BILL NUMBER: AB 213 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 25, 2009
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal
FEBRUARY 2, 2009
An act to amend Section 22502 of the Vehicle Code, relating to
vehicles.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 213, as amended, Bonnie Lowenthal. Vehicles: parking.
Existing law generally requires a vehicle, stopped or parked upon
a roadway where there are adjacent curbs, to be stopped or parked
with the right-hand wheels of the vehicle parallel with and within 18
inches of the right-hand curb, with specified exceptions, including
authorizing a vehicle to be stopped or parked with the left-hand
wheels parallel to and within 18 inches of the left-hand curb on a
one-way roadway.
This bill would allow local authorities to permit vehicles to park
on the left-hand side of the roadway parallel to and within 18
inches of the left-hand curb on a two-way local residential street
that dead-ends with no designated area in which to turn around
provided that the local authority makes a finding, supported by
a professional engineering study, that the ordinance or resolution is
justified by the need to facilitate the safe and orderly
movement of vehicles, and the applicable streets are demarcated
with signs or markings giving adequate notice of the parking
allowances.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 22502 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
22502. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a
vehicle stopped or parked upon a roadway where there are adjacent
curbs shall be stopped or parked with the right-hand wheels of the
vehicle parallel with and within 18 inches of the right-hand curb,
except that motorcycles shall be parked with at least one wheel or
fender touching the right-hand curb. Where no curbs or barriers bound
a two-way roadway, right-hand parallel parking is required unless
otherwise indicated.
(b) The provisions of subdivision (a) or (e) do not apply to a
commercial vehicle if a variation from the requirements of
subdivision (a) or (e) is reasonably necessary to accomplish the
loading or unloading of merchandise or passengers on, or from, the
vehicle and while anything connected with the loading, or unloading,
is being executed.
This subdivision does not permit a vehicle to stop or park upon a
roadway in a direction opposite to that in which traffic normally
moves upon that half of the roadway on which the vehicle is stopped
or parked.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), local authorities may, by
ordinance, prohibit commercial vehicles from stopping, parking, or
standing on one side of a roadway in a business district with the
wheels of the vehicle more than 18 inches from the curb. The
ordinance shall be effective only if signs are placed in the areas to
which it is applicable clearly indicating the prohibition.
(d) This section does not apply to vehicles of a public utility
when the vehicles are being used in connection with the operation,
maintenance, or repair of facilities of the public utility or are
being used in connection with providing public utility service.
(e) Upon a one-way roadway, vehicles may be stopped or parked as
provided in subdivision (a) or with the left-hand wheels parallel to
and within 18 inches of the left-hand curb, except that motorcycles,
if parked on the left-hand side, shall have either one wheel or one
fender touching the curb. Where no curb or barriers bound a one-way
roadway, parallel parking on either side is required unless otherwise
indicated.
This subdivision does not apply upon the roadways of a divided
highway.
(f) Local authorities A local authority
may, by ordinance or resolution, permit vehicles to park on the
left-hand side of the roadway parallel to and within 18 inches of
the left-hand curb on two-way local residential streets that dead-end
with no cul-de-sac or other designated area in which to turn around
, if the local authority has first made a finding, supported by
a professional engineering study, that the ordinance or resolution is
justified by the need to facilitate the safe and orderly movement of
vehicles on the roadways affected by the resolution or ordinance
. The ordinance or resolution may designate certain streets or
portions of streets on which the permission applies. The ordinance or
resolution permitting that parking shall not apply until signs or
markings giving adequate notice thereof have been
placed near the designated roadways .