Rancho Santa Margarita Municipal Code Ch. 12.02 Stopping, Standing, and Parking

Footnotes:

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State Law reference— Stopping, standing, and parking, Vehicle Code §§ 21100(l), 21458, 22500 et seq.

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.

(OCC § 6-4-600; Ord. No. 3768, § 2, 11-7-1989)

The City Engineer is hereby authorized to place appropriate signs or markings prohibiting or restricting stopping, standing or parking of vehicles on City highways for purposes and conditions as set forth herein:

(1) Bus stop zones. For a distance not to exceed 170 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. For a distance not to exceed 50 feet in length for the purpose of loading and unloading passengers or materials.

(3) Passenger loading zone. For a distance not to exceed 100 feet for the purpose of loading and unloading passengers.

(4) School zones.

a. For a distance not to exceed 400 feet from either side of any marked school pedestrian crosswalk.

b. Prohibiting parking or restricting parking during specific hours of the day on the side of any street adjacent to any school property when such parking, in the opinion of the City Engineer, interferes with pedestrian, bicycle or vehicle traffic, or creates a hazardous situation.

(5) Crosswalks. For a distance not to exceed 400 feet from either side of any marked pedestrian crosswalk.

(6) Street intersections. For a distance not to exceed 400 feet on either side of any street from its intersection with any other street for purpose of turn lanes or sight distance and visibility.

(7) Driveway. For a distance not to exceed 400 feet adjacent to either side of a driveway entrance to any street for purpose of sight distance and visibility.

(8) Temporary "no-parking" zones. Parking is temporarily not permitted on any City street where the use of such street or a portion thereof is necessary for the cleaning, repair, or construction of the street or the installation of underground utilities, where the use of the street or any portion thereof is authorized for a purpose other than the normal flow of traffic, or where the use of the street 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."

(9) Railroad crossing. Prohibit stopping for a distance not to exceed 50 feet from the center line of a railroad track crossing on any street.

(10) Narrow streets. Prohibit stopping on only one side of a street which is 30 feet or less in width.

(OCC § 6-4-601; Ord. No. 3768, § 2, 11-7-1989)

(a) Loading zones.

(1) It shall be unlawful for the operator of any motor vehicle to park or stop said vehicle 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 said 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 street.

(c) Recreational vehicle; camping. It shall be unlawful for any person to camp in a recreational vehicle which is stopped, parked, or left standing upon any public area within the City. "Recreational vehicle" means a motor home, travel trailer, truck camper, or camping trailer, with or without motive power, designed for human habitation for recreational or emergency occupancy. The terms "camp" and "public area" shall have the same meanings as set forth in Rancho Santa Margarita Municipal Code Section 6.13.020.

(d) No-parking zones.

(1) 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 zone when signs or markings are placed giving notice of such prohibition.

(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to park in a designated "no-parking for street sweeping purposes," zone 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 City street area, 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 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.

(OCC § 6-4-603; Ord. No. 3768, § 2, 11-7-1989; Ord. No. 19-03, § 2, 4-24-2019; Ord. No. 25-01, § 3, 6-25-2025)

The removal of vehicles from a City street, pursuant to the provisions of the Vehicle Code Div. 11, Ch. 10, Art. 1 (§ 22650 et seq.), is authorized under the following circumstances:

(1) When a vehicle is parked or left standing for 72 or more consecutive hours.

(2) Whenever any vehicle is parked or left standing on a street 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.

(OCC § 6-4-604; Ord. No. 3768, § 2, 11-7-1989; Ord. No. 98-15, § 65, 12-8-1998)

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 section 22651 of the Vehicle Code exist in such area, and may designate such area as a "tow-away zone." Whenever the City Council has designated a "tow-away zone," it shall be the duty of the City Engineer to cause signs to be posted, giving notice that any vehicle parked in such "tow-away zone" may be removed.

(OCC § 6-4-605; Ord. No. 3768, § 2, 11-7-1989)

(a) No person shall park or leave standing upon any portion of any public street or highway within the City:

(1) Any vehicle of a length in excess of 25 feet or a weight in excess of 10,000 pounds.

(2) 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, semi-trailers, trailer coaches or truck tractors, as defined in the State of California Vehicle Code, and similar vehicles, which are of a width in excess of 90 inches as measured at the widest portion of the body, not including mirrors or other extensions.

(3) Any item of farm machinery or special construction equipment.

(b) Prohibited vehicles may be parked on public streets and highways:

(1) While loading or unloading persons and/or property.

(2) 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, not to exceed 72 consecutive hours.

(3) When performing repairs of an emergency nature on the vehicle itself not to exceed 12 consecutive hours.

(4) When the vehicle, while occupied by a duly licensed operator, is awaiting the opening of a closed facility for the purpose of loading or unloading or to perform a prescheduled service or to store the subject vehicle.

(c) Loading and unloading, as used in this section, shall mean active loading and unloading, including the performance of those activities required to prepare the vehicle for either travel or storage for 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.

(d) Any commercially licensed vehicle legally parked upon any City street for any purpose during the hours of darkness shall be required to place and maintain a minimum of three reflective triangular "parked vehicle" delineators, evenly spaced, for a distance of 100 feet behind the parked vehicle or equipment.

(Ord. No.01-07, § 1(3.10.010), 6-21-2001)

Violations of the parking restrictions set forth in this Chapter shall be prosecuted as civil administrative penalties, which civil penalties and fees shall be established by resolution of the City Council.

(Ord. No. 19-03, § 4, 4-24-2019)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 19-03, § 3, adopted April 24, 2019, repealed the former § 12.02.070, and enacted a new § 12.02.070 as set out herein. The former § 12.02.070 pertained to advertising on parked vehicles; purpose, and derived from OCC § 6-1-71; Ord. No. 3783, 3-13-1990.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 19-03, § 3, adopted April 24, 2019, repealed § 12.02.080, which pertained to definitions and derived from OCC § 6-1-72; Ord. No. 3783, 3-13-1990.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 19-03, § 3, adopted April 24, 2019, repealed § 12.02.090, which pertained to violation and derived from OCC § 6-1-73; Ord. No. 3783, 3-13-1990.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 19-03, § 3, adopted April 24, 2019, repealed § 12.02.100, which pertained to exemption and derived from OCC § 6-1-74; Ord. No. 3783, 3-13-1990.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 19-03, § 3, adopted April 24, 2019, repealed § 12.02.110, which pertained to penalties and derived from OCC § 6-1-75; Ord. No. 3783, 3-13-1990.