Walnut Creek Municipal Code Art. 14 Parking Meter Zones

a. The Downtown Parking Meter Zone is established as a parking meter zone. The City Transportation Engineer is authorized to direct the installation of parking meters upon those streets or parts of streets or in parking lots or garages within the Downtown Parking Meter Zone where it is determined on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation, and consistent with Section 3-5.1408, that the installation of parking meters will be necessary to regulate parking.

b. The rate for the use of a metered parking space or parking garage space in the Downtown Parking Meter Zone shall be between zero dollars ($0.00) per hour and five dollars ($5.00) per hour.

c. Failure to observe the restrictions imposed or failure to pay the amount so required shall be a violation of this chapter. It shall be unlawful and a violation of this chapter for any person to deface, injure, tamper with, open or willfully break, destroy or impair the usefulness of any parking meter.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. February 2, 1978, amended by § 1, Ord. 1360, eff. July 20, 1978; § 10, Ord. 1712, eff. December 1, 1988; § 1, Ord. 1948, eff. June 3, 1999 and by § 3, Ord. 2063, eff. August 17, 2007; § 5, Ord. 2121, eff. 1/16/2014)

Where parking meters are installed pursuant to this article, the parking of vehicles shall be regulated during such hours and on such days as the City Council may establish from time to time by resolution of the City Council.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. February 2, 1978; § 6, Ord. 2121, eff. 1/16/2014)

It shall be unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to permit such vehicle to remain parked in any parking space during any time the meter is showing a signal indicating that such space is illegally in use other than such time immediately after the original occupancy as is necessary to operate the meter to show legal parking.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. February 2, 1978)

It shall be unlawful and a violation of the provisions of this chapter for any person to deposit any coin in any parking meter for the purpose of increasing or extending the parking time of any vehicle beyond the legal parking time which has been established for the parking space adjacent to which such parking meter is placed.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. February 2, 1978)

It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit any coin in any parking meter without the knowledge or consent of the owner or operator of the vehicle using the parking space immediately adjacent to such meter.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. February 2, 1978)

The parking or standing of any motor vehicle in a parking space, at which space the parking meter displays the sign or signal indicating illegal parking, shall constitute a prima facie presumption that the vehicle has been parked or allowed to stand in such space for a period longer than permitted by this chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. February 2, 1978)

The Transportation Commission shall have the authority to manage City-owned parking garages in a manner designed to accomplish the target occupancy rate of eighty-five percent (85%) for on-street parking inventory. In so doing, the Transportation Commission may adjust the hours of operation, may adjust the rates charged, not to exceed the maximum allowable rates set by the City Council pursuant to Section 3-5.1401, and may create incentive programs to encourage certain categories of parkers, such as employees, to use the garages rather than street parking. There shall be no charge for the first sixty (60) minutes of parking in all City-owned garages except on such days that the special event rate is in effect and has been applied to a particular garage.

(§ 7, Ord. 2121, eff. 1/16/2014)

The City Council hereby adopts the following process for adjusting Downtown Parking Meter Zone meter rates from time to time to manage the use and occupancy of the parking spaces for the public benefit in all parking areas within the Downtown Parking Meter Zone.

a. To accomplish the goal of managing the supply of parking and to make it reasonably available when and where needed, a target on-street occupancy rate of eighty-five percent (85%) is hereby established.

b. At least annually and not more frequently than quarterly, the City Manager or his or her designee shall survey the average occupancy for each area in the Downtown Parking Meter Zone that has parking meters. Based on the survey results the Transportation Commission may adjust metered parking rates within the Downtown Parking Meter Zone in increments of no more than fifty cents ($0.50) per hour within the rate set forth in Section 3-5.1401(b). The City Manager or his or her designee will then adjust the rates up or down to seek to achieve the target on-street occupancy rate. The base parking meter rates, and any adjustments to those rates made pursuant to this section, will then become effective upon the programming of the parking meter for that rate and the proper posting of the rates. A current schedule of parking meter rates will be available at the City Clerk's office and on the City website.

(§ 8, Ord. 2121, eff. 1/16/2014)

Preferential residential permit parking areas are exempted from the regulations imposed elsewhere in the Downtown Parking Meter Zone, and parking meters will not be installed in these areas.

(§ 9, Ord. 2121, eff. 1/16/2014)

All revenues collected pursuant to the provisions of this Article 14 shall be placed in a special fund, which fund shall be used primarily for activities benefiting the Downtown Parking Meter Zone. The specific authorized use of revenues shall be as follows:

a. For establishing sufficient fund reserves for purposes of capital, asset management and emergency needs.

b. For purchasing, leasing, installing, repairing, maintaining, operating, removing, regulating and policing of pay stations and/or parking meters in the Downtown Parking Meter Zone and for the payment of any and all expenses relating thereto.

c. For purchasing, leasing, acquiring, improving, operating and maintaining on- or off-street parking facilities.

d. For downtown improvements, including the installation and maintenance of alternative mode programs, landscaping, pedestrian linkages, sidewalk cleaning and replacement, downtown infrastructure improvements, wayfinding systems, and traffic control devices and signals.

e. For the painting and marking of streets and curbs required for the direction of traffic and parking of motor vehicles.

f. For public safety within the Downtown Parking Meter Zone.

g. For the proper regulation, control, enforcement and inspection of parking and traffic upon the public streets and off-street parking facilities.

h. To be pledged as security for the payment of principal of and interest on financing mechanisms used by the City to meet any of the purposes authorized by this section.

i. For transportation and parking planning, marketing and education programs related to the Downtown Parking Meter Zone.

j. For providing downtown services, activities, programming, improvements and events that benefit the Downtown Parking Meter Zone, either directly or in partnership with other community organizations.

k. For supporting public transit within the Downtown Parking Meter Zone.

l. For implementing the Bicycle Master Plan and other plans related to downtown.

m. For such other purposes as the City Council may determine.

n. Any additional use approved pursuant to City Council resolution.

(§ 10, Ord. 2121, eff. 1/16/2014)