242, 243, 324, 362, 396, 630, 635, or any recreational vehicle as defined in Health and Safety Code Section 18010.

(c) Parking of Oversized Vehicles Prohibited. Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, no person shall stop, stand, park, or leave standing any oversized vehicle on any public street in the city between the hours of two (2) a.m. and five (5) a.m. The city manager or their designee shall place signage on streets sufficient to give adequate notice of this prohibition.

(d) Exemptions. The prohibition in subsection (c) of this section shall not apply to any of the following:

(1) Oversized vehicles involved in an emergency or being repaired under emergency conditions. Emergency parking may be allowed for eight (8) consecutive hours where an oversized vehicle is left parked on a city street because of a mechanical breakdown or because of physical incapacity of the driver or owner.

(2) Oversized vehicles belonging to federal, state, local authorities, or utility companies or agencies that are parked while the operator of the oversized vehicle is conducting official business.

(3) Oversized vehicles actively engaged in loading and unloading deliveries of persons, merchandise, wares, supplies, goods or other materials in the course of construction or other work from or to an adjacent residence or building.

(4) Oversized vehicles that are parked while the operator is actively engaged in performing a service to or on a property on the same city block where the oversized vehicle is parked.

(5) Oversized vehicles that are parked on public streets immediately abutting the oversized vehicle's registered owner's address of record for no more than twice during any seven (7) day period and for the purposes of loading and unloading, cleaning, or other activity preparatory or incident to travel.

(6) Oversized vehicles displaying permits issued by the city under Section 11.24.055 or 11.24.056.

(e) Administrative Regulations. The chief of police or their designee shall adopt administrative regulations governing the implementation of this section. Said regulations may include notice, vehicle storage and property inventory policies.

(f) Violations. Violations of this section shall be subject to the following penalties: (1) the issuance of citations in an amount set forth in the Menlo Park Master Fee Schedule, and/or (2) the towing of any oversized vehicle that remains in violation of this section following issuance of notice of violation. Any member of the police department authorized by the chief of police may tow and/or cause to be removed a vehicle that is stopped, standing or parked in violation of this section from the street or highway in the manner and subject to the requirements of Vehicle Code Section 22650 et seq. The remedies set forth in this section shall be cumulative and in addition to any and all other remedies, civil, equitable, or criminal, afforded to the city under the law.

(Ord. 1123 § 4 (Exh. A), 2025)

"Street,"

as used herein, is defined as follows: "Street" means a public thoroughfare or right-of-way affording means of access to abutting property and includes all of the public property located between the "street lines." "Street line" means the boundary between a street right-of-way and adjoining public property.

(Ord. 531 § 1, 1973)

No person shall park or cause to be parked or allow to remain standing any vehicle at a public electric vehicle charging space, unless the vehicle is an electric vehicle, is actively charging, and has not exceeded any applicable parking time limit for the lot where the charging space is located. The city council may, by resolution, specify electric vehicle charging fees for public use of electric vehicle charging spaces on municipal property.

(Ord. 1034 § 2 (part), 2017)