Morgan Hill Municipal Code Ch. 10.40 Stopping, Standing and Parking

A. The city transportation engineer is authorized to direct the establishment of all no stopping zones, no parking areas, and restricted parking areas, as defined and described in Sections 10.40.010 through 10.40.130 of this chapter.

B. No prohibition or restriction relating to stopping, standing or parking imposed under Sections 10.40.010 through 10.40.130 of this chapter shall be effective unless appropriate signs or markings required by the Vehicle Code are in place.

C. It is unlawful for any operator of a vehicle to disobey the provisions of Sections 10.40.010 through 10.40.130 of this chapter when appropriate signs or markings are in place.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

A. The provisions of Sections 10.40.010 through 10.40.130 prohibiting the stopping, standing or parking of a vehicle shall apply at all times, or at those times specified in this section, 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.

B. The provisions of this section or other regulations imposing a time limit on standing or parking shall not relieve any person from the duty to observe other and more restrictive provisions of the Vehicle Code of the state or the regulations of the city prohibiting or limiting the standing or parking of vehicles in specified places or at specified times.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

No operator of any 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 any divisional island unless authorized and clearly indicated with appropriate signs or markings;

B. In any area where the city transportation engineer determines that the 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;

C. In any area established by ordinance or resolution of the council or order of the city transportation engineer as a no parking area;

D. At any place within twenty feet of a crosswalk at an intersection in any business district except that a bus may stop at a designated bus stop;

E. Within twenty feet of the approach of any traffic signal, stop sign or official electric flashing device;

F. On any street or highway where the use of such street or highway, 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 or movement; provided, however, that signs giving notice of such parking are erected or placed at least twenty-four hours prior to the effective time of such no parking restrictions.

G. 1.

Every vehicle stopped or parked upon a roadway where there are adjacent curbs shall be stopped or parked with the right-hand wheels of such vehicle parallel with and within eighteen inches of the right-hand curb, except motorcycles shall be parked with at least one wheel or fender touching the right-hand curb.

2. Applies to prohibiting commercial vehicles from stopping, parking or standing on one side of a roadway in a business district with the wheels of such vehicle more than eighteen inches from the curb. This subsection shall be effective only if signs are placed in the areas to which it is applicable clearly indicating the prohibition.

H. No person shall stop, park or leave standing any vehicle whether attended or unattended, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a peace officer or official traffic control or device, in any of the following places:

1. In front of a public or private driveway, except that a bus engaged as a common carrier, school bus, or a taxicab may stop to load or unload passengers.

(Ord. 1138 N.S., 1993; Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 10.40.010 through 10.40.130 of this chapter, the city transportation engineer may grant permission to organizations and individuals to park vehicles, materials or equipment in public parking places for special occasions. Applications for such special permission shall be made on the forms required by the city transportation engineer.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

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

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

The city transportation engineer is authorized to place signs or markings indicating no parking upon any street when the width of the roadway does not exceed twenty-eight feet, or upon one side of a street when the width of the roadway does not exceed thirty-six feet, or upon any other roadway where, in the opinion of the city transportation engineer, no parking is required for the proper control of traffic.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

A. Whenever the city transportation engineer or the chief of police determines 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 transportation engineer or the chief of police 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 transportation engineer or the chief of police 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 transportation engineer or the chief of police 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.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

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

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

It is unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to leave the ignition key of such vehicle in any unconcealed place within such vehicle while parked on any public street or in any public or private parking lot.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

No person who owns or has possession, custody or control of any vehicle shall park such vehicle upon any street or alley for more than a consecutive period of seventy-two hours.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

No person shall wash, or cause to be washed, or polish or cause to be polished, any vehicle or part thereof upon any public street within the central traffic district, or in front of any business establishment within the city, or on any street within the city where a charge is made for such service.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

No person shall construct, or cause to be constructed, repair or cause to be repaired, or grease or cause to be greased, any vehicle or any part thereof upon any public street in the city. Temporary emergency repairs, however, may be made upon a public street.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

A. The city transportation engineer is authorized to direct the establishment of all no stopping zones, no parking areas and restricted parking areas, as defined and described in Sections 10.40.140 through 10.40.200 of this chapter.

B. No prohibition or restriction relating to stopping, standing or parking imposed under Sections 10.40.140 through 10.40.200 of this chapter, shall be effective unless appropriate signs or markings required by the Vehicle Code of the state are in place.

C. It is unlawful for any operator of a vehicle to disobey the provisions of Sections 10.40.140 through 10.40.200 of this chapter, when appropriate signs or markings are in place.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

When authorized signs have been determined by the city transportation engineer to be necessary and are in place, no operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand or park such vehicle between the hours of nine a.m. and six p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays for a period longer than designated on the sign.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

No person shall stop, park or leave standing any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, upon the roadway when it is practicable to stop, park or leave the vehicle off such portion of the street, but in every event an unobstructed width of the street opposite a standing vehicle shall be left for the free passage of other vehicles and a clear view of the stopped vehicle shall be available from a distance of two hundred feet in each direction upon the street. The provisions of this section shall not apply upon a street where the roadway is bounded by adjacent curbs.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

A. The city transportation engineer is authorized to direct the installation of parking space markings to indicate parking spaces adjacent to curbings where authorized parking is permitted.

B. When such parking space markings are placed in 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.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

A. The city transportation engineer is authorized to designate special on-street parking spaces for the exclusive use of any vehicle which displays either a distinguishing license plate or a placard issued pursuant to the California Vehicle Code Section 22511.5 or 22511.9.

B. The special parking spaces shall be indicated by blue print on the curb or edge of the paved portion of the street adjacent to the space. In addition, the space shall also be indicated by signs or other suitable means.

C. No person shall stop, stand or park any vehicle in a stall or space designated for disabled persons or disabled veterans unless the vehicle displays either a distinguishing license plate or a placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.5 or 22511.9 of the Vehicle Code.

(Ord. 888 N.S. § 1, 1988: Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

A. Whenever any regulation of the city designates and describes any street or portion thereof upon which angle parking shall be permitted, the city transportation engineer shall mark or sign such street indicating the angle at which vehicles shall be parked.

B. When signs or markings are in place indicating angle parking as provided in this section, no person shall park or stand a vehicle other than at the angle to the curb indicated by signs or pavement markings allotting space to parked vehicles and entirely within the limits of such allotted space, with the front wheel nearest the curb within six inches of the curb.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 10.40.140, no person shall stop, stand or park a commercial vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating of ten thousand pounds or more on any street, except those streets which are bounded by industrial zones on all sides or when the commercial vehicle is making pickups or deliveries of goods, wares and merchandise from or to any building or structure located on the restricted street or for the purpose of delivering materials to be used in the actual and bona fide repair, alteration, remodeling or construction of any building or structure upon the restricted street for which a building permit has previously been obtained.

(Ord. 504 N.S. § A (part), 1979)

A. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 10.40.140, no person shall stop, stand or park an oversized vehicle on a public street or highway located immediately adjacent to real property located in a residential zone, as shown on the official zoning map of the city as may be amended from time to time, except for the purpose of loading or unloading food, supplies, equipment or cargo or due to a temporary and unplanned inoperability. Such exemption period shall not exceed ten consecutive hours.

B. For the purposes of this section, the term "oversized vehicle" shall mean any vehicle or combination of vehicles that exceeds twenty-two feet in length or seven feet in height, exclusive of any projecting lights or devices allowed by the provisions of the California Vehicle Code.

(Ord. No. 2165 N.S., § 1, 10-7-2015)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 2165 N.S., § 1, adopted Oct. 7, 2015, amended § 10.40.210 in its entirety to read as herein set out. Former § 10.40.210 pertained to parking oversized vehicles in residential areas, and derived from Ord. 1434 N.S., § 1, adopted in 1999.

It is unlawful for any person to park a vehicle upon any street within the city identified in the city General Plan as an arterial roadway for the primary purpose of displaying such vehicle for sale.

(Ord. 1433 N.S. § 1, 1999)