Mission Viejo Municipal Code Ch. 12.08 Stopping, Standing and Parking of Vehicles

Except as hereinafter provided, regulations pertaining to the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles shall be established by ordinance or resolution of the city council.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 5(6-4-600), 6-27-88)

The city director is hereby authorized to designate, through the use of appropriate signs and markings, and maintain restricted or no stopping, standing or parking areas for vehicles on city highways for purposes and conditions as set forth herein:

(1) Bus stop zones: "No Stopping Any Time" for a distance not to exceed 110 feet for loading and unloading passengers at a bus stop or for a distance not to exceed 150 feet for loading and unloading children at a school bus stop.

(2) Loading zones: "Loading Zone" on any public street for a distance not to exceed 50 feet in length for the purpose of loading and unloading of passengers or materials.

(3) Passenger loading zone: "Passenger Loading Zone" on any public street for a distance not to exceed 85 feet, for the purpose of loading and unloading passengers.

(4) School zones:

a. "No Stopping Any Time" for a distance not to exceed 50 feet from a marked school pedestrian crosswalk.

b. "No Parking Any Time" or "No Parking" during specific hours of the day on that side of any street adjacent to any school property when such parking, in the opinion of the director, interferes with traffic, pedestrians, or bicycles, or creates a hazardous situation.

(5) Highway intersection: "No Stopping Any Time" for a distance not to exceed 400 feet along any arterial highway from its centerline intersection with any other arterial highway for purposes of turn lanes or sight distance and visibility.

(6) Driveway or un-signalized intersection: "No Stopping Any Time" or time-restricted "No Parking Any Time" or paint red curbs without distance limitations adjacent to either side of a driveway entrance or un-signalized intersection on any city highway.

(7) Temporary "No Parking" zones: Temporary "No Parking" on any city highway where the use of such highway or a portion thereof is necessary for the cleaning, repair or construction of the highway or the installation of underground utilities; or where the use of the highway or any portion thereof is authorized for a purpose other than the normal flow of traffic; or where the use of the highway or any portion thereof is necessary for the movement of equipment, articles or structures of unusual size and the parking of such vehicles would prohibit or interfere with such use of movement; provided that signs giving notice that such vehicles may be removed are erected or placed at least 24 hours prior to the effective time of such no parking.

(8) Railroad crossings: "No Stopping Any Time" for a distance not to exceed 50 feet from the centerline of a railroad track crossing any highway.

(9) Stop sign controlled intersections: "No Stopping Any Time" for a distance not to exceed 50 feet along the approach to a stop sign at an intersection.

(10) Traffic signal controlled intersections: "No Stopping Any Time" for a distance not to exceed 400 feet along the approaches to a traffic signal controlled intersection.

(11) Narrow streets: "No Stopping Any Time" on only one side of a street which is 30 feet or less in width.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 5(6-4-601), 6-27-88; Ord. No. 15-308, § 1, 1-12-16; Ord. No. 19-331, § 1, 10-8-19)

The director shall index and maintain an inventory of all parking restrictions established by the director under the authority of this chapter and furnish a copy thereof to the city clerk for retention by that office.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 5(6-4-602), 6-27-88)

(a) Loading zones:

(1) It shall be unlawful for the operator of any motor vehicle to park or stop the same in any loading zone for any purpose other than unloading or loading of passengers or materials, provided that no stop for the loading or unloading of passengers shall be made for more than five minutes, or provided that no stop for the loading or unloading of materials shall be made for more than 20 minutes.

(2) It shall be unlawful for the operator of any motor vehicle other than a bus or school bus to stop or park such vehicle in a "bus stop" zone.

(b) Maximum parking time limit. It shall be unlawful to park or stop a vehicle for a period of time longer than 72 consecutive hours upon any city highway.

(c) Vehicle; camping overnight. It shall be unlawful for any person to camp in a vehicle upon any city highway, including any part of the right-of-way thereof, as prohibited in subsection 13.04.050(e) of this Code.

(d) No parking zones. It shall be unlawful for any person to park in a designated "no parking," "no stopping," or any time-specific no-parking or no-stopping zones when signs or markings are placed giving notice of such prohibition.

(e) Vehicle not in condition to be lawfully operated. Notwithstanding subsection (b) above, it shall be unlawful to park, stop or leave sitting for a period of time longer than 12 consecutive hours upon any public street or highway in the city any vehicle not in a condition to be lawfully operated on the public highways.

(f) Vehicle repair. It shall be unlawful to repair, dismantle, overhaul or perform any mechanical work upon a vehicle, trailer, camp car, trailer coach or recreational vehicle on any part of any public street or highway in the city, except to replace or otherwise repair a tire or to make emergency repairs to enable such vehicle to be removed to a proper place.

(g) Trailers and nonmotorized vehicles. No person shall at any time park or leave standing a nonmotorized vehicle or camper, regardless of width or length, when it has been detached from its motor vehicle on any public street or highway in the city except for purposes of loading or unloading and for a period not to exceed two hours.

(h) Bicycle lanes. No person shall park or leave standing a vehicle on a designated on-road bicycle lane anywhere on the city arterial highway system, providing signs identifying such a lane and prohibiting parking are posted.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 5(6-4-603), 6-27-88; Ord. No. 17-324, § 16, 9-12-17)

The removal of vehicles from a city highway, pursuant to the provisions of the Vehicle Code § 22650 et seq., is authorized under the following circumstances:

(1) When a vehicle is parked or stored upon any street or alley for more than a consecutive period of 72 hours. "Stored," for the purposes of this subsection, is defined as the parking or leaving unattended any vehicle in one location for the period described in this section. The term "one location" shall include any movement or relocation of such vehicle at least two tenths (.2) of a mile of any prior parking location used within the preceding 72-hour period.

(2) When a vehicle is illegally parked in violation of any provision of this Code forbidding standing or parking and the use of the highway or a portion thereof is necessary for the cleaning, repair or construction of the highway or for the installation of underground utilities and signs giving notice that such a vehicle may be removed are erected or placed at least 24 hours prior to the removal by authorized personnel.

(3) Whenever the use of a highway or portion thereof is authorized by the city council for a purpose other than the normal flow of traffic or for the movement of equipment, articles or structures of unusual size, and the parking of any vehicle would prohibit or interfere with such use or movement, and signs giving notice that such a vehicle may be removed are erected or placed at least 24 hours prior to the removal by authorized personnel.

(4) Whenever any vehicle is parked or left standing on a highway or portion thereof where such parking has been prohibited by this Code. No vehicle may be removed unless signs are posted giving notice of such removal.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 5(6-4-604), 6-27-88; Ord. No. 97-170; § 1, 6-2-97)

Whenever a "no parking area" has been established in accordance with the provisions of this Code, the city council may by resolution determine that any one or more of the circumstances described in Vehicle Code § 22651 exist in such area, and may designate such area as a tow-away zone. Whenever the council has designated a tow-away zone, it shall be the duty of the director to cause signs to be posted, giving notice that any vehicle parked in such tow-away zone may be removed.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 5(6-4-605), 6-27-88)

No person shall park and leave standing upon any public street or highway within the city limits of the City of Mission Viejo any motor vehicle of a length in excess of 25 feet or a weight in excess of 10,000 pounds; also prohibited from being parked on public streets and highways within the city limits of the City of Mission Viejo is any vehicle used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit, and designed, and used, or maintained for the transportation of property, including buses, motor trucks, trailers, semitrailers, trailer coaches or truck tractors as defined in the Vehicle Code and similar vehicles of a width in excess of 90 inches as measured at the widest portion of the body not including mirrors or other extensions; or any item of farm machinery or special purpose machine. Prohibited vehicles may be parked on public streets and highways while loading or unloading persons and/or property; or when such vehicle is parked in connection with, or in aid of the performance of a service to or on a property in the block in which such vehicle is parked; or to perform repairs of an emergency nature on the motor vehicle itself, for a maximum of 72 consecutive hours. Loading and unloading as used in this section shall mean active loading or unloading, including the performance of those activities required to prepare the vehicle for either travel or storage, and shall also include a period of time not to exceed 12 hours during which the vehicle cannot reasonably be taken on the road or moved to a place of otherwise lawful storage.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 5(6-4-606), 6-27-88; Ord. No. 95-150, § 1, 11-27-95; Ord. No. 95-154, § 1, 12-11-95)

The city council may designate certain areas where a special permit program is determined to be necessary to the community as permit parking areas. Residents within such areas may apply to the city for permits to park vehicles in front of their garages or driveways, but not in road or street traveled way.

(Ord. No. 88-12, § 5(6-4-607), 6-27-88)