Sec. 31-23. Authority of county executive or his designee to regulate by signs.

   (a)   The county executive or his designee is hereby authorized, by executive order in the form of traffic orders, to regulate parking of vehicles on county property by the erection of official signs conforming to the regulations regarding signs posted on public streets and highways, and conforming in design, color, size and placement to the standards established in the most recent edition of the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways."

   (b)   All parking signs erected on any privately owned parking lot within the county shall conform to the regulations regarding signs posted on public streets, highways or other areas in the county, and conform in design, color, size and placement to the standards established in the most recent edition of the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways." The county executive or his designee may provide, by executive order in the form of traffic orders, for the erection of official signs regulating parking on any privately owned parking facility within the county, which parking facility is open to and used by members of the general public for parking in connection with retail commercial establishments, or other businesses to which the parking facility is appurtenant. Any traffic order issued under this section may require that the owner, tenant or employees of retail or commercial establishments furnish evidence necessary for the enforcement of such order. (1978 L.M.C., ch. 7, § 2; 1981 L.M.C., ch. 40, § 4; 1984 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 36.)

Sec. 31-24. Marking of public parking facilities.

   (a)   Spaces for parking of motor vehicles shall be marked off along public parking facilities as provided in this chapter by means of painted lines on the parking surface, by raised curbs or by other suitable means so as to clearly delineate said space as a designated and authorized parking space for one vehicle. Directional arrows, stop signs or stop bars and other traffic-control devices shall be provided to assist and direct circulation within public parking facilities.

   (b)   Areas of public parking facilities not otherwise designated by painted lines or otherwise as parking spaces, shall be considered official no parking zones when indicated by posted signs or yellow paint applied to top and face of curb or by yellow painted lines on the parking surface unless otherwise posted. (1978 L.M.C., ch. 7, § 2.)

Sec. 31-25. Method of parking.

   (a)   Every person parking a vehicle in any public parking facility shall park wholly within the area of one (1) individual parking space as marked out by painted lines, curbs or otherwise.

   (b)   No person shall park a vehicle in a designated parking space by backing said vehicle into the parking space when said space is within an area posted by front in only signs.

   (c)   It shall be the duty of all persons to observe the sign markings and other traffic and parking control devices and regulations when using a public parking facility. (1978 L.M.C., ch. 7, § 2.)

Sec. 31-26. Public parking facilities.

   Except temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading passengers or for emergency repairs when the vehicle cannot be driven, a person must not park any vehicle on a public parking facility:

   (1)   in violation of an official sign;

   (2)   in a no-parking zone when posted by sign or indicated by yellow painted curb or yellow painted lines on the parking surface, except for a motorcycle where motorcycle parking is permitted by an official sign;

   (3)   in any place that is not designated as a parking space by painted lines, except for a motorcycle where motorcycle parking is permitted by an official sign;

   (4)   in or on any driving aisle, driveway, sidewalk, landscaped area, island, or device for channeling traffic;

   (5)   in an area where parking is temporarily prohibited when marked off by temporary signs or barricades or when an official cover or hood is placed over a parking meter;

   (6)   in a way that prevents another vehicle already stopped or otherwise legally parked in a designated parking space from moving away;

   (7)   for longer than 14 consecutive days in surface parking lots or garages, except when otherwise authorized by Executive order;

   (8)   when the vehicle is unregistered or inoperative or otherwise not capable of being operated legally or safely on County or state highways, roads or streets;

   (9)   by backing the vehicle into a parking space when posted by front-in only signs;

   (10)   in a way that causes the vehicle to straddle the painted lines marking a parking space or otherwise to be parked not wholly in one designated parking space;

   (11)   by leaving the vehicle unattended without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key and effectively setting the brake; or

   (12)   in a way that impedes or obstructs the free flow of traffic or causes a hazard to public safety. (1978 L.M.C., ch. 7, § 2; 1983 L.M.C., ch. 23, § 1; 1984 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 36; 1986 L.M.C., ch. 22, § 1; 2006 L.M.C., ch. 42, § 1; 2017 L.M.C., ch. 25, §1.)

Sec. 31-26A. Parking spaces reserved for handicapped individuals.

   (a)   Application and interpretation of this section. This section applies to all parking facilities that are open for use by members of the general public. The requirements in this section are in addition to, not instead of, any other federal, State, or local law regarding parking spaces reserved for handicapped individuals.

   (b)   How to tell when a parking space is reserved for handicapped individuals. A parking space is reserved for handicapped individuals if it is designated by an official sign.

   (c)   When a person may park a vehicle in a space that is reserved for handicapped individuals. An individual must not park a vehicle in a space reserved for handicapped individuals unless:

      (1)   an individual who will be getting into or out of the vehicle is handicapped; and

      (2)   a special state registration plate for handicapped individuals or a disabled person's parking permit is displayed on or in the vehicle.

   (d)   Obstructing a space reserved for handicapped individuals. A person who is responsible under Section 49-24A(a) for removing snow and ice from a parking area must not at any time obstruct, or allow another person to obstruct, any space in the parking area that is reserved for handicapped individuals. This subsection applies to any type of obstruction, other than a legally parked vehicle, such as plowed snow or ice, construction materials, or an illegally parked vehicle owned or controlled by the person. A natural accumulation of snow or ice in a parking area reserved for handicapped individuals is not an "obstruction" under this subsection, but must be removed when and as required by Section 49A-24A. (1986 L.M.C., ch. 22, § 2; 2001 L.M.C., ch. 6, § 2.)

   Editor's note—2001 L.M.C., ch. 6, § 1, states: This Act may be cited as "The Pedestrian Winter Safety Act of 2001."

Sec. 31-26B. Parking spaces reserved for a plug-in vehicle.

   (a)   In this Section, a plug-in vehicle means a vehicle that:

      (1)   is made by a vehicle manufacturer;

      (2)   is manufactured primarily for use on a public street, road, and highway;

      (3)   has a rated unloaded gross vehicle weight of no more than 8,500 pounds;

      (4)   has a maximum speed capability of at least 55 miles per hour; and

      (5)   is propelled to a significant extent by an electric motor that draws electricity from a battery that:

         (A)   for a 4-wheeled vehicle, has a capacity of at least 4 kilowatt-hours;

         (B)   for a 2-wheeled or a 3-wheeled vehicle, has a capacity of at least 2.5 kilowatt-hours; and

         (C)   can be recharged from an external source of electricity.

   (b)   Plug-in vehicle includes a qualifying vehicle that has been modified from the original manufacturer's specifications.

   (c)   A person may not stop, stand, or park a vehicle that is not a plug-in vehicle in a space that:

      (1)   is marked for the use of plug-in vehicles with an official sign that conforms to regulations adopted pursuant to Section 31-23; and

      (2)   provides access to a plug-in vehicle recharging station. (2014 L.M.C., ch. 2, § 1.)

Sec. 31-27. Vehicles prohibited by type, weight or size.

   Except when expressly authorized in writing by the county, the following vehicles are prohibited from entering upon a county-owned and -operated public parking facility:

   (1)   Any trailer or towed vehicle.

   (2)   Any truck having a manufacturer's rated carrying capacity greater than (1) ton.

   (3)   Any vehicle with a gross weight greater than eight thousand (8,000) pounds.

   (4)   Any vehicle having an overall length more than twenty (20) feet including any load thereon.

   (5)   Any vehicle wider than eight (8) feet.

   (6)   Any bus. (1978 L.M.C., ch. 7, § 2.)

Sec. 31-28. Acts and conduct prohibited.

   It shall be unlawful for any person to enter upon a county-operated public parking facility and:

      (1)   Engage in any conduct, sport or activity which may jeopardize the safety or welfare of persons or property, including but not limited to riding any coasting device, bicycle or unregistered self-propelled vehicle, playing in or tampering with elevators, climbing, skating or skateboard riding, ball playing, throwing, slinging or otherwise projecting objects within or from public parking facility and sledding.

      (2)   Tamper with, deface or otherwise cause injury to fire equipment, parking equipment or other county property contained therein or to any automobile parked therein.

      (3)   Discard waste material or otherwise deposit litter on the premises.

      (4)   Fail to pay the prescribed parking fee to the attendant/cashier upon removing a vehicle from said facility when such facility is operated by an attendant/cashier employed by the county. (1978 L.M.C., ch. 7, § 2.)