Chapter 11.24
STOPPING—STANDING—PARKING
Sections:
11.24.009 Restrictions established—Signs designating.
11.24.020 Parking infractions.
11.24.025 Designation of no parking zones adjacent to driveways.
11.24.026 Designation of no parking zones adjacent to driveways, intersections, and crosswalks.
11.24.027 Designation of timed parking restrictions near schools and businesses.
11.24.028 Parking restriction appeals.
11.24.029 Designation of no parking zones due to fire access requirements.
11.24.030 Parking for certain purposes prohibited.
11.24.040 Parking on one-way streets.
11.24.050 Night parking prohibited.
11.24.055 Permits in R-3, R-3A and R3C zones.
11.24.070 Removal of vehicles parked for seventy-two or more hours.
11.24.090 Electric vehicle charging spaces.
11.24.009 Restrictions established—Signs designating.
(a) The city council shall, by ordinance or resolution, establish such parking or stopping, standing and parking restrictions or prohibitions as may be necessary, and the city manager or designee shall designate such streets, portions of streets or city-owned parking lots, including but not limited to parking lots at publicly accessible park and recreational facilities (as those terms are defined in Section 8.28.020), by appropriate signs or markings giving effect to such parking or stopping, standing and parking restrictions or prohibitions.
(b) When authorized signs are in place giving notice of such prohibition or limitation, no person shall stop, stand or park any vehicle in violation of such sign.
(c) Whenever the stopping, standing or parking of a vehicle has been prohibited, restricted or limited as to time by this chapter or any resolution enacted pursuant hereto, the continued standing or parking of such vehicle after a citation therefor has been issued constitutes a separate and additional violation of the provisions for which the citation was issued, when such standing or parking continues for an additional period longer than the maximum permissible period of parking in such space or location after issuance of such citation, or if no such period of time is designated, when such stopping, standing or parking after a citation therefor continues for an additional period longer than one hour. (Ord. 1120 § 2, 2024; Ord. 593 § 1, 1976; Ord. 528 § 1, 1972).
11.24.010 Manner of parking.
No person shall park, stop or stand any vehicle in a marked diagonal or right-angle parking space on any street or parking plaza so as to exceed the boundaries of the parking space by more than six inches on either side nor more than twelve inches on either end. Where diagonal or right-angle parking is marked along the face of a curb, the front wheels of the vehicle must be within six inches of the curb. No person shall park, stop or stand any vehicle in a marked parallel parking space on any street or parking plaza so as to exceed the boundaries of the parking space by more than twenty-four inches on either end. (Prior code § 16.61).
11.24.020 Parking infractions.
No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle within any parkway or on a sidewalk, nor shall any person stop, stand or park a vehicle on a street at a red zone, or a curb painted red; nor shall any person park a vehicle on a street at a curb painted yellow, white or green, in violation of regulations therefor set out in Section 11.08.030. The minimum fine and bail forfeiture for a violation of this section prohibiting parking in a red zone shall be five dollars for each violation. (Ord. 484 § 1(4), 1969: Prior code § 16.62).
11.24.025 Designation of no parking zones adjacent to driveways.
The public works director or designee is authorized to designate a no parking zone and to paint the curbs red within six (6) feet of a driveway if the public works director or designee determines that cars parked within such distances are causing an obstruction of the driveway or are interfering with reasonable ingress and egress from the driveway. (Ord. 1120 § 3, 2024; Ord. 873 § 1, 1996).
11.24.026 Designation of no parking zones adjacent to driveways, intersections, and crosswalks.
(a) A person shall not stop, park or leave standing any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, within twenty (20) feet of the vehicle approach side of any marked or unmarked crosswalk or fifteen (15) feet of any crosswalk where a curb extension is present. The space may be used for bicycle parking. The space may be used as commercial loading zones if located in the "Downtown/Station Area" in the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan and in the "Commercial" areas as designated in the General Plan. The public works director or designee is authorized to designate a no parking zone using signs or painting the curb red to conform to this regulation and may install traffic control materials to restrict access to this space to prevent violations of this regulation.
(b) The complete streets commission is authorized to designate no parking zones adjacent to driveways, intersections, crosswalks, and other locations at up to five (5) spaces per location if the complete streets commission determines that parked vehicles are obstructing visibility, interfering with reasonable ingress and egress, or obstructing safe transit or bike lane travel requiring striping adjustments, except where the location is within the area designated as the "Downtown/Station Area" in the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan, which shall be limited to three (3) spaces per location. (Ord. 1120 § 4, 2024; Ord. 1034 § 2 (part), 2017).
11.24.027 Designation of timed parking restrictions near schools and businesses.
The complete streets (transportation) commission is authorized to designate timed parking restrictions, including but not limited to loading zones and time of day restrictions, near schools and businesses at up to five (5) spaces per location, except where the location is within the area designated as the "Downtown/Station Area" in the El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan, which shall be limited to three (3) spaces per location. (Ord. 1034 § 2 (part), 2017).
11.24.028 Parking restriction appeals.
Any Menlo Park resident, business owner, or property owner may appeal the decision of the complete streets (transportation) commission to the city council in writing within fifteen (15) days after the decision of the commission. Such a request shall be submitted to the city clerk and it shall state the reasons for the appeal. The matter will be reviewed by the city council at its earliest opportunity. Parking restrictions shall not be implemented until all appeals are completed and/or the time for filing an appeal has expired. (Ord. 1034 § 2 (part), 2017).
11.24.029 Designation of no parking zones due to fire access requirements.
As part of a discretionary development project review process, the establishment of parking restrictions shall be considered by the relevant approval body. The relevant approval body is authorized to designate no parking zones through the development approval process if the relevant approval body determines that parked vehicles are interfering with fire access requirements. (Ord. 1034 § 2 (part), 2017).
11.24.030 Parking for certain purposes prohibited.
No person shall park a vehicle upon any street for the principal purpose of displaying such vehicle for sale, or of washing, greasing or repairing such vehicle except for repairs necessitated by emergency. (Prior code § 16.63).
11.24.040 Parking on one-way streets.
Subject to more restrictive limitations, a vehicle may be stopped or parked within eighteen inches of the left-hand curb facing in the direction of traffic movement upon any one-way street unless signs are in
place prohibiting such stopping or standing. A divided highway is not to be considered as two one-way streets. (Prior code § 16.64).
11.24.045 Angle parking.
Parking at an angle to the curb or side of the street shall be permitted on streets as designated pursuant to a resolution of the City Council. (Ord. 881 § 1, 1997: Ord. 843 § 1, 1993).
11.24.050 Night parking prohibited.
No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle at any time between the hours of two a.m. and five a.m. upon those certain streets or portions thereof located within a residential zone or located within three hundred feet (300’) of a residential zone. Physicians engaged in professional calls, persons engaged in governmental duties or emergency activities are exempt from this provision. A "residential zone" includes all lands located within the following zoning districts of the city: RE, RES, R-1-S, R-1-U, R-2, R-3, R-3-A, R-3-C and R-L-U. (Ord. 697 § 1(A), 1984).
11.24.055 Permits in R-3, R-3A and R3C zones.
Permits authorizing all-night street parking may be granted to residents of residential living units in R-3, R-3-A and R-3-C zones if the building or complex in which the residential living unit is located was not required to have two (2) parking spaces per unit at the time it was constructed. Each such apartment complex or building will be permitted as many on-street parking permits as needed to supplement existing, potential or possible off-street spaces available to the building or complex so that the total available parking spaces equal two (2) per apartment unit. The city manager shall determine, in his discretion, how many on-street spaces are to be allowed, how they are to be distributed and the fee for each permit. (Ord. 883 § 1, 1997; Ord. 730 § 1, 1986).
11.24.056 Temporary permits.
A resident or visitor may be granted permission to park between the hours of two (2) a.m. and five (5) a.m. in any residential zoning district in front of his/her own residence or the residence he/she is visiting by calling the police department by one (1) a.m., on the night he/she wishes to park. Such permission shall be available for not to exceed eight (8) nights in any calendar month.
Temporary permits for up to thirty (30) calendar days may be issued by the police chief or his/her designee in the case of construction pursuant to a valid building permit, visitors for longer than one (1) week, or other documented hardship situations such as medical needs as determined by the police chief or his/her designee. No more than three (3) consecutive temporary permits shall be issued in any calendar year except in unusual circumstances. (Ord. 883 § 2, 1997).
11.24.060 Vendors.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person shall stand or park any vehicle, wagon or pushcart from which goods, wares, merchandise, fruits, vegetables or foodstuffs are sold, displayed, solicited or offered for sale, or bartered or exchanged, or any lunch wagon or eating car vehicle, on any portion of any street within this city; except that such vehicles, wagons or pushcarts may stand or park only at the request of a bona fide purchaser for a period of time not to exceed ten (10) minutes at any one (1) location during the period between a half hour before sunrise and a half hour after sunset. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to persons delivering such articles upon order of, or by agreement with a customer from a store or other fixed place of business or distribution.
(b) No person shall park or stand on any street, any lunch wagon, eating cart or vehicle, or pushcart from which tamales, peanuts, popcorn, candy or other articles of food are sold or offered for sale, without first having obtained a written permit to do so from the City Council which shall designate the specific location and hour in which the cart shall stand.
(c) No person shall park or stand any vehicle or wagon used or intended to be used in the transportation of property for hire on any street while awaiting
patronage for such vehicle or wagon without first obtaining a written permit to do so from the City Council which shall designate the specific location where such vehicle shall stand.
(d) In no event shall any person at the location of any vehicular accident, collision, or other catastrophe or calamity, solicit or offer the sale of any tow truck service, or the sale of any other service. No vehicles equipped for use as tow trucks shall be parked within five hundred feet (500’) of the location of any vehicular accident, collision, or other catastrophe, unless requested by authorities. The prohibitions contained in this section shall apply from the time of the happening of any of the aforesaid occurrences until a reasonable time thereafter, and at all times while law enforcement officers, public health personnel, emergency personnel, and other persons discharging duties imposed by law, are actively engaged in the performance of duty at the location of such occurrences.
(e) Whenever any permit is granted under the provisions of this section and a particular location to park or stand is specified therein, no person shall park or stand any vehicle, wagon or pushcart on any location other than as designated in such permit. In the event that the holder of any such permit is convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction for violating any of the provisions of this section, such permit shall be revoked by the City Council upon the filing of the record of such conviction with the legislative body and no permit shall thereafter be issued to such person until six (6) months have elapsed from the date of such revocation. (Prior code § 16.66).
11.24.070 Removal of vehicles parked for seventy-two or more hours.
When a vehicle is parked or left standing upon a street or highway for seventy-two or more consecutive hours, the chief of police or his designated representative may remove such vehicle or cause the same to be removed without notice. Any such vehicle left standing for such period shall be deemed to have been abandoned by the registered owner. It shall be an infraction to park or leave standing a vehicle upon a street or highway for seventy-two or more hours. (Ord. 759 § 1, 1987; Prior code § 16.67).
11.24.080 Street defined.
"Street," as used herein, is defined as follows: "Street" means a public thoroughfare or right-of-way affording means of access to abutting property and includes all of the public property located between the "street lines." "Street line" means the boundary between a street right-of-way and adjoining public property. (Ord. 531 § 1, 1973).
11.24.090 Electric vehicle charging spaces.
No person shall park or cause to be parked or allow to remain standing any vehicle at a public electric vehicle charging space, unless the vehicle is an electric vehicle, is actively charging, and has not exceeded any applicable parking time limit for the lot where the charging space is located. The city council may, by resolution, specify electric vehicle charging fees for public use of electric vehicle charging spaces on municipal property. (Ord. 1034 § 2 (part), 2017).