HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-11-06; Traffic Safety Commission; ; PARKING SIGNS AND PAVEMENT MARKING TO RESTRICT THE SIZE OF VEHICLES ALLOWED TO PARK AT SPECIFIED LOCATIONSCOMMISSION MEETING OF:
LOCATION: City-Wide
INITIATED BY: Staff
REQUESTED ACTION:
BACKGROUND:
CITY OF CARLSBAD
TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
November 6, 2017 ITEM NO. 6C
Approve Recommendation to City Council for an Amendment to
Municipal Code §10.40.145 -Prohibit Parking of Vehicles Beyond
Marked Spaces
Currently, Carlsbad Municipal Code §10.40.145, authorizes the city traffic engineer to
install and maintain parking space markings to indicate parking spaces adjacent to curbs
where authorized parking is permitted. However, the current section allows for
oversized vehicles to park within and beyond the markings of a single space when the
size of the vehicle is larger than a single marked parking space. The proposed
amendment to Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 10.40.145 will authorize the city traffic
engineer to install and maintain parking space markings and signage indicating where
the parking of vehicles beyond the markings of a single parking space shall be
prohibited. Where the City installs signs or markings, no vehicle beyond the marked
spaces, shall be stopped, left standing or parked contrary to such prohibition or within
an area designated as prohibited or restricted.
The Police Department commonly receives parking complaints from residents and
businesses regarding the parking of oversized vehicles within areas of the city.
Oversized vehicles are defined as vehicles that are larger than 22 feet long. The
complaints fielded by the Police Department commonly involve safety (i.e. blocking line
of sight to cross-traffic), sanitation (i.e. disposal of waste upon the street), and property
access related concerns (i.e. lengthy vehicles are blocking access to parking along curbs)
of residents and/or businesses caused by oversize vehicles being parked in the vicinity
of the complainants' residences and businesses during the daytime and early evening
hours. When the police department determines these complaints to be valid, it
currently does not have any authority to remedy the issue as the law currently does not
allow the City to regulate the parking of oversized vehicles within the City during
daytime and early evening hours. Specifically, the only restrictions on the parking of
oversized vehicles within the City is Carlsbad Municipal Code §10.40.180 which, in part,
requires a permit to park an oversized vehicle on any City street or public property
between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.
To provide the police department with a tool to remedy the complaints they are
receiving, California Vehicle Code section 22507(a) provides that local authorities, like
the City, may, by ordinance or resolution, prohibit or restrict the stopping, parking or
standing of vehicles, based on size, within 100 feet of any intersection, on certain
streets or highways, or on portions thereof, during all or certain hours of the day.
Based on Vehicle Code section 22507(a), if the City Council adopts the proposed
ordinance, the police department will forward requests to the public works department
to determine, based on the information in the request, design standards and relevant
regulations, whether to install parking space markings and signage restricting oversized
vehicles from stopping, standing and/or parking in the requested area.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommend City Council approval of an amendment to Carlsbad Municipal Code
§10.40.145 to authorize the city traffic engineer to indicate, with signs or markings,
locations wherein the parking of vehicles beyond the markings of a single space is
prohibited.
NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL ACTION:
City Council will need to revise Municipal Code §10.40.145.