Article 521
ON-STREET PARKING
Sections:
521.02 On-street parking meter/machine zones and parking meter/machine rates for designated zones.
521.02B Repealed.
521.03 Meter spaces to be marked.
521.04 Meter installation, operation and use.
521.05 Overtime parking violation.
521.06 Deposit to extend fixed time limit a violation.
521.07 Failure to deposit coin a violation.
521.08 Duty of peace officers – Effect of waiver payment.
521.09 Manner of parking within meter spaces.
521.10 Marking spaces – Parking vehicle within marked lines.
521.11 Deposit of slugs or substitute coins prohibited.
521.12 Defacing or injuring meter.
521.13 Days and hours of meter operation.
521.14 Parking in handicapped parking spaces.
521.16 Special occasion parking permits.
521.01 Vehicle defined.
The word “vehicle” as used in this article shall mean any device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported upon a highway, except those operated upon rails or tracks. The word “vehicle” as used elsewhere in the traffic code shall have the meaning ascribed to it in the Vehicle Code of Pennsylvania (Article 501, Section 501.01). (Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.02 On-street parking meter/machine zones and parking meter/machine rates for designated zones.
Parking meter/machine zones are established upon and along the streets and parts of streets within the parking meter/machine zones described below, and parking in these zones is permitted for the time limits established for each zone at the cost per unit of time designated.
Zone I – Central Business District
The central business district zone consists of all streets within the area bordered by North Street on the north, Liberty Street on the east, Pine Street on the south, and Water Street on the west, and includes both sides of the above-referenced streets which form the boundary.
In the central business district zone, parking at parking meters/machines is permitted for up to two hours for $0.25 for each one hour.
Zone II – Diamond Park Zone
The Diamond Park zone consists of all parking spaces abutting Diamond Park and along both sides of Cherry and Center Streets between Diamond Park and Liberty Street.
In the Diamond Park zone, parking at parking meters/machines is permitted for up to five hours for $0.25 for each one hour.
(Ord. 3716, 2013; Ord. 3670 § 1, 2009; Ord. 3668 § 5, 2009. Formerly 521.02A)
521.02B Effective date of parking limits and rates set forth in MMC 521.02A.
Repealed by Ord. 3716. (Ord. 3668 § 5, 2009)
521.03 Meter spaces to be marked.
In designated parking meter zones, the designated parking spaces shall be established and marked in accordance with applicable regulations. Spaces shall be marked at approximately 22 feet each in parallel parking areas and at approximately 10 feet each in diagonal parking areas, as measured lengthwise along the curb. The parking spaces shall be indicated on an official map, on file in the office of the city engineer. (Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.04 Meter installation, operation and use.
(A) The city manager or such officers or employees of the city as he may designate are hereby authorized to install or place parking meters in such parking meter zones hereby created or to be created by other ordinances. Such parking meters shall be placed immediately adjacent to the individual parking spaces designed as hereinbefore provided. Each parking meter shall be placed or set in such a manner as to show whether the parking space adjacent to such meter is or is not legally occupied. The parking meters shall be numbered for reference and shall be indicated on an official map on file in the office of the city engineer.
(B) The city manager shall provide for the installation, regulation, control, operation and use of the parking meters provided for in this article and shall maintain such meters in good workable condition. Each parking meter shall be so set as to display a signal showing legal parking upon the deposit of a United States coin or coins designated and required for each zone and time limit in MMC 521.02 for a period of time conforming to the parking limit now or hereafter provided for the zone in which such meter is placed. Each meter shall by its device clearly set out and continue in operation from the time of depositing such coin until the expiration of the time fixed as the parking limit for the part of the street upon which such meter is placed. Each meter shall also be so arranged that upon the expiration of such parking limit, it will indicate that the lawful parking period as fixed has expired. (Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.05 Overtime parking violation.
When any vehicle is parked in an on-street parking meter/machine space, upon entering the parking space, the coin or coins of the United States designated and required for the parking time desired or for the time limit established in each zone as set forth above shall be deposited in the parking meter/machine. If the vehicle shall remain parked beyond the limits prescribed or beyond the time paid for, as set forth in MMC 521.02 or MMC 521.02A as applicable, and the parking meter/machine shall indicate illegal parking, then such vehicle shall be considered as parked overtime and beyond the legal time fixed. The parking of a vehicle overtime or beyond the period of time fixed now or hereafter by the provisions of MMC 521.02 or 521.02A as applicable, in any part of a street where a meter/machine is located, shall be a violation of this article and punished as hereinafter provided. No person shall cause, allow or permit any vehicle registered in his name to be parked overtime or beyond the lawful period of time as above described. (Ord. 3668 § 6, 2009; Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.06 Deposit to extend fixed time limit a violation.
It shall be unlawful and an offense for any person to deposit or cause to be deposited in a parking meter a coin for the purpose of extending the parking time beyond the time fixed by the ordinances for parking in the parking space alongside of or next to which such parking meter is placed. (Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.07 Failure to deposit coin a violation.
It shall be unlawful and an offense for any person to permit a vehicle to remain or be placed in any parking space alongside of or next to which any parking meter is placed while such meter is displaying a signal showing that such vehicle shall have been already parked beyond the period of time fixed by the ordinance for such parking space. (Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.08 Duty of peace officers – Effect of waiver payment.
It shall be the duty of the peace officers of the city, acting in accordance with instructions of the chief of police, to report:
(A) The name of the parking lot and the number of the parking meters therein that indicates that the vehicle occupying the parking space adjacent thereto is, or has been, parked in violation of any of the provisions of this article;
(B) The date and hour of such violation;
(C) The state license number of such vehicle;
(D) Any other facts, the knowledge of which shall be necessary for a full understanding of the circumstances attending such violation. Every such peace officer shall also place upon such vehicle a notice to the owner or operator thereof that such vehicle was parked in violation of the provisions of this article, and instructing such owner or operator that he shall report to the police station and pay, for the use of the city, the sum of $5.00 within 48 hours after the time of such notice, or if he shall place the sum of $5.00, enclosed within the envelope provided, in any of the special parking fine boxes installed at various locations within the city within such time limit, the same shall save such violator from prosecution and from payment of the fine and costs hereinafter provided in this article. (Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.09 Manner of parking within meter spaces.
Any vehicle parked in any parking space in any meter zone shall be parked with the front of such vehicle alongside of or next to the parking meter alongside of such parking space in parallel parking spaces, and with the front of the vehicle directed at the meter in diagonal parking spaces. In either event, the vehicle shall be parked within the lines marked on the street for such parking space as provided hereinafter. (Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.10 Marking spaces – Parking vehicle within marked lines.
The city manager shall cause lines or marks to be placed on the curb or on the street about or alongside of each parking meter to designate the parking space for which the meter is to be used, and each vehicle parked alongside of or next to any parking meter shall be parked within the lines or markings so established. No person shall park any vehicle across any such line or mark or park such vehicle in such way that the same shall not be within the area so designated by such lines or markings. (Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.11 Deposit of slugs or substitute coins prohibited.
No person shall deposit or cause to be deposited in any parking meter any slug, device or metallic substitute for a coin of the United States. (Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.12 Defacing or injuring meter.
No person shall deface, injure, tamper with, open or willfully break, destroy or impair the usefulness of any parking meter installed under the terms of this article. (Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.13 Days and hours of meter operation.
(A) The provisions of this article regulating parking at on-street metered parking spaces and operation of said parking meters shall be in effect each day between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. except Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.
(B) The city council may temporarily suspend these regulations requiring coin deposit in meters and establishing time limits for meter parking. (Ord. 3731 § 1, 2014; Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.14 Parking in handicapped parking spaces.
(A) No person shall park or permit the parking of any vehicle in any on-street parking space marked as “Handicapped” unless the vehicle displays an approved handicapped certificate, sticker or plate.
(B) Any person parking or permitting the parking of any vehicle in violation of the provisions of subsection (A) of this section shall for each and every violation, upon conviction thereof, pay a fine in accordance with MMC 519.99.
(C) Parking spaces designated as handicap-only parking shall be in accordance with Article 519 MMC, Schedule M. (Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.15 Parking meter bags.
(A) The temporary use of parking spaces regulated by parking meters by issuance of parking meter bags to certain persons engaged in certain occupations or pursuits requiring temporary use of parking space(s) is hereby authorized in accordance with a policy formulated by the city manager and approved by resolution of city council and in accordance with the regulations set forth herein.
(B) The words “parking meter bags” as used herein refer to the “No Parking” bags that cover the meter to reserve the space, free from rate charges, to anyone properly obtaining the bags.
(C) Parking meter bags may only be issued for temporary use of metered parking spaces by persons employed in adjacent construction, demolition or repair projects, persons requiring reserved temporary parking for funerals, weddings, charitable events, parades or similar community affairs, and such other similar persons and uses as permitted under the policy adopted by city council.
(D) Parking meter bags will be free of charge for all charitable events, weddings, funerals, elections, parades, or when a family is moving or upon any other request at the discretion of the police department. Bags will also be made available to any city department or contractor involved with a city project free of charge at their request. These bags are to be used for on-street meters only and under no circumstances in parking lots. The police department shall issue or post these parking meter bags, which are orange in color, and shall have them returned or picked up by the department within a reasonable time period.
(E) Parking meter bags for auctioneers and all contractors with the exception of contractors involved with a job which was contracted by the city itself shall pay a nonrefundable fee of $10.00 per day per bag. Any such parking meter bags that require a fee shall be issued by the zoning administrator.
(F) No person shall use a parking meter bag to reserve parking at a parking meter or to take a meter out of service unless said bag was properly issued by the city. Parking meter bags shall only be used by the person issued the bag(s), and for the purposes and in the manner authorized by the issuance of the bag(s) and these regulations. Parking meter bags shall be and remain the property of the City of Meadville.
(G) Any person in violation of the terms or provisions of subsection (F) of this section shall for each and every violation, upon conviction thereof, pay a fine in accordance with MMC 521.99. (Ord. 3716, 2013; Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)
521.16 Special occasion parking permits.
Special occasion parking permits for special events, with advance notice given, will be issued on a per diem basis, nonrefundable $5.00 fee per permit (minimum of five). (Ord. 3716, 2013)
521.99 Penalty.
(A) Any person who violates any provision of this article, except MMC 521.11, 521.12 and 521.15, shall be subject to a penalty as follows:
(1) If penalty paid at courtesy box or city police headquarters within 48 hours of the issuance of the traffic ticket: $10.00.
(2) If penalty paid more than 48 hours, but within 10 days after the issuance of traffic ticket: $15.00.
(3) If penalty paid more than 10 days after the issuance of a traffic ticket, but before the issuance of a citation pursuant to the terms of this article: $30.00.
(4) If penalty is not paid within 15 days after the identity of the owner of the vehicle is determined, a citation shall be filed with the district magistrate and, upon conviction, violators shall be sentenced to pay a fine as set forth below.
(5) Time of payment for the purpose of this article shall be the time of the receipt of payment by the City of Meadville either in a courtesy box or at Police Headquarters, 984 Water Street, Meadville, Pennsylvania.
(6) Each hour or part of an hour during which any person parks or permits or causes a vehicle owned by him to be parked in violation of this article shall be considered separate and distinct offenses for which separate traffic tickets, citations and fines shall be issued, levied and collected.
(7) Any person convicted of the violation of any term or provision of this article (or of aiding, abetting or assisting in the violation of any term or provision of this article) shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $300.00 and may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 10 days.
(B) Any person who violates MMC 521.11, 521.12 and 521.15 shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $30.00 nor more than $300.00, together with costs and, upon failure to pay said fines and costs, may be sentenced to imprisonment for a period of time not to exceed 10 days. (Ord. 3668 § 7, 2009; Ord. 3616 §§ 1, 2, 2005; Ord. 3610 § 2, 2004)