Chapter 11.40
STOPPING, STANDING AND PARKING
Sections:
11.40.010 Permit for loading or unloading at angle to curb.
11.40.020 Parking in alleys.
11.40.030 Parking adjacent to schools.
11.40.040 Parking prohibited on narrow streets or highways.
11.40.050 Standing or parking on one-way streets or highways.
11.40.060 Standing or parking on one-way roadways.
11.40.070 Stopping, standing or parking near hazardous or congested places.
11.40.080 Parking prohibited during certain hours.
11.40.090 Parking time limited.
11.40.100 Parking prohibited for extended time period.
11.40.110 Parking of trailers restricted.
11.40.120 Application of Sections 11.40.020 through 11.40.110.
11.40.130 Public carrier stops and stands.
11.40.140 Stopping, standing and parking of buses and taxicabs.
11.40.150 Parking on private property prohibited.
11.40.160 Blocking ingress or egress to private property prohibited.
11.40.165 Parking vehicles with suspended, revoked, or expired registration on streets, highways, or roadways, or in public parking lots.
11.40.170 Violation notice.
11.40.180 Penalties for illegal parking.
11.40.190 Permits for oversize or overweight vehicles.
11.40.200 Application for permits.
11.40.210 Fees for permits.
11.40.220 Disabled parking.
11.40.230 Parking method.
11.40.240 Long-term parking areas designated.
11.40.010 Permit for loading or unloading at angle to curb.
A. The chief of police 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 and may grant to such person the privilege as therein stated and authorized herein.
B. It is unlawful for any permittee or other person to violate any of the special terms or conditions of any such permit.
(Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.020 Parking in alleys.
No person shall park a vehicle within an alley in the central business traffic district or any business district except for the expeditious loading or unloading of freight or materials and then the vehicle shall be parked in such manner, or under such conditions, as to leave available not less than ten feet of the width of the alley for free movement of vehicular traffic. Exceptions: Compliance with this section is waived whenever it is impossible to fully comply with its provisions by reason of limitations in the width of the alley. (Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.030 Parking adjacent to schools.
The chief of police is authorized to erect signs indicating no parking upon either or both sides of any street or highway adjacent to any school property when such parking would, in his opinion, interfere with traffic or create a hazardous situation. (Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.040 Parking prohibited on narrow streets or highways.
If, after study, the traffic advisory committee makes such a recommendation, the chief of police is authorized to erect signs indicating no parking upon either or both sides of any street or highway when the width of the roadway does not exceed twenty-six feet, or upon one side of a street or highway as indicated by such signs when the width of the roadway does not exceed thirty-five feet. (Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.050 Standing or parking on one-way streets or highways.
The chief of police is authorized to erect signs upon the left-hand side of any one-way street or highway to prohibit the standing or parking of vehicles, and when such signs are in place, no person shall stand or park a vehicle upon such left-hand side in violation of any such sign. (Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.060 Standing or parking on one-way roadways.
In the event a street or highway includes two 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 erected to permit such standing or parking. The chief of police is authorized to determine when standing or parking may be permitted upon the left-hand side of any such one-way roadway and to erect signs giving notice thereof. (Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.070 Stopping, standing or parking near hazardous or congested places.
A. The chief of police is authorized to determine and designate by proper signs places in which the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles would create an especially hazardous condition or would cause unusual delay to traffic.
B. When official signs are erected at hazardous or congested places, as authorized herein, no person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle in any such designated place.
(Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.080 Parking prohibited during certain hours.
A. The chief of police is authorized to determine and designate by proper signs places in which stopping, standing or parking of vehicles during certain hours of the day would create a hazardous condition or would cause unusual delay to traffic.
B. When official signs prohibiting parking during certain hours of the day are erected as authorized herein, no person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle in any such designated place.
(Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.090 Parking time limited.
A. The chief of police is authorized to determine places in which there is public demand or necessity for short-time parking and to designate such places by proper signs indicating the time limit for parking.
B. When official signs are erected indicating time limit parking in places as authorized herein, no person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle in such designated place for a time longer than indicated on such signs.
C. When there is public demand or necessity for short-term parking in designated disability zones, the chief of police is authorized to designate locations for such short-term parking and cause proper signs indicating the time limit for parking to be displayed. This time zone shall be no less than two hours. Exceeding this time limit shall be a violation subject to a citation carrying a twenty-five-dollar fine. Any owner of a disability placard or license plate shall abide by all other posted time zones and regulations.
(Ord. 08-46 § 4 (part), 2008; Ord. 04-17 § 4, 2004; Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.100 Parking prohibited for extended time period.
A. No person shall park a vehicle on any street, highway or roadway or on any municipally owned property for a period of time longer than seventy-two hours except in the extended parking areas authorized below.
B. The assembly may designate certain areas of municipally owned property as extended parking areas. Parking in these areas for longer than seventy-two hours may be allowed under permit issued by the chief of police for such times and under such conditions as may be set through resolution passed by the assembly.
C. No operator, registered owner, or other person, may park, or allow or cause to be parked in any public street or other public property, any disabled or inoperable motor vehicle for a period to exceed twenty-four hours.
A violation of this subsection will incur a minimum of a twenty-five-dollar fine for each twenty-four-hour period from time of ticketing until the vehicle is permanently removed from public property.
D. No commercial vehicle or mobile commercial equipment shall be parked upon any street or public property overnight for two consecutive nights within the central business district, Crescent Harbor parking lot, and the Centennial Building parking lot.
E. No construction vehicle factory-rated above an eight thousand pound gross vehicle weight, or any mobile construction equipment, shall be parked overnight upon any street or public property unless otherwise legally parked in close proximity to a construction or other temporary commercial enterprise on which the equipment is in current use and the daily removal to legal off-street parking would be unfeasible.
(Ord. 08-46 § 4 (part), 2008: Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 75-208 § 3, 1975; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.110 Parking of trailers restricted.
A. No trailer shall be parked on any street, highway or roadway for a longer period than one hour at any time.
B. The chief of police may designate streets in the central business traffic district on which no trailer shall be stopped, parked or allowed to stand between the hours of six a.m. and six p.m.
(Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.120 Application of Sections 11.40.020 through 11.40.110.
The provisions of Sections 11.40.020 through 11.40.110 prohibiting the standing or parking of a vehicle shall apply at all times, or at those times herein specified or as indicated on official signs 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 official traffic control device. Any vehicle illegally parked shall be subject to the impounding provisions of Chapter 11.60. (Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.130 Public carrier stops and stands.
It shall be the duty of the chief of police to recommend the establishment of bus stops to the assembly, as well as stands for other passenger common carrier motor vehicles on such streets, highways, or roadways, in such places and in such number as he determines to be of the greatest benefit and convenience to the public, and every such bus stop, taxicab stand and other stand shall be designated by appropriate signs. (Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.140 Stopping, standing and parking of buses and taxicabs.
A. It is unlawful for any person to park or stop any bus upon any part of Lincoln Street between the intersection of Lincoln Street with Lake Street and Harbor Drive and the Standard Oil fuel dock, except as follows:
1. When a cruise ship or ferry is in port, buses may park on the seaward side of Lincoln Street while actively loading or unloading passengers only;
2. As specified and posted by the chief of police of the city and borough of Sitka.
B. The driver of a bus shall enter a bus stop or passenger loading zone on a street, highway, or roadway, in such a manner that the bus, when stopped to load or unload passengers or baggage, shall be in a position with the right front wheel of such vehicle not further than eighteen inches from the curb and the bus approximately parallel to the curb so as not to unduly impede the movement of other vehicular traffic.
C. No taxicab or for-hire vehicle shall be parked on any street or public parking lot in the central business district and public use zones in excess of two hours. Otherwise, the driver of a taxicab may temporarily stop or park in accordance with other stopping or parking regulations at any place for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading passengers. Outside the central business district and the public use zones, taxicabs shall be subject to the same parking regulations as private vehicles except that nowhere in the municipality may more than one taxicab be parked on the same side of the street in any one block. (Meaning from street corner to street corner).
(Ord. 92-1104 § 4, 1993; Ord. 93-1176 § 4, 1993; Ord. 86-710 § 4 (part), 1986; Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-92 § 3, 1973; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.150 Parking on private property prohibited.
It is unlawful for any person to park or cause to be parked any motor vehicle in a private parking place of any other firm, person, or corporation, without the express permission of such person, firm or corporation. (Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.160 Blocking ingress or egress to private property prohibited.
It is unlawful for any person to park, or cause to be parked, any motor vehicle at such place, or in such position, as would block the way of ingress or egress of a motor vehicle to any private parking place owned by any person, firm or corporation. (Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.165 Parking vehicles with suspended, revoked, or expired registration on streets, highways, or roadways, or in public parking lots.
No vehicle shall be parked on any street, highway, or roadway or in any public parking lot while displaying a suspended, revoked, or expired registration. (Ord. 04-46 § 4(A), 2004.)
11.40.170 Violation notice.
A. Prior to filing a formal citation and issuing a summons, a notice may be issued for parking violations. The notice may be left on a vehicle, noting the observed violation and providing for the payment of a penalty. The registered owner of the vehicle shall be responsible for payment of parking violations, unless the registered owner meets the burden of proof that the vehicle was used without the owner’s consent.
B. Unless otherwise provided in this section, the state bail schedule adopted by the Alaska Supreme Court for similar state offenses covered by this chapter shall apply.
C. The bail schedule for all offenses under this chapter not covered by the state bail schedule or otherwise provided for within this chapter shall be twenty-five dollars.
D. The bail schedule for parking violations is as follows:
1. The bail schedule for parking in areas restricted during the hours four a.m. to seven a.m. shall be twenty-five dollars.
2. The bail schedule for parking over the seventy-two-hour limit in posted areas shall be twenty-five dollars.
3. The bail schedule for overtime parking violations for less than seventy-two hours, other than those listed in subsection (D)(4) of this section, shall be twenty-five dollars, with a limit of four tickets in any twenty-four-hour period.
4. The bail schedule for overtime parking violations at the airport and in harbor areas shall be based on the following number of violations within a one-year period:
|
a. |
First violation |
$ 25.00 |
|
b. |
Second violation |
$ 50.00 |
|
c. |
Third violation |
$100.00 |
|
d. |
Fourth violation |
$200.00 |
|
e. |
Fifth violation |
$300.00 |
5. If the bail amount for any parking citation is not paid within seventy-two hours following the issuance of the citation but prior to issuance of a summons, the bail amount shall be double the original penalty amount.
E. If the bail amount is not paid within ten days, the citation can be filed with the court alleging a violation and a summons issued. If the citation is filed and the person is found guilty, the fine shall be double the original bail amount.
F. The bail schedule shall be a fine of fifty dollars for violation of Section 11.40.140(A) regarding parking or stopping of buses on certain sections of Lake Street.
G. The bail schedule shall be a fine of fifty dollars for a violation of Section 11.40.165, Parking vehicles with suspended, revoked, or expired registration on streets, highways, or roadways, or in public parking lots.
(Ord. 08-46 § 4 (part), 2008: Ord. 04-46 § 4(B), 2004; Ord. 95-1315 § 4, 1995; Ord. 86-710 § 4 (part), 1986; Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 83-536 § 4, 1983; Ord. 82-497 § 4, 1982.)
11.40.180 Penalties for illegal parking.
In the event of any violation of Sections 11.40.150 through 11.40.160 and upon the written request of the rightful owner or lessee of the off-street private parking place, any vehicle parked in off-street parking facilities without permission of the owner, or any vehicle blocking the ingress and egress of motor vehicles to and from private parking spaces, shall be impounded by the municipality and the vehicle towed to an approved storage facility where it shall be retained until the owner pays the towing charges. Any vehicle not reclaimed within thirty days shall be deemed abandoned and notice of sale shall be given as required by Section 11.60.020(A).
If the vehicle is worthless, or the proceeds of the sale are insufficient to cover costs of sale or removal, the person who gave written request to remove the vehicle shall be responsible for paying the difference. (Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 75-213 § 3, 1975.)
11.40.190 Permits for oversize or overweight vehicles.
The municipal engineer may, upon application, as provided in Section 11.40.200, issue a special permit in writing authorizing the applicant to operate or move a vehicle or combination of vehicles of a size, weight, or load, exceeding the maximum size or gross weight specified in Sections 11.40.190 through 11.40.210 on any street, highway or roadway in this municipality upon the following terms and conditions:
A. Such vehicles may not be operated on any arterial street between six a.m. and nine a.m. and between three p.m. and six p.m., or in the central business traffic district between six a.m. and eleven p.m. between twelve noon Saturday and eight a.m. on Mondays and holidays between six a.m. and eight a.m. to the following day;
B. Such vehicles may be operated only on streets, highways or roadways where the pavement is capable of carrying the weight and equipment without injury to such pavement, and along such routes as will least interfere with or endanger other users of the streets, highways or roadways;
C. Vehicles, including load, that are over-width shall have displayed across the rear, red flags during the day and red lights during the hours of darkness, at the extreme limits of the width of vehicle or load, and vehicles not over that length shall have displayed during the hours of darkness red lights along the sides not over eight feet apart and shall not exceed fifteen miles per hour;
D. Pilot cars shall be provided with all vehicles or loads over eight feet in width. The front car must have a sign reading “Wide Load Following,” and the rear car must have a sign reading “Wide Load Ahead.” Both signs shall be on a white background with red letters at least six inches high. No car shall display either of these signs when not actually engaged in escorting a wide load;
E. Police escort may be required for all vehicles or loads of twelve feet or more in width.
(Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.200 Application for permits.
A. The permits referred to in Section 11.40.190 may be obtained from the municipal engineer upon written application therefor, setting forth a description of the object to be transported or the vehicle or vehicles to be driven the route desired to be traversed, the hours within which it is desired to perform the work, the means of locomotion to be used, and such other information as may be required. The applicant shall, as a condition to the issuance of the permit, execute and deliver to this municipality a good and sufficient surety or cash bond in the sum of one thousand dollars conditioned to save the municipality harmless from all injuries which may be occasioned by reason of granting such permit, or the use of any street, highway or roadway thereunder, or of any act or omission; provided, the issuance of such permit shall not be construed as a waiver of the right of the municipality to recover for any injury to any street, highway or roadway or other property of the municipality resulting from transportation pursuant thereto.
B. The applicant will be charged for all costs incurred by the moving of power lines, traffic signals and other municipal obstructions within the right-of-way. A cash deposit may be required to assure payment for these services.
C. The municipal engineer, with the cooperation of the chief of police and the fire chief is authorized to determine and to specify in such permits the routes to be traversed, the hours of operation and such other limitations which in his opinion are required for the public convenience and safety.
(Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.210 Fees for permits.
No fee for permits as provided in Sections 11.40.190 through 11.40.200 shall be required, except in those cases where escort vehicles must be provided by the municipality or additional inspections are required, and then in that event, the municipal engineer is authorized to set a fee, which in his discretion, shall be sufficient to reimburse this municipality for its expenses. (Ord. 84-597 § 4(B) (part), 1984; Ord. 73-64 § 3 (part), 1973.)
11.40.220 Disabled parking.
A. The chief of police is authorized to designate disabled parking zones indicating those zones on either or both sides of any street or highway, in public parking lots, and in private parking lots only with permission of the owner. It is unlawful for any person to park, stop or leave standing any vehicle in an area so designated without a proper permit. The standard penalty for violation of this section shall be a one-hundred-dollar fine.
B. Any person who has been given a citation for violation of the offense described in subsection A of this section may have the offense reduced to the lesser offense of failure to display a valid disability placard while possessing such a placard and parking in a disabled parking zone, which shall carry a twenty-five-dollar fine. The chief of police, his or her designee, the city and borough attorney, or the court may make the reduction of offense upon receiving proof that the person had a valid disability placard as of the time of the offense.
(Ord. 08-46 § 4 (part), 2008: Ord. 04-01 § 4, 2004: Ord. 94-1236 § 4, 1994; Ord. 93-1179 § 4, 1993: Ord. 88-804 § 4, 1988.)
11.40.230 Parking method.
A. Except where angle or vertical parking is designated, every vehicle stopped or parked upon a roadway shall be so stopped or parked with the right-hand wheels parallel to and within twelve inches of the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.
B. On those roadways and parking lots signed or marked for angle or vertical parking, no person shall park or stop a vehicle other than as indicated by the signs or markings and vehicles shall not be parked or stopped so as to straddle space dividing lines or encroach into the adjacent parking space.
C. No person may obstruct or block traffic on a roadway, except as specifically allowed by statutes, regulations or ordinances.
D. In the event a highway includes two or more separate roadways and traffic is restricted to one direction upon the roadway, no person may stand or park a vehicle upon the left-hand side of the one-way roadway unless posted signs permit standing or parking in that location.
E. No person may park a vehicle upon a street, roadway, alley, or vehicular way or area, for the purpose of:
1. Washing of the vehicle if the person parking the vehicle is a dealer, or agent or employee of a garage, filling station, or car wash;
2. Repairing, or performing maintenance work on the vehicle, except repairs or maintenance necessitated by an emergency;
3. Displaying the vehicle for sale or hire in the regular course of the person’s business as a dealer for sale or hire of vehicles, except that a motor bus, sightseeing vehicle, airline service vehicle, or taxicab may park in accordance with the provisions of Section 11.13.02.372;
4. Storing or parking, without being attended by a driver, a vehicle to be used for hire to another person; or
5. Commercial advertising.
F. No person may park a vehicle on a street or highway, or a vehicular way or area for a period of time longer than twenty-four hours if prohibited by an official traffic-control device.
(Ord. 93-1221 § 4, 1993; Ord. 93-1215 § 4, 1993.)
11.40.240 Long-term parking areas designated.
A. The following areas are designated for long-term parking: The gravel area at Thomsen Harbor; the gravel area between the Marine Services Center and Sitka Fuels; and along Airport Way in the Sealing Harbor parking lot.
1. Ten-day parking permits in those areas shall be free of charge and shall be reusable.
2. Parking in excess of ten days shall require permits in blocks of thirty days at fifty cents per day, including the first ten days.
3. In no event shall a vehicle be allowed to remain longer than sixty days.
B. The chief of police is directed to designate the first double row parking spaces in the Crescent Harbor parking lot as “No Overnight Parking.”
(Res. 99-737, 1999.)