Modesto Municipal Code Art. 15 Parking Meters

The Council from time to time may establish and designate parking meter zones as parking conditions require. The time limitations for legal parking in parking meter zones shall be those established by the Director of Public Works based on engineering surveys, and the time limitations shall be indicated by appropriate signs posted in such zones.

The locations and boundaries of the various zones are as shown on that certain map being marked and designated a "Parking Meter Zoning Map, City of Modesto," attached hereto. Said map and all notations, references and other information shown thereon are hereby made a part of this chapter.

Where uncertainty exists as to the boundary of any zone, the following rules shall apply:

(a) Wherever the zone boundary is indicated as being approximately upon the center line of a street, alley or block, or along or adjacent to a property line, then, unless otherwise definitely indicated on the map, the center line of such street, alley or block, or such property line, shall be construed to be the boundary of such zone.

(b) Where the zone lines are shown adjacent to the street property line, the zone boundary shall be construed to be the street property line.

(c) Where such zone boundary lines cannot be determined by the above rules, their location may be found by the use of the scale appearing upon the map.

(d) Where the application of the above rules does not clarify the zone boundary location, the Council shall interpret the map.

Said Parking Meter Zoning Map may, for convenience, be divided into individual section maps for the purpose of more readily identifying the territory included within each parking meter zone. Said Parking Meter Zoning Map is hereby adopted and approved as the official Parking Meter Zoning Map of the City of Modesto.

Changes in the boundaries of the parking meter zones shall be made by ordinance adopting an amended Parking Meter Zoning Map, or section or unit of said Parking Meter Zoning Map, which said amended map or section or unit, when so adopted, shall be published in the manner prescribed by law and become a part of this chapter.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 292-C.S., Ord. 493-C.S., Ord. 536-C.S., Ord. 578-C.S., Ord. 618-C.S., Ord. 625-C.S., Ord. 680-C.S., Ord. 719-C.S., Ord. 765-C.S., Ord. 781-C.S., Ord. 795-C.S., Ord. 819-C.S., Ord. 861-C.S., Ord. 862-C.S., Ord. 933-C.S., Ord. 968-C.S., Ord. 1012-C.S., Ord. 1041-C.S., Ord. 1085-C.S., Ord. 1101-C.S., Ord. 1106-C.S., Ord. 1225-C.S., Ord. 1263-C.S., Ord. 1270-C.S., Ord. 1305-C.S., Ord. 1398-C.S., Ord. 1476-C.S., Ord. 1479-C.S., Ord. 1495-C.S., Ord. 1515-C.S., Ord. 1553-C.S., Ord. 1622-C.S., Ord. 1674-C.S., § 1, Ord. 1709-C.S., § 1, Ord. 1759-C.S., § 1, Ord. 3127-C.S., § 1, and Ord. 3363-C.S., § 1, effective 12-9-04)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

The Public Works Director shall install parking meters in the parking meter zones established by the Council in such numbers and at such places as in his/her judgment may be necessary for the regulation, control, and inspection of the parking of vehicles therein.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 3127-C.S., § 1, and Ord. 3363-C.S., § 1, effective 12-9-04)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

The Public Works Director shall cause lines or markings to be painted or placed upon the pavement adjacent to each parking meter designating the parking space for which said meter is to be used, and each vehicle parked adjacent or next to any parking meter shall park within the lines or markings so established. It shall be unlawful for any person to back into a parking space when signs are erected giving notice thereof.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 493-C.S., Ord. 3127-C.S., § 1, and Ord. 3363-C.S., § 1, effective 12-9-04)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to permit any vehicle registered in his/her name or operated or controlled by him/her to be parked in any parking space in the parking meter zone for more than the time indicated by proper signs placed on the parking meter or zone indicating the maximum parking time allowed in such parking space. Each period of overparking for more than the period stated on the parking meter or time limit sign shall constitute a separate offense.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to permit any vehicle registered in his/her name or operated or controlled by him/her to be parked in any parking space controlled by a parking meter at any time during which the meter is displaying a signal indicating that the space is illegally in use, except during the time necessary to set the meter to show legal parking. Each period of overparking while the meter is displaying said signal for more than the period stated on the parking meter or time limit sign constitutes a separate offense.

(c) The time limits for the parking of vehicles in parking meter zones shall be established by the Public Works Director based upon engineering surveys. The rate of fees for such parking shall be one cent ($0.01) per twelve (12) minutes or fraction thereof.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 493-C.S., Ord. 612-C.S., Ord. 617-C.S., Ord. 648-C.S., Ord. 655-C.S., Ord. 764-C.S., Ord. 969-C.S., Ord. 1224-C.S., Ord. 1264-C.S., Ord. 1306-C.S., Ord. 1356-C.S., Ord. 1554-C.S., Ord. 1607-C.S., Ord. 1672-C.S., § 1, Ord. 3127-C.S., § 1, and Ord. 3363-C.S., § 1, effective 12-9-04)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

A sign or legend shall be placed on each parking meter, or in each zone in adequate numbers, to enable parkers to readily determine the days and hours when the requirement to deposit coins therein shall apply, the value of the coins to be deposited, and a limited period of time for which parking is lawfully permitted in the parking meter zone in which such meter is located.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 493-C.S., effective 1-1-62)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

When any vehicle shall be parked in any space alongside of or next to which a parking meter is located in accordance with the provisions of this article, the operator of said vehicle upon so parking shall, and it shall be unlawful to fail to deposit immediately, a coin of the appropriate denomination indicated on the legend posted in the zone or on the parking meter.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 493-C.S., effective 1-1-62)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit or cause to be deposited in any parking meter any slug, device or substitute for any coin required for the normal operation thereof.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., effective 4-24-58)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

It shall be unlawful for any person to deface, injure, tamper with, open or willfully break, destroy, or impair the usefulness of any parking meter installed pursuant to this article.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., effective 4-24-58)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

Every Parking Enforcement Officer and Police Officer shall be authorized to take the number of any space or meter at which any vehicle is parked in violation of this Code, as provided in this article, the State vehicle license plate number of such vehicle, the time and date of such violation, the Modesto Municipal Code section(s) and/or Vehicle Code section(s) that have been violated, the make of such vehicle, the last four (4) digits of the vehicle identification number if that number is visible through the windshield, and issue in writing or electronically printed, and attach to such vehicle a citation for illegal parking in the same form and subject to the same procedure provided for by laws of the State of California applicable to the traffic violations within the City.

Any operator or owner of a vehicle to whom a citation has been issued may, within twenty-one (21) calendar days from the date of the issuance of said citation, mail by first class mail, postage prepaid, to the address designated on the back of the citation, the proper fine amount as shown on the face of the citation, which fine schedule shall have been adopted or amended from time to time by Resolution of the City Council. The failure of such owner or operator to make such payment within said twenty-one (21) calendar days from the date of citation issuance shall render such owner or operator subject to additional penalties provided for in this Code for violation of the provisions of this article.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 1683-C.S., § 1, and Ord. 2376-C.S., § 1, effective 12-5-85)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

Vehicles owned or operated by the City shall be exempted from the provisions of this article when said vehicles are being used in line of duty.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 493-C.S., effective 1-1-62)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

The City Manager may exempt from the provisions of this article vehicles which are being used or operated for or on behalf of the City.

(Ord. 1561-C.S., effective 12-8-76)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

Commercial trucks may park only in parking zone PM-1. When so parked to load or unload merchandise they are exempt from depositing coins for a period of not to exceed fifteen (15) minutes.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 493-C.S., effective 1-1-62)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

The parking or standing of any motor vehicle in a parking space at which space the parking meter displays the sign or signal indicating the illegal parking shall constitute a prima facie presumption that the vehicle has been parked or allowed to stand in said space for a period longer than permitted by this chapter.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., effective 4-24-58)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)