BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2491
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Date of Hearing: April 18, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Jim Frazier, Chair
AB 2491
(Nazarian) - As Introduced February 19, 2016
SUBJECT: Vehicles: stopping, standing, and parking
SUMMARY: Adds police stations, ambulance companies, and general
acute care hospitals to the list of facilities for which vehicle
parking, stopping, or standing within 15 feet of the driveway is
prohibited. Specifically, this bill:
1)Prohibits parking within 15 feet of a driveway entrance of a
police station, ambulance company, or acute care hospital
unless, as specified, the vehicle is owned and operated by the
facility and is clearly marked.
2)Provides that a local authority may provide appropriate curb
markings and post signs that delineate the area within 15 feet
of a driveway entrance of a police station, ambulance company,
or acute care hospital as a no parking, stopping, or standing
zone.
3)Makes related, clarifying amendments.
EXISTING LAW:
AB 2491
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1)Prohibits, with certain exceptions, persons from stopping,
parking, or leaving a vehicle standing within 15 feet of a
fire station driveway unless the vehicle is owned or operated
by the fire station entities and is clearly marked, as
specified.
2)Authorizes a local jurisdiction to provide appropriate curb
markings and to post signs delineating the zone 15 feet zone
adjacent to the fire station driveway entrance, as specified.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown, this bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS: According to the author, emergency service vehicles
entering or exiting driveways of police stations, ambulance
service providers, and general acute care hospitals are often
blocked by cars that are parked around the driveway entrance or
stopped in front of it. He notes that when emergency vehicles
cannot enter or exit their facilities, critical response time is
lost and important services are delayed.
The author points to statistics provided by the Los Angeles
County Department of Health Services that approximately 295,000
patients are transported to emergency rooms each year and that
over 2.2 million people received ambulatory care visits in Los
Angeles County alone. The author also points out that, in
particular, ambulance transport companies, who respond to
millions of calls across the state annually, report frequently
experiencing problems entering and exiting their facilities on
emergency response calls. Unlike fire stations, there is no
prohibition against vehicles stopping or standing in close
proximity or in front of driveways of the emergency response
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providers identified in AB 2491.
To address this issue, the author introduced this bill, which
would additionally prohibit a person from stopping, parking, or
leaving a vehicle standing within 15 feet of a driveway to a
police station, ambulance company, or general acute care
hospital. AB 2491 specifies that a violation of the provision
would be enforced as a stopping or parking violation rather than
a moving violation. This bill also provides local jurisdictions
with the authority to post appropriate signs and curb marking to
delineate the areas.
Proposed amendments: While well intended, AB 2491 was drafted
in such a way that that all driveway entrances to police
stations, ambulance companies and acute care hospitals across
the state would be subject to the prohibition. Additionally, by
broadly designating these areas as no parking zones and simply
authorizing the local jurisdiction to erect signage or identify
the areas with curb markings, this bill could create a situation
whereby citations can be issued to persons who, unknowingly,
violate these provisions. To address this concern, the author
has proposed to take amendments in committee that would:
1)Require that local jurisdictions adopt an ordinance
designating the prohibition against stopping, parking, or
leaving a vehicle standing within 15 feet of a driveway that
is used by emergency vehicles owned or operated by a police
department, general acute care hospital, or ambulance service
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provider;
2)Provide that the prohibition not apply to vehicles owned by a
police department, general acute care hospital, or ambulance
service provider provided that the vehicle is clearly marked,
as specified; and,
3)Require that the local jurisdiction, upon the passage of an
ordinance prohibiting parking, stopping or standing within 15
feet of a driveway owned or operated by a police department,
general acute care hospital, or ambulance service provider,
that appropriate curb markings and signs be installed
delineating the areas to alert the motorists of the
restriction.
With the amendments, local jurisdictions would be authorized to
restrict parking, stopping, and standing of vehicles at driveway
entrances to these facilities that are used by emergency
vehicles and that motorists are duly notified of the prohibition
using signs and curb markings.
Writing in support of AB 2491, the California Sheriffs'
Association asserts that existing law rightly prohibits the
stopping, parking, or standing of any vehicle within 15 feet of
a fire station driveway entrance. They contend that it stands
to reason that this prohibition be expanded to other facilities,
such as police stations and hospitals, where clear access is
needed to ensure timely response of emergency vehicles.
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REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
California Sheriffs' Association
Peace Officers Research Association of California
South Robertson Neighborhood Council
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
AB 2491
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