Oakland Municipal Code Ch. 10.71 Free-Floating Zone Permit Program for Car Sharing Organizations

The purpose of this chapter is to facilitate car sharing within Oakland by establishing a permit that entitles the permitted car sharing vehicle to lawfully park car sharing vehicles in metered and unmetered spaces with duration limits of two hours or longer for up to 72 hours within a designated zone. The concept for the free-floating zone permit is based on pre-paying meter fees for point-to-point car sharing vehicles.

(Ord. No. 13301, § 2, 3-31-2015)

The City Council finds, as a result of evidence generated by professional studies and derived from other sources, that promoting the use of car sharing within Oakland has numerous benefits, including improved mobility for residents and overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

(Ord. No. 13301, § 2, 3-31-2015)

All definitions as used in this chapter shall reference the definitions used in chapter 10.44.030 with the following additions:

A. "Free-floating zone parking permit" is a permit that entitles members of a permitted car sharing organization to lawfully park car sharing vehicles in metered and unmetered spaces with duration limits of two hours or longer for up to 72 hours within a designated zone.

B. "Free-floating zone area" is the area agreed upon by the car sharing organization permit holder and the Public Works Department, which bounds the permitted parking area for permit holder's car sharing vehicles within Oakland.

(Ord. No. 13301, § 2, 3-31-2015)

A. This chapter hereby designates that members of the free-floating zone permit-holding car share organization can lawfully park car sharing vehicles in metered and unmetered spaces with duration limits of two hours or longer for up to 72 hours within the designated free-floating zone.

B. The free-floating zone permit does not exempt vehicles from any applicable parking prohibitions, as described in chapter 10.28.

C. Car sharing organization members may park at meters without paying the meter, because the meter will be prepaid by the car sharing organization as part of the cost of the free-floating zone permit fee.

D. The permit will cover all of the car sharing vehicles of the permit holder, but the permit holder will need to share all of the license plate numbers of the car sharing vehicles with the city, and keep the city apprised to changes in the vehicle fleet. Failure to do so could result in revocation of the permit.

(Ord. No. 13301, § 2, 3-31-2015)

The free-floating zone parking area boundaries will be established by the permit applicant in consultation with the Public Works Department. The map of the free floating zone will be publicly available on the City of Oakland's website and it will be updated with changes made to the permit zone. The Parking Enforcement Division will be apprised of any changes to the free-floating zone map. The car sharing vehicles will also have the GPS coordinates of the zone programmed into the navigation to alert the members to where permitted parking is and is not allowed. The car sharing organization must notify its members to changes in the free-floating zone area with three days notice.

(Ord. No. 13301, § 2, 3-31-2015)

The permit-holder car sharing organization may request up to 4 changes to free-floating zone boundary areas during the term of the permit. The Public Works Department will approve the changes to the zone area if warranted.

(Ord. No. 13301, § 2, 3-31-2015)

A. Free-floating zone parking permits shall be issued by the Finance and Management Agency in accordance with requirements set forth in this chapter. Each such permit shall be designed to state or reflect thereon the license numbers of the car sharing vehicles owned by the car sharing organization. No more than one free-floating zone parking permit shall be issued to each car sharing organization for which application is made.

B. The Finance and Management Agency shall issue free-floating zone parking permits with a term of one year.

C. Renewal of free floating zone parking permits shall be subject to the same conditions imposed on new permits.

D. The Finance and Management Agency is authorized to issue such rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this chapter, governing issuance and display of proof that a car sharing vehicle is owned by a car sharing organization with a valid free floating zone parking permit.

F. Any car sharing organization to which a free-floating zone parking permit has been issued pursuant to this chapter shall be deemed to be a free-floating zone parking permit holder.

F. This chapter shall not exempt the car sharing member or permit holding car sharing organization from other traffic controls and regulations.

(Ord. No. 13301, § 2, 3-31-2015)

A. Initial purchase, renewal, or replacement of a lost, stolen or damaged free-floating zone parking permit shall be subject to a contractual agreement between the car sharing organization and the Public Works Director.

B. The fee for the initial purchase, renewal, or replacement of a lost, stolen or damaged free-floating zone parking permit should reflect either the anticipated forgone parking meter revenue, for the initial permit purchase, or the previous year's forgone parking meter revenue.

(Ord. No. 13301, § 2, 3-31-2015)

The revocation provision set forth in chapter 10.44.110 shall apply to the free-floating zone parking permit program.

(Ord. No. 13301, § 2, 3-31-2015)

The violations and penalty provision set forth in chapter 10.44.120 shall apply to the free-floating zone parking permit program.

(Ord. No. 13301, § 2, 3-31-2015)

The Director of Public Works or designee shall have the discretion in the implementation and interpretation of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 13301, § 2, 3-31-2015)