In Los Angeles, we entrust our streets to
the LADOT who have authority over the conceptual planning and operations
of the street system including responsibility for the installation
and maintenance of traffic signals, parking meters and other traffic
control devices, as well as intersection control, parking enforcement
and crossing guard service.
The LADOT Traffic Officers regularly patrol all restricted parking
zones and issue citations to motorists when violations occur.
Things to consider:
Feeding the meter is illegal
SEC. 88.12 It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit or
cause to be deposited in a parking meter any coin for the purpose
of increasing
or extending the parking time of any vehicle beyond the legal
parking time which has been established by the Department for
the parking space
adjacent to which said meter is placed.
If you’re gonna park in a Curbside Metered Parking
Spot, ya gotta fit!
SEC. 88.03 The Department shall cause distinct lines
or markings to be painted or placed, replaced and maintained
upon the curb
or roadway
adjacent to each parking meter for the purpose of designating
the parking meter space for which said meter is to be
used. Said lines or markings
shall be so painted or placed as to permit parking in
the manner provided by the Vehicle Code of the State
of California.
(a) It shall be unlawful when such lines or markings
are in place for any person to park, stop or stand
any vehicle other
than
completely within the confines
or limits of such parking meter space.
Curbside Metered Parking Spots are for vehicles
CVC 463. "Park or parking" shall mean the standing
of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than
temporarily for
the purpose
of and while actually
engaged in loading or unloading merchandise or passengers.
What is a vehicle?
CVC 670. A "vehicle" is a device by which any person
or property 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.
Is a Bicycle a Vehicle?
CVC 231. A bicycle is a device upon which any person may ride,
propelled exclusively by human power through a
belt, chain, or gears, and having
one or more wheels.
Persons riding bicycles are subject to the provisions
of this code specified in Sections 21200 and 21200.5.
Can a Cyclist park in a Curbside Metered Parking Spot?
21200. (a) Every person riding a bicycle upon a highway
has all the rights and is subject to all the
provisions applicable
to
the driver of a vehicle
...
21210. No person shall leave a bicycle lying
on its side on any sidewalk, or shall park
a bicycle
on
a sidewalk in
any other
position, so that
there is not
an adequate path for pedestrian traffic.
Local authorities may, by ordinance or resolution,
prohibit bicycle
parking in designated
areas of the public
highway, provided that appropriate signs
are erected.
Can a Cyclist lock his/her bicycle to the
Parking Meter?
SEC. 88.10 It shall be unlawful for any
person to attach anything or to allow a
bicycle, newsrack
or
any other article
or thing
to lean against
a parking meter
or a parking meter standard.
Is the Street a Public Place?
LAMC SEC. 62.00. DEFINITIONS.
“Public Place” shall mean and include all public grounds, buildings,
and places owned or maintained by the
City and under the jurisdiction of the Board excluding public streets and public
easements.
What is a Public Street?
LAMC SEC. 11.01. “Street” shall include all streets,
highways, avenues lanes, alleys, courts places,
squares, curbs or other
public ways in this City
which have been or may hereafter
he dedicated and open to public use, or such other public property so
designated
in any law of
this State.
There is nothing in the context of the Los
Angeles Municipal Code which justifies
holding that the
word streets is
used therein to
designate a “roadway” exclusive
of its sidewalks. Unless it is
associated with language restricting its
meaning, the term
street in its
ordinary acceptation,
includes
sidewalks.
LAMC SEC. 62.00 DEFINITIONS.
“Public Street” shall mean and include all entities set forth under
the definition of the term “street” in
Subsection (a) of Section 11.01
of this Code. The term shall be
construed to include
the full width
of way dedicated to public use
including
sidewalk and unpaved areas.
What is a Roadway?
LAMC SEC. 62.00. DEFINITIONS
“Roadway” shall mean the portion of the street intended for use by
vehicular traffic, including
parking lanes.
What is a Sidewalk?
CVC 550. "Sidewalk" is that portion of a highway,
other than the roadway, set
apart by curbs, barriers, markings or
other delineation
for
pedestrian travel.
LAMC 62.00. DEFINITIONS
“Sidewalk” shall mean any surface provided for the exclusive use
of pedestrians.
What is a Pedestrian?
467 (a) A "pedestrian" is any person who is afoot
or who is using a means
of conveyance propelled by human power other than
a bicycle.
Can a Motorist park
a vehicle in a Curbside
Metered Parking
Spot and
live there?
SEC. 85.02. No person
shall use a vehicle
parked or standing
upon any
City street
or upon any
parking lot owned
by the City of Los
Angeles
and under
the control
of the City of
Los Angeles or
under control of
the Los Angeles County
Department
of Beaches and Harbors as living quarters
either overnight,
day-by-day, or otherwise.
Remember that episode
of Seinfeld?
In a tie, who gets
the Parking
Spot?
SEC. 80.30.1.
CURB PARKING – RIGHT
OF WAY.
(a) Definition – Limited Curb Parking Space. For the purpose of this section,
a “limited curb parking space” shall
mean an area
open for
lawful parking
along
side of,
and
adjacent
to,
a curb, which
area is not
of
sufficient
length to
permit two
or more
vehicles
to freely
move for
parking therein
at the same
time.
(b) Parking
at Curb – Right
of Way.
Any person
seeking
to park
his vehicle
in a limited
curb parking
space,
whose vehicle
arrives
at said
parking
space prior
to any
other
vehicle,
and who
proceeds
beyond
said space
a distance
not to
exceed
ten feet
for the
purpose
of backing
his vehicle
therein,
shall have
the right
of
way over
any person
driving
or attempting
to drive
any other
vehicle
directly
into
such limited
curb parking
space or
who in
any
manner
obstructs
such limited
curb
parking
space and
the driver
of such
other
vehicle
shall
yield
the right
of way
to the
driver
who first
arrived
at said
parking
space.
The bottom line for those participating in Park(ing) Day LA:
LADOT regulates the use of Curbside Metered Park(ing) Spots if occupied by
a vehicle.
LAPD will respond if there is a complaint or a disturbance but will defer
to Parking Enforcement and Street Use on any violations of appropriate
use.
Street Use will respond within 24 hrs to investigate and with the authority
to cite if they find a Curbside Metered Park(ing) Spot occupied by
a “non-vehicle.”
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Option #1 – Partner with the leadership in
your community, charm your audience, anticipate any objections, and serve
as a diplomat for Park[ing] Day LA, using this as an opportunity
to engage the press, the community and the authorities in a lively dialogue.
(Trialogue!)
Option #2 – Street Use regulates the use of Park(ing) Spaces
when they are used for 1) storage or staging of building materials
and 2) special
events.
Apply
online to "store" or "stage" the BUILDING
MATERIALS (sod, tree, furniture etc.) in a park(ing) space. Location - "Roadway - Curb Lane"
It takes 3 business days to get the $66.30 permit. (Posting
the parking lane as “NO PARKING” is extra and that
is done by the LADOT)
Larry Morales 213-847-6000 issues Permits for "Building
Materials on the Roadway."
Option #3 – Street Use regulates the use of Park(ing)
Spaces when they are used for 1) storage or staging of building
materials
and 2) special
events.
Constancia Abracia @ 213-847-6029 issues $312 Permits for Special
Events. A Special Events permit requires insurance and may
require City Council
approval and LADOT posting. Special Event Permits cover Block
Parties, Movie Openings,
Trade Shows, etc.
Option #4 – Make a movie, contact FilmLA, Inc. pay
$450 and get 10 locations for 3 weeks, shut down the streets,
hire retired
cops,
grips
and electricians and teamsters and rent all kinds of equipment
and more expensive
crew to operate all the equipment and put Craft Services
on the sidewalk and surround the neighborhood with security and
have the catering
truck set up on the lawn and feed hundreds of background
actors while the
homeless watch with wide eyes then have a helicopter fly
around in the middle of
the
night filming the car chase scene, then make millions of
dollars, laugh all the way to the bank, go on Conan and tell the world
about how it
all began
on the boulevard, at Park[ing] Day LA.
************************************************************************
Whatever your choice:
Clean up after yourself! In fact, leave it better than you found it!
SEC. 62.49. BUILDING MATERIAL – DEPOSIT IN STREETS.
(a) No person shall fail to remove any protection fence, protection canopy,
building material, or equipment of any kind whatsoever, or any
debris deposited or maintained on any public street, within five (5)
days after
the completion
of the construction, alteration, repair or demolition of any building
in front of which such fence, canopy, material, equipment or debris
is deposited
or maintained, nor fail to leave the street in as good a condition
as the same was prior to the placing of such fence, canopy, material,
equipment
or debris thereon.
(b) The Board shall proceed to do such work or have the same done
upon failure of any person charged so to do under this section,
and the costs
necessarily
incurred by the Board in doing such work may be recovered by
the City from such person.
… and remember…
Is it appropriate to park in a Bike Lane? NO!
Obstruction of Bikeways or Bicycle Paths or Trails
21211 (b) No person may place or park any bicycle, vehicle, or any other
object upon any bikeway or bicycle path or trail, as specified
in subdivision (a), which impedes or blocks the normal and reasonable movement
of any
bicyclist unless the placement or parking is necessary for safe
operation or is otherwise
in compliance with the law.
Effective 6/21/07 the Los Angeles City Council established penalty
provisions and impound authority for the enforcement of cvc21211(b)
and directed
the LADOT to develop an implementation strategy for the enforcement
of the
laws that forbid blocking bike lanes.
Council File # 06 – 2688 @ http://cityclerk.lacity.org/CFI/Index.htm
Feel
free to contact Stephen Box @ Stephen@illuminateLA.com.
*no legal advice is intended nor offered.
