Torrance Municipal Code Art. 13 Mary K. Giordano Regional Transit Center Parking Ordinance

The City of Torrance’s ("COT") authority to regulate parking, vehicles (including vehicles other than automobiles), and traffic upon the driveways, paths, parking facilities, or the grounds of the Mary K. Giordano Regional Transit Center ("RTC") is conferred by Section 21113 of the California Vehicle Code ("CVC").

The California Vehicle Code and this Article shall be in effect and will be enforced at the RTC property twenty-four (24) hours daily, three hundred sixty-five (365) days a year, including holidays.

The rules and regulations prescribed in this Article may be enforced via verbal or written warnings, citations, fines, vehicle towing, and suspension or expulsion from the RTC.

The use of the RTC shall not create, simply by the condition of ownership, management or operation, liability or responsibility for damage to any person or personal property. In addition, such use shall not result in the RTC assuming liability or responsibility for damage, vandalism, theft or fire to any person or personal property which may result from the use of parking or enforcement of laws or regulations.

The City of Torrance is authorized by CVC Sections 21113 and 22650 et seq. to remove vehicles as set forth herein.

For purposes of this Article, the words and terms in this Section are defined as follows and shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them wherever they appear in this Article:

a) "Accessible parking space(s)" means any parking designated for the exclusive use of a vehicle displaying special identification license plate or distinguishing valid placard subject to the provision stated in Section 22511.5 of the CVC. Accessible parking spaces shall be marked in accordance with Section 22511.7 CVC.

b) "Bus bay area" means the area of the RTC where buses load and unload passengers. The area may be designated by signs or curb markings.

c) "Mary K. Giordano Regional Transit Center" or "RTC." The terms "Mary K. Giordano Regional Transit Center" and "RTC" are synonymous, and mean the property, and all facilities therein, owned and operated by the COT, located at 465 Crenshaw Boulevard, Torrance, California, 90503 that operates as a multi-modal regional transit center.

d) "Park" means to stop or to allow standing any vehicles, whether occupied or not. Vehicles stopped in obedience to official traffic-control devices or by direction of a police officer are not parked for the purposes of this Section.

e) "Parking space" means all painted parking stalls located in the RTC facility that may or may not be marked by a sign, parking meter, and/or other restrictive designation painted on the ground or lot/facility surface.

f) "Passenger loading zone(s)" means that space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive uses of vehicles during loading and unloading of passengers, marked and designated with white paint.

g) "Pedestrian" means any person afoot, or who is not otherwise the operator or passenger of a vehicle.

h) "Pedestrian conveyance device" means any skateboards, roller skates, rollerblades, in-line skates, other skating devices, foot-powered scooters and other similar devices.

i) "Parking permit" is a non-transferable decal, printed card or tag, or other form of temporary authorization issued for a specific period of time by authority of COT which is authorized to grant to any eligible person permission to park on COT owned, leased, financed or contracted property. A parking permit is valid only when issued to an eligible person who has complied with all terms of issuance prescribed by COT and when the permit is properly displayed.

j) "Person" means and includes every individual, firm, government entity and business entity.

k) "Regional transit facility" and "RTC facility" are synonymous, and mean all property and equipment, including rights-of-way and related tracks, rails, signals, power, fuel, communication systems, ventilation systems, power plants, cameras, signs, loudspeakers, fare collectors or registers, sound walls, stations, vacant parcels, bicycle paths, terminals, platforms, plazas, waiting areas, signs, art work, storage yards, depots, repair and maintenance shops, yards, offices, parking areas, parking lots, facilities, and other real estate or personal property owned or leased by COT, used for any COT activity, or authorized to be located on COT property.

l) "Rideshare company" means a company that, via websites and mobile apps, matches passengers with drivers of vehicles for hire that, unlike taxicabs, cannot legally be hailed from the street.

m) "Sidewalk" means that portion of a highway, between the curb line or traversable roadway and the adjacent property lines, dedicated for pedestrian use.

n) "Street" means and includes the portion of any public street, road, highway, freeway, lane, alley, sidewalk, parkway or public place which now exists or which may hereafter exist within COT facilities.

o) "Taxicab" means any passenger vehicle for hire for the directed transportation of not more than eight (8) passengers, excluding the driver, at rates based on the distance, duration of number of trips, or waiting time, or any combination of such rates.

p) "Taxicab and rideshare zone" means and includes the portion of the street area designated for the standing or stopping of taxicabs and rideshare companies.

q) "Vehicle" means every motorized device by which any person or property is or may be propelled, moved, or drawn upon a highway, excepting a device moved exclusively by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.

r) "Violation" means any parking, equipment, or other vehicle violations as established pursuant to state law or COT ordinances and administrative code.

Unless otherwise authorized by the Transit Director or their designee in writing, vehicles shall only use the RTC for parking, entering and exiting, loading and unloading activities.

A vehicle shall not be stopped for any purpose other than passenger loading or unloading, or left standing, whether attended or unattended, at any time in a place marked as passenger loading zone. The City Engineer shall place signs or curb markings to designate area as passenger loading zone. A vehicle shall not be parked more than three (3) minutes to load or unload passengers in the passenger loading zone. Any vehicle observed parked, left standing or unattended in the passenger loading zone may be cited and towed.

No unauthorized vehicle may enter or be stopped, parked, or left standing in the bus bay area. The bus bay area includes the bus loading zones and the roads and driveway providing ingress to and egress from the bus bay area. The City Engineer shall place signs or curb markings to designate area as the bus bay area. Authorized vehicles include emergency vehicles (such as police, fire, and ambulance), buses from an agency with an agreement to use the RTC, and supervisor vehicles from an agency with an agreement to use the RTC.

A vehicle shall not be stopped for any purpose other than passenger loading or unloading of customers of either a taxi or a rideshare company provider at any time, in a place marked as taxi and rideshare company loading zone. Such stop shall not exceed the time it takes to load and unload passengers. The City Engineer shall place signs or curb markings to designate area as a taxi and rideshare loading zone. Any vehicle observed parked, left standing or unattended in the taxi and rideshare company loading zone may be cited and towed.

The RTC is open for parking between 4:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. No vehicle may be parked, stopped, or left standing in the RTC between 12:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. Violators will be subject to citation, towing, or both. Any vehicle parked, stopped, or left standing after hours must obtain prior written permission from the Transit Director or their designee.

No unauthorized vehicle may be stopped, parked, or left standing in a parking space in the RTC marked and reserved for specific vehicles or persons.

The City of Torrance has established electric vehicle charging station spaces ("EV spaces") for use by electric vehicles. No person shall park or leave standing vehicles in EV spaces except as follows:

a) EV spaces must be signed or marked for EV charging purpose only.

b) Electric vehicles must be actively charging when parking in EV spaces.

c) Non-electric vehicles shall not park in EV spaces at any time.

d) Electric vehicles may only use designated EV spaces for charging vehicles. No other source of vehicle charging will be allowed at the RTC.

When not charging, electric vehicles may park in any space at the RTC not designated as an EV space. Any vehicle observed parked, left standing or unattended and not charging in an EV space may be cited and towed.

The speed limit is five (5) miles per hour in the roadways, driveways, entrances, parking areas, and all access roads of the RTC. Vehicles observed exceeding the speed limit of five (5) miles per hour may be cited.

The City of Torrance may remove, tow or impound vehicles in accordance with Section 22650 et seq. of the CVC, including but not limited to the following circumstances:

a) The vehicle(s) displays lost, stolen, altered, counterfeit, or unauthorized permits.

b) The vehicle(s) displays expired vehicle registration (more than six (6) months).

c) The vehicle(s) is parked in tow away zones, such as disabled, reserved, and no parking areas.

d) The vehicle(s) is parked in emergency or fire access lanes.

e) The vehicle(s) is parked on any surface not specifically marked for parking motor vehicles.

The City Engineer is authorized to set forth conditions and regulations pertaining to the operation and parking of non-automobile vehicles and pedestrian conveyance devices upon the RTC property pursuant to Section 21113 of the CVC.

All rules and regulations of the CVC pertaining to vehicles and pedestrian conveyance devices shall apply to vehicles, bicycles and pedestrian conveyance devices operated on the RTC property. All vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrian conveyance devices must meet the equipment requirements and regulations of the CVC, including brakes, lights and reflectors.

Bicycles may be left, parked or stored on the RTC facility only in areas designated for bicycle parking. The designated areas are as follows: bike racks, bike lockers, or enclosed rooms with controlled access, or where signage designates the space as bicycle parking. The City of Torrance shall not be liable for any loss, theft, fire or damage of a bicycle or any personal property attached thereto for any bicycle left, parked or stored at the RTC, regardless of whether the bicycle was in an area designated for bicycle parking.

Bicycles parked in designated parking areas may not extend into the landscape. Bicycles may not be parked anywhere that interferes with the maintenance of landscaped or lawn areas or block any road passageway.

The City of Torrance may cause bicycles to be removed under any of the following circumstances:

a) The bicycle(s) is secured to any item other than a bicycle rack or bicycle locker designed for parking bicycles.

b) The bicycle(s) prevents use of available vehicle parking spaces.

c) The bicycle(s) poses a hazard or impedes pedestrian access.

d) The bicycle(s) has been reported stolen and verified by City of Torrance staff.

e) The bicycle(s) appears to be abandoned. A bicycle is considered abandoned if it remains in the same position for more than seventy-two (72) hours and shows signs of intentional neglect. Signs include, but are not limited to, deflated tires, and missing wheel and other parts. The City of Torrance staff may attach to an abandoned bicycle a notice identifying the condition of the bicycle and the removal date.

Removed bicycles are held for a minimum of thirty (30) days, after which time the bicycle owner is presumed to have relinquished legal title; these bicycles are given to the Police Department. Removed bicycles may be recovered with proof of ownership within thirty (30) days.

If a bicycle locking device must be detached to remove a bicycle, a City of Torrance staff member may remove the securing mechanism and detach the locking device using whatever reasonable means are necessary.

The City of Torrance will not be responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing any bicycle or locking device that is damaged in the process of being removed.

Motorized bicycles, motorcycles, and mopeds are subject to the parking rules and regulations contained herein for the RTC to the same extent as automobiles, or any other vehicle.

Motorized bicycles, motorcycles, and mopeds may be cited or towed for the same reasons as automobiles in violation of any regulations stated in this Article.

Motorized bicycles, motorcycles, and mopeds shall be parked only in a designated area of the RTC, which is the parking lot.

Motorized bicycles, motorcycles, and mopeds shall not be operated on bicycle paths, pedestrian pathways, or sidewalks.