Torrance Municipal Code Art. 6 Stopping, Standing and Parking

(Amended by O-2057)

a) The provisions of this Article prohibiting the stopping, standing or parking of a vehicle shall apply at all times, or at those times herein specified, 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 traffic control device.

b) The provisions of this Article 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 State Vehicle Code or the ordinances of this City, prohibiting or limiting the standing or parking of vehicles in specified places or at specified times.

c) Whenever the City Traffic Engineer determines upon the basis of a traffic study and engineering principles that the limiting or prohibiting of stopping, standing or parking of vehicles on any city street is necessary, he may designate any city street or portion thereof accordingly, and shall install appropriate signs giving notice thereof. He may designate any city street on which vehicles cannot stop and are subject to TOW AWAY for violation when appropriate signs are posted giving notice thereof.

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

(Amended by O-2545)

a) Any vehicle which has been parked or left standing upon any street or highway for seventy-two (72) hours may be removed by any police or services officer of the City by towage or otherwise and stored in a public garage in the City. The expense of towing and storing any vehicle found parked in violation of this Chapter shall be borne by the person violating this Chapter or the legal owner thereof.

b) Whenever any police or services officer removes a vehicle as authorized in this Section, such officer shall give the notices thereof as provided in Section 22852 of the Vehicle Code of the State of California.

(Amended by 3226)

No person shall park or leave standing, or cause to have parked or left standing, any vehicle on any street in the City for seventy-two (72) or more consecutive hours. This provision shall not be construed to authorize parking in excess of the regulatory time period otherwise provided in this Chapter and all amendments thereto.

No person shall park a vehicle upon any roadway for the principal purpose of:

a) Displaying such vehicle for sale;

b) Washing, greasing or repairing such vehicle except repairs necessitated by an emergency.

a) Subject to other and more restrictive limitations, a vehicle may be stopped or parked within eighteen (18) inches on the left-hand curb facing in the direction of traffic movement upon any one-way street unless signs or markings or both are in place prohibiting such stopping or standing.

b) In the event a highway includes two (2) or more separate roadways and traffic is restricted to one direction upon any such roadway, no person shall stand or park a vehicle upon the left-hand side of such one-way roadway unless signs are in place permitting such standing or parking.

c) The City Traffic Engineer is authorized to determine when standing or parking shall be prohibited upon the left-hand side of any one-way street or when standing or parking may be permitted upon the left-hand side of any one-way roadway of a highway having two (2) or more separate roadways and shall erect signs giving notice thereof.

Whenever any provisions of this Code or other ordinance of this City designates and describes any street or portion thereof upon which angle parking shall be permitted, the City Traffic Engineer shall mark or sign such street indicating the angle at which vehicles shall be parked.

a) When signs or markings are in place indicating angle parking as herein provided, no person shall park or stand a vehicle other than at the angle to the curb or edge of the roadway indicated by such signs or markings.

b) When signs or markings are in place indicating parallel parking, no person shall park or stand a vehicle other than as indicated by such signs or markings.

c) No person driving, or in control of, or in charge of a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand on any highway unattended when upon any grade exceeding three (3) percent within any business or residence district, without blocking the wheels of said vehicle by turning them against the curb or by other means.

The City Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to erect signs indicating no parking upon that side of any street adjacent to any school property when such parking would, in his opinion, interfere with traffic or create a hazardous situation.

(Amended by O-1618)

a) The City Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to place signs or markings indicating no parking upon any street when the width of the roadway is less than twenty-seven (27) feet, or upon one side of a street as indicated by such signs or markings when the width of the roadway is less than thirty-four (34) feet.

b) When official signs or markings prohibiting parking are erected upon narrow streets as authorized herein, no person shall park a vehicle upon any such street in violation of any such sign or marking.

The City Traffic Engineer shall appropriately sign or mark the following places and when so signed or marked no person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle.

a) At any place within twenty (20) feet of a point on the curb immediately opposite the mid-block end of a crosswalk.

b) At any place within twenty-five (25) feet of an intersection in any business district except that a bus may stop at a designated bus stop.

c) Within twenty-five (25) feet of the approach to any traffic signal, boulevard stop sign, or official electric flashing device.

d) At any place where the City Traffic Engineer determines that it is necessary in order to eliminate unusual traffic hazard.

FROM WHICH FOODSTUFFS, ETC. ARE SOLD; REGULATIONS.

Except as otherwise provided in the following section, no person shall stand or park any vehicle, wagon or pushcart from which goods, wares, merchandise, fruits, vegetables or foodstuffs are sold, displayed, solicited or offered for sale, or bartered or exchanged, or any lunchwagon or eating cart or vehicle, on any portion of any street within this City, except that such vehicles, wagons or pushcarts may stand or park only at the request of a bona fide purchaser for a period of time not to exceed ten (10) minutes at any one place. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to persons delivering such article upon order of, or by agreement with a customer from a store or other fixed place of business or distribution.

a) Whenever the City Traffic Engineer shall determine 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 Traffic Engineer 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 Traffic Engineer 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 Traffic Engineer 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.

c) When any vehicle is illegally parked as herein above described, any police officer or other authorized person may remove said vehicle from said street or alley; provided, however, that said emergency no parking signs together with notice of removal of vehicle for violation thereof shall have been erected or placed at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to said removal.

It shall be unlawful for any person to park, or cause to be parked, any vehicle in front of the entrance to or exit from any theatre, dance hall, public hall or assembly room within the City where such entrance or exit opens directly on the public walk, provided, however, that the provisions of this Section shall not apply to a vehicle loading or unloading passengers when such passengers intend to enter any such theatre, dance hall, public hall or assembly room, or to pick up passengers directly in front of such theatre, dance hall, public hall or assembly room, who, at the time of the approach of such vehicle, are awaiting transportation from such position.

(Amended by O-2618)

The City Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized, subject to the provisions and limitations of this Chapter to place, and when required herein shall place the following curb markings to indicate parking or standing regulations. Such curb marking shall have the meanings as herein set forth.

a) Red shall mean no stopping, standing or parking at any time except as permitted by the Vehicle Code, and except that a bus may stop in a red zone marked or signed as a bus zone.

b) Yellow shall mean no stopping, standing or parking at any time between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. of any day except Sundays and legal holidays for any purpose other than the loading or unloading of passengers or materials; provided, that the loading or unloading of passengers shall not consume more than three (3) minutes nor the loading or unloading of materials more than twenty (20) minutes.

c) White shall mean no stopping, standing or parking for any purpose other than loading or unloading of passengers, which shall not exceed three (3) minutes and such restrictions shall apply between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. of any day except Sundays and legal holidays and except as follows:

1. When such zone is in front of a hotel, the restrictions shall apply at all times;

2. When such zone is in front of a theatre, the restrictions shall apply at all times except when such theatre is closed.

d) Green shall mean no standing or parking for a period of time longer than twenty (20) minutes at any time between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. of any day except Sundays and legal holidays.

e) Blue shall mean parking limited exclusively to the vehicles of physically handicapped persons displaying specified distinguishing license plates.

No person, unless authorized by the City Traffic Engineer shall paint any street or curb surface; provided, however, that this Section shall not apply to the painting of numbers on a curb surface by any person who has complied with the provisions of any resolution or ordinance of the City pertaining thereto.

When the City Traffic Engineer, as authorized under the provisions of the preceding Section, has caused curb markings to be placed, no person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle adjacent to any such legible curb marking in violation of any of the provisions of the preceding Section.

(Added by O-1090; Amended by O-1442)

When authorized signs are in place giving notice of limited parking hours, no person shall stop, stand or park any vehicle contrary to the directions and provisions of such signs.

It shall be unlawful for any person to park any motor or other vehicle on any roadway in the city for a greater period than one (1) hour if the total weight of such vehicle and load thereon exceeds eight thousand (8,000) pounds.

The head of the Traffic Division is authorized to issue special permits to permit the backing of a vehicle to the curb for the purpose of loading or unloading merchandise or materials subject to the terms and conditions of such permit. Such permits may be issued either to the owner or lessee of real property or to the owner of the vehicle and shall grant to such person the privilege as therein stated and authorized herein, and it shall be unlawful for any permittee or other person to violate any of the special terms and conditions of any such permit.

a) The City Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to determine and to mark loading zones and passenger loading zones as follows:

1. At any place in any business district;

2. Elsewhere in front of the entrance to any place of business or in front of any hall or place used for the purpose of public assembly.

b) In no event shall more than one-half (1/2) of the total curb length in any block be reserved for loading zone purposes.

c) Loading zones shall be indicated by a yellow paint line stenciled with black letters, LOADING ONLY, upon the top of all curbs within such zones.

d) Passenger loading zones shall be indicated by a white line stenciled with black letters, PASSENGER LOADING ONLY, upon the top of all curbs in such zones.

e) Handicapped persons parking zones shall be indicated by a blue curb marking within such zones.

a) Permission granted under the provisions of this Chapter, to stop or stand a vehicle for purposes of loading or unloading of materials shall apply only to commercial vehicles and shall not extend beyond the time necessary therefor, and in no event for more than twenty (20) minutes.

b) The loading or unloading of materials shall apply only to commercial deliveries, also the delivery or pickup of express and parcel post packages and United States Mail.

c) Permission granted under the provisions of this Chapter to stop or park for purposes of loading or unloading passengers shall include the loading or unloading of personal baggage, but shall not extend beyond the time necessary therefor and in no event for more than three (3) minutes.

d) Within the total time limits above specified, the provisions of this Section shall be enforced so as to accommodate necessary and reasonable loading or unloading but without permitting abuse of the privileges hereby granted.

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle in any yellow loading zone for any purpose other than loading or unloading passengers or material for such time as is permitted in the preceding section.

No person shall stop, stand or park in a passenger loading zone for any purpose other than the loading or unloading of passengers for such time as is specified in Section 61.6.22.

AND 8 P.M. FOR PERSONS ENGAGED IN WHOLESALE OR RETAIL BUSINESS PROHIBITED; EXCEPTIONS.

It shall be unlawful for any person, whether acting as principal, agent or employee, or in any other legal capacity, to load or unload from any motor vehicle between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8 p.m. of any day, any goods, wares or merchandise of any size or character received or shipped by any person engaged in any wholesale or retail business in the City, upon any public highway in the City, except the public alleys in the City where the building in which such business is being conducted has a rear entrance on such alley or alleys.

a) Authority to Establish. The City Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to establish bus zones opposite curb space for the loading and unloading of buses or common carriers of passengers and to determine the location thereof subject to the directives and limitations set forth in this Section.

b) Length. No bus zone shall exceed eighty (80) feet in length except that when satisfactory evidence has been presented to the City Traffic Engineer showing the necessity therefor, the City Traffic Engineer may extend bus zones not to exceed a total length of one hundred (100) feet.

c) Location Near Intersections. Bus zones shall normally be established on the far side of an intersection.

d) Curb Markings. The City Traffic Engineer shall cause to be painted, a red line stenciled with the words, BUS ZONE, upon the top or side of all curbs and places specified as a bus zone.

e) Stopping, etc. in Zones. No person shall stop, stand or park any vehicle except a bus in a bus zone.

(Added by O-1663)

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle in any alley for any purpose other than the loading or unloading of persons or materials.

(Added by O-1968; Amended by O-3060)

a) No person other than a public officer or employee acting within the scope of his employment in the performance of a duty imposed by law, shall park any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, in any private driveway or upon any public or private property, except a highway, without the express or implied consent of the owner or person in lawful possession of such driveway or property. This Section does not prohibit any act, either expressly authorized or expressly prohibited, by either Section 602 of the Penal Code or Section 21113 of the Vehicle Code of the State of California, or by any other State law.

b) The signs prohibiting public parking and indicating that vehicles will be removed at the owner’s expense, which signs are required by Vehicle Code Section 22658(a) to be displayed on private property prior to the removal of an illegally parked vehicle therefrom by the owner or person in lawful possession of such property, shall be not less than seventeen (17) inches by twenty-two (22) inches in size, with lettering not less than one (1) inch in height.

(Added by O-2618)

No person, other than a handicapped person whose vehicle displays specified distinguishing license plates, shall stop, stand or park a vehicle in a parking stall designated for handicapped persons only. Such designation shall be made by HANDICAPPED ONLY pavement markings, and/or a sign posted immediately adjacent to each stall or space which consists of a profile view of a wheel chair with occupant in white on a blue background and/or a blue painted curb.

(Added by O-2743)

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle either upon any portion of roadway temporarily closed pursuant to Chapter 9 of Division 3 of this Code, or adjacent to either side of any barricade erected therefor; provided, however, that the provisions of this Section shall not apply to the loading or unloading of material.

(Added by O-3146)

No person shall use any vehicle parked or standing upon any public street, alley, right-of-way, public park or other public property for the purpose of living, sleeping, cooking, bathing or housekeeping; provided, however that no person shall be found in violation of this section who sleeps in a vehicle in an emergency for a period of time not to exceed twelve (12) hours in any thirty (30) day period where parking is not otherwise prohibited.

For purpose of this section the term "vehicle" shall include any boat and any device, operable or inoperable, with or without wheels, by which any person or property may be propelled, moved or drawn upon any street or highway including, but not limited to, automobiles, mobile homes, house trailers and camper trailers.

(Added by O-3420; Amended by O-3559; O-3562; O-3663; O-3726)

Residential permit parking districts are hereby established within the City and are composed of:

a) Those streets bounded by Maple Avenue on the west, including the east side of Maple Avenue, Maricopa Street on the north, including the south side of Maricopa Street, Crenshaw Boulevard on the east, including the west side of Crenshaw Boulevard and Torrance Boulevard on the south, including both sides of the service road. Within this residential permit parking district, there will be two (2) hour parking during the hours of 6:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M., Monday through Friday excluding holidays.

b) Pacific Coast Highway service road east of Crenshaw Boulevard, including the south side only. Within this residential permit parking district, there will be no stopping any time.

c) Newton Street, including only the south side, between Loytan Street and Denny Road, Loytan Street, Bigelow Road, and Denny Road between Newton Street and Dalemead Street, Weston Road between Newton Street and Winlock Road, Dalemead Street between Tandem Way and Rolling Hills Way, Dahana Street north of Dalemead Street and Pacific Coast Highway service road west of Rolling Hills Way. Within this residential permit parking district, there will be no parking during the hours of 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M., Monday through Saturday excluding holidays.

d) Atkinson Avenue, Ardath Avenue and Wilkie Avenue between Redondo Beach Boulevard and 166th Street, Chanera Avenue between 164th Street and 166th Street, Casimir Avenue between 163rd Street and 164th Street, Redondo Beach Boulevard, including both sides of the service road between Atkinson Avenue and Wilkie Avenue, 162nd Street approximately 220-foot portion east of Wilkie Avenue, 163rd Street between Atkinson Avenue and Casimir Avenue, 164th Street between Crenshaw Boulevard and Casimir Avenue and 166th Street between Crenshaw Boulevard and Wilkie Avenue, Cherry Avenue, Delia Avenue (cul-de-sac portion north of Cherry Avenue and approximately 220-foot portion south of 168th Street), Ogram Avenue, Elgar Avenue (north of 168th Street) and 168th Street (between Cherry Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard). Within this residential permit parking district, there will be no parking during the hours of 7:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. Monday through Friday excluding holidays.

Exempted from these limitations are the vehicles of those residents of the districts, or guests, which display a sign, sticker or other identification that has been issued by the City of Torrance.

The vehicles displaying a sign, sticker or other identification that has been issued by the City of Torrance will not be construed to be a permit of or approval of, any violation of any other provisions of this Code or any other law or regulation.

(Added by O-3420; Amended by O-3948)

There shall be no stopping any time along the north side of Maricopa Street, between Crenshaw Boulevard and 970 feet west of Alaska Avenue.

(Added by O-3838)

When authorized signs are in place giving notice that parking is prohibited during street sweeping hours, no person will stop, stand, or park any vehicle in violation of the hours, directions, and provisions of the street sweeping signs.