Chapter 8.12   STOPPING, STANDING AND PARKING

Sections:


8.12.010   Stopping, etc., prohibited in specified places.

(a)

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic, in compliance with law, or the directions of a police officer or traffic control device, in any of the following places:

(1)

On a sidewalk;

(2)

In front of a public or private driveway or so near thereto as to interfere with the unobstructed use of such driveway;

(3)

Within an intersection;

(4)

Within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant;

(5)

On a crosswalk;

(6)

Within twenty feet of a crosswalk at an intersection;

(7)

Within thirty feet upon the approach to any flashing beacon, stop sign or traffic control signal located on the side of a roadway;

(8)

Between a safety zone and the adjacent curb, or within thirty feet of points on the curb immediately opposite the ends of the safety zones, unless indicated for a different link by official signs or markings;

(9)

Within fifty feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing;

(10)

Within twenty feet of a driveway entrance to any fire station or on the side of a street opposite the entrance to any fire station within seventy-five feet of such entrance;

(11)

Alongside or opposite any street excavation or obstruction when stopping, standing, or parking obstructs traffic;

(12)

On the roadway side of any vehicle stopped or parked at the edge or curb of the street;

(13)

Upon any bridge or other elevated structure upon a street or within a highway tunnel;

(14)

At any place where official signs prohibit stopping;

(15)

In any handicapped parking space unless the vehicle has a valid handicapped decal or tag prominently displayed; or

(16)

In any designated fire lane.

(b)

No person shall move a vehicle not lawfully under his control into any such prohibited area or away from a curb such distance as is unlawful.

(Ord. O-10-93 § 4 (part), 1993; prior code § 8-3-1)

8.12.020   Parking shall be at right curb.

Every vehicle stopped or parked upon a roadway where there are adjacent curbs shall be stopped or parked with the right-hand wheel of such vehicle parallel to and within six inches of the right-hand curb, except where angle parking is permitted.

(Prior code § 8-3-2)

8.12.030   Stopping in passenger zones, loading zones, or truck zones.

It is unlawful for the driver of a vehicle to stop, stand or park for a longer period of time than necessary for the expeditious loading or unloading of passengers in any place marked as a passenger zone. It shall be unlawful for the driver of a vehicle to stop, stand or park such vehicle for a longer period of time than necessary for the expeditious loading or unloading of passengers or for the unloading and delivery or pickup and loading of materials, in any place marked as a loading zone. In no case shall the stop for loading or unloading of materials exceed thirty minutes. It shall be unlawful for any other vehicle to park in zones laid off and marked with signs indicating time for trucks and express trucks, which will park only for the prompt loading and unloading of merchandise and materials, and in no case longer than thirty minutes.

(Prior code § 8-3-3)

8.12.040   Parking to be incidental to use and operation of vehicles.

No vehicle shall be parked on any street except when such parking is incidental to the use and operation of the vehicle. The storage or parking on the street of vehicles by garages, dealers, or other persons when such storage or parking is not incidental to the bona fide use and operation of the vehicle is prohibited.

(Prior code § 8-3-4)

8.12.050   Parking vehicles for sale.

It is unlawful for any person to park a vehicle displayed for sale on any street unless permitted in writing by the chief of police.

(Ord. O-10-93 § 4 (part), 1993; prior code § 8-3-5)

8.12.060   Double parking.

A person having charge of a vehicle shall not stop the same abreast of, or opposite, another vehicle lengthwise of a street, or behind any car parked at any angle in any street, except in case of accident or emergency.

(Prior code § 8-3-6)

8.12.070   Parking in marked-off spaces at rear of city hall.

It is unlawful for any unauthorized person to park a motor vehicle in any of the spaces at the rear of city hall marked off for city officials and employees.

(Prior code § 8-3-7)

8.12.080   Parking so as not to interfere with passage of vehicles.

No motor vehicle shall be so parked as to interfere with the passage of any other vehicle.

(Prior code § 8-3-8)

8.12.090   Drivers of motor buses to pull to curb when stopping for passengers.

The driver of every motor bus, when stopping for the purpose of taking on or letting off passengers, shall pull to the right to within three feet of the curb line before stopping, unless traffic conditions prohibit, from the standpoint of safety to the traveling public.

(Prior code § 8-3-9)

8.12.100   Officers may remove illegally parked or stopped vehicle.

Whenever any police officer finds a vehicle parked upon a street in violation of the provisions of this chapter, the officer may provide for removal, or require the driver or other person in charge of the vehicle, to move the vehicle to a position off the paved or main-traveled part of the street.

(Ord. O-10-93 § 4 (part), 1993; prior code § 8-3-10)

8.12.110   Notice to appear to answer charge of parking violation.

Whenever any motor vehicle without a driver is found parked in violation of any of the parking restrictions of this chapter, the officer finding it shall take its registration number and any other information displayed on the vehicle which may identify its owner, and affix conspicuously to the vehicle a notice in writing, on a form provided by the city, for the driver to answer to the charge against him during the hours and at the time and place specified in the notice. The officer shall send one copy of the notice to the municipal court. Any driver of a motor vehicle who wilfully neglects to answer to the charges set forth in a notice affixed in accordance with this section shall be guilty of contempt of court, regardless of the disposition of the charge for which the notice was originally issued.

(Prior code § 8-3-11)

8.12.120   Responsibility of owner for vehicle found illegally parked.

If any vehicle is found upon a street in violation of any posted or metered zone or any provision of this chapter regulating stopping, standing or parking of vehicles and the identity of the driver cannot be determined, the owner or person in whose name such vehicle is registered shall be held prima facie responsible for such violation.

(Prior code § 8-3-12)

8.12.130   Unattended motor vehicle.

No person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key and effectively setting the brake thereon and, when standing upon any grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the street.

(Prior code § 8-3-13)

8.12.140   Parking outside of business or residence districts.

(a)

Upon a street outside of a business or residence district, no person shall stop, park or leave standing any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, upon a paved or main-traveled part of the street when it is practicable to stop, park or so leave such vehicle off such part of such street, but in every event an unobstructed width of the street opposite a standing vehicle shall be left for the free passage of other vehicles and a clear view of such stopped vehicles shall be available from a distance of two hundred feet in each direction upon such street.

(b)

This section shall not apply to the driver of any vehicle which is disabled while on the paved or main-traveled portion of a street in such manner and to such extent that it is impossible to avoid stopping and temporarily leaving such disabled vehicle in such position.

(Prior code § 8-3-14)

8.12.150   Impounding and sale of abandoned vehicles.

(a)

Whenever any vehicle shall be found by a police officer abandoned on the streets of the city, it shall be the duty of such officer to cause such vehicle to be removed from the street and conveyed to a garage to be designated by the chief of police.

(b)

The owner or person in whose name such vehicle is registered shall be given immediate personal notice, if he is a resident of the city, and if not a resident, shall be given written notice by registered mail if his address can be ascertained.

(c)

If the place of residence of such owner cannot be ascertained, then it shall be the duty of the chief of police to advertise the fact that such vehicle has been impounded, giving an accurate description thereof, the name of the person in whose name the vehicle is registered and the circumstances under which the vehicle was found and removed from the streets of the city and calling upon the owner to reclaim the vehicle within thirty days. Such notice shall be published once a week for four weeks in a newspaper in which the Greenville County Sheriff's notices are published.

(d)

In the event the vehicle is not reclaimed after such advertisement and notice, then the same shall be sold at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash, before the city hall door of Travelers Rest or such place as may be specified. The expense of keeping and advertising such vehicle shall be paid out of the proceeds of the sale; and the balance of the sale price, if any, shall be deposited in the city treasury, subject to the claim of the owner, which claim must be filed within twelve months from the date of the sale; otherwise, the entire proceeds shall be forfeited to the city. It is the intent and purpose of this provision that the owner of any vehicle so abandoned shall be ascertained, if such be possible, before removing the same from the streets, and only in the event the owner cannot be located within a reasonable time shall a police officer impound any such vehicle. The chief of police shall account for all funds collected under the provisions of this section and shall pay the same to the city clerk-treasurer. The chief of police shall keep a record of the names of the owners of all vehicles impounded, the numbers of the state license plates and the circumstances under which such vehicles were impounded.

(Ord. O-10-93 § 4 (part), 1993; prior code § 8-3-15)

8.12.160   Parking of commercial vehicles on vacant lots prohibited.

(a)

Definitions. The following definitions shall apply:

(1)

"Commercial vehicle" includes, but is not limited, to all motorized and non-motorized tractors, trailers, semi-trailers, vans, trucks, open bed or flat bed pickups, mobile equipment, machinery or other vehicles which meet one or more of the following criteria:

(A)

Vehicle or load height exceeds seven feet; or

(B)

Vehicle or load width exceeds seven and one-half feet, as measured from the widest portion of the vehicle or load, but not including mirrors; or

(C)

Vehicle or load length exceeds twenty feet (in combination with any attached trailers); or

(D)

Manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating exceeds ten thousand pounds; or

(E)

Any non-motorized vehicle regardless of its height, width, length or weight when it has been detached from a motor vehicle that is capable of towing such vehicle; or

(F)

Any vehicle defined as a "commercial motor vehicle" pursuant to South Carolina Code Ann. 56-1-2030(4).

(2)

"Vacant lots" shall mean private parking lots that are accessible to the public and which no longer serve to provide on-site parking in definite relationship to the certificate of occupancy for the premises; private parking lots that are accessible to the public and which premises no longer has a valid certificate of occupancy; or private parking lots accessible to the public where the business associated with the parking lot no longer operates.

(b)

Prohibition.

(1)

It shall be unlawful to park or leave standing any commercial vehicle on any vacant lot for more than a period of one hour at any time within a day.

(2)

It shall be unlawful to park or leave standing any commercial vehicle on any vacant lot for any period of time without the express approval of the owner or operator of the vacant lot.

(3)

This section shall not apply to the following:

(A)

Commercial vehicles left parked or standing as a result of a mechanical breakdown so as to allow performance of emergency repairs on the vehicle, or while waiting for a tow operator for a period not to exceed three hours; or

(B)

Commercial vehicles actively delivering or receiving merchandise to areas close in proximity to the vehicle; or

(C)

Commercial vehicles actively loading or unloading passengers; or

(D)

Commercial vehicles parked in connection with or in aid of immediate performance of a service to or on a property in the immediate proximity in which such vehicle is parked; or

(E)

Emergency or law enforcement vehicles of the state or any political subdivision thereof or of a public utility, while the vehicle is engaged in the necessary performance of public duties; or

(F)

Commercial vehicles titled in the name of the owner of the vacant lot, provided, however, that the zoning classification for the premises, applicable standard codes, and all other city ordinances permit such parking or standing.

(c)

Signs. The city administrator may designate the placement of appropriate signs adjacent to vacant lots as she/[he] may determine will best serve to give notice of the prohibitions of this section.

(d)

Penalty. Any person who shall violate the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished within the jurisdictional limits of the municipal court.

(Ord. No. O-10-13, §§ 1-3, 5, 6-20-2013)

Editor's note— Ord. No. O-10-13, § 4, adopted June 20, 2013, provides that this section shall not be construed to permit any activity prohibited by the city of Travelers Rest Zoning Ordinance, any other city ordinance or any state law or regulation.