§ 12-903. Stopping, Standing or Parking Prohibited at Certain Times. 82

   (1)   The Department shall erect and maintain appropriate signs to give notice whenever an ordinance or regulation prohibits stopping, standing and parking on any street, or portion thereof, and no person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle in violation of such ordinances or regulations.

   (2)   The Department shall erect and maintain appropriate signs to give notice whenever an ordinance or regulation prohibits standing and parking on any street, or portion thereof, and no person shall stand or park a vehicle in violation of such ordinances or regulations.

   (3)   The Department shall erect and maintain appropriate signs to give notice whenever an ordinance or regulation prohibits parking or limits the time of parking on any street, or portion thereof, and no person shall park a vehicle in violation of such ordinances or regulations.

   (4)   Ordinances or regulations imposing a time limit on parking shall not relieve any operator from obeying more restrictive regulations prohibiting stopping, standing or parking.

   (5)   In areas expressly provided for by special ordinances, the Department may establish and revise limited time parking regulations, as prescribed in subsection 12-903(3). 83

   (6)   The Department is authorized to establish by regulation cleaning zones in which stopping, standing or parking is prohibited at certain times on a certain day or days of the week for the purpose of permitting street cleaning. Any such zone established by the Department is hereby designated as a towing zone for the hours during which the Department has by regulation prohibited stopping, standing or parking. The Department shall clearly designate by appropriate signs the day or days of the week and the hours during which stopping, standing or parking is prohibited in such zones, and the fact that they are towing zones. Violations of the regulations promulgated pursuant to this subsection 12-903(4) shall be enforced in the manner set forth in Section 12-916. 84

   (7)   The Department is authorized to establish and revise by regulation restrictions and limitations on standing, stopping, and parking along the north side of Washington Avenue from Delaware Avenue to 11th Street, and along the south side of Washington Avenue from Delaware Avenue to Broad Street. Such regulation shall incorporate analysis of traffic data collected along and parallel to Washington Avenue one (1) year, and again two (2) years, after project completion. 85

 

Notes

82	Amended, 1989 Ordinances, p. 72; amended and renumbered subsections (2) and (3), 1990 Ordinances, p. 211. See also Bill No. 220520 (approved July 6, 2022).
83	Added, 1982 Ordinances, p. 1389.
84	Added, 1990 Ordinances, p. 1013. Enrolled bill numbered this as subsection (4). Former subsection deleted and replaced with new subsection, 1992 Ordinances, p. 661.
85	Added, Bill No. 220523 (approved August 31, 2022).

§ 12-904. Loading and Unloading. 86

   (1)   The operator of a passenger vehicle may stop temporarily in a curb loading zone for the purpose of the expeditious loading or unloading of passengers when such stopping does not interfere with any commercial vehicle about to enter such zone.

 

Notes

86	Amended, Bill No. 190463 (approved June 26, 2019).

§ 12-905. Permits for Curb Loading Zones.

   (1)   The Department may designate a curb loading zone upon the special request of any person when, on the basis of an engineering study by the Department, it is determined that such curb loading zone is necessary and justified by traffic conditions.

   (2)   Any person who requests a curb loading zone not in a meter parking area shall make written application to the Department. After approval of such application by the Department and the payment of a fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150) for each 23 feet of curb parking space or fraction thereof to the City, a permit for such curb loading zone may be issued subject to the provisions of subsection (1), above. The permit shall contain such conditions as the Department may prescribe, and shall be valid for one year. The permit shall not be transferable but may be reissued annually upon payment of a maintenance fee of seventy-five dollars ($75). 87

   (3)   Any person who requests a curb loading zone in a parking meter area shall make written application to the Department. After approval of such application by the Department and the payment of a fee of three hundred dollars ($300) for each metered parking space or fraction thereof included in the curb loading zone, a permit for such curb loading zone may be issued subject to the provisions of subsection (1), above. The permit shall contain such conditions as the Department may prescribe, and shall be valid for one year. The permit shall not be transferable but may be reissued annually upon payment of a maintenance fee of seventy-five dollars ($75). 88

   (4)   Any person who requests a curb loading zone in the Center City area bounded by Spring Garden street, Bainbridge street, the Schuylkill River and the Delaware River; and in the University City area bounded by the Schuylkill River on the east, University avenue/Woodland avenue on the south, Fortieth street on the west, and by a line along Filbert street, between Fortieth street and Thirty-fourth street, along Thirty-fourth street to Arch street, along Arch street, between Thirty-fourth street and the Schuylkill River, on the north, shall make written application to the Department. After approval of such application by the Department and payment of a fee of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) to the City for each twenty-three feet of curb parking space or fraction thereof not in a metered parking area, and payment of a fee of five hundred dollars ($500) to the City for each metered parking space or fraction thereof included in the curb loading zone in a metered parking area, a permit for such curb loading zone may be issued subject to the provisions of subsection (1) above. The permit shall contain such conditions as the Department may prescribe, and shall be valid for one (1) year. The permit shall not be transferable but may be reissued annually upon payment of a maintenance fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150). 89

   (5)   The Department may terminate any curb loading zone permit and remove the signs erected if payment of the annual fee shall be thirty days in arrears, or whenever public convenience or necessity warrants such action; provided that 15 days' notice of such intended action shall be given to the person to whom the permit has been issued. 90

   (6)   No fee shall be required for the designation of a curb loading zone in front of any public building, theater, live performing arts venue, school, church or hospital. Moreover, no fee shall be required for the designation of a curb loading zone in front of any business located on a street with a designated bicycle lane. 91

 

Notes

87	Amended, 1973 Ordinances, p. 902; amended, 1974 Ordinances, p. 859; amended, 1993 Ordinances, p. 3.
88	Amended, 1973 Ordinances, p. 902; amended, 1974 Ordinances, p. 859; amended, 1993 Ordinances, p. 3.
89	Added, 1993 Ordinances, p. 3.
90	Renumbered, 1993 Ordinances, p. 3.
91	Renumbered, 1993 Ordinances, p. 3; amended, Bill No. 180950 (approved June 5, 2019); amended, Bill No. 160026-A (became law October 24, 2019).

§ 12-906. Stopping in Passenger Loading Zone.

   (1)   The Department may designate Passenger Loading zones where such zones are necessary and justified by traffic conditions.

   (2)   No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle for any purpose or period of time other than for the expeditious loading or unloading of passengers in any passenger loading zone during hours when the regulations applicable to such zone are effective.

§ 12-906.1. Live Performing Arts Priority Loading and Unloading Zones. 92

   (1)   The Department may designate a Live Performing Arts Priority Loading And Unloading Zone upon the special request of a Live Performing Arts Venue at the curb immediately in front of that venue, where such a zone would facilitate expeditiously transferring persons or property between a vehicle and the Live Performing Arts Venue in connection with the performance of live performing artists at that venue, unless such zone would create an unsafe condition.

   (2)   A Live Performing Arts Priority Loading and Unloading Zone shall consist of no more than 30 feet of curb space directly in front of the Live Performing Arts Venue. The parking time limit in a Live Performing Arts Priority Loading and Unloading Zone shall be 30 minutes. The Department may establish the hours during which such zones shall be in effect.

   (3)   No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle for any purpose or any period of time other than to facilitate expeditiously transferring persons or property between a vehicle and the live performing arts venue in connection with the live performance of performing artists at that venue in any Live Performing Arts Priority Loading and Unloading Zone during hours when the regulations applicable to such zone are effective.

 

Notes

92	Added, Bill No. 160026-A (became law October 24, 2019). Enrolled bill numbered this as Section 12-907 and renumbered subsequent Sections; added as Section 12-906.1 and subsequent Sections not renumbered at the discretion of the Code editor.

§ 12-907. Designation of Public Carrier Stands. 93

   (1)   The Department may designate bus stops, bus stands, taxicab stands, and stands for other passenger common-carrier motor vehicles when it determines such stands are necessary and justified by traffic conditions.

   (2)   When conditions are such that certain uses of a particular bus stop would create an undesirable impact upon the streets or footways, the Department may limit the use of the stop to certain hours of the day and/or to the use of particular carriers or specific routes or services of those carriers.

   (3)   The Department may not designate a bus stop at locations or under conditions that will result in the generation of a significant impact upon parking on streets that are more than fifty percent (50%) residential and must terminate or modify previously designated bus stops when they result in such impact for a period in excess of two weeks.

   (4)   Carriers that have been denied the use of bus stops under the provisions of subsection (3) of this Section may re-apply to the Department if they have made provision for off-street parking, without charge, for their passengers within one thousand (1,000) feet of the requested bus stop. The capacity of the parking facility must equal or exceed one (1) car space for each two (2) bus passengers.

 

Notes

93	Amended, 1983 Ordinances, p. 29.

§ 12-908. Stopping, Standing, and Parking of Buses and Taxicabs.

   (1)   No operator shall park a bus at any location other than at a designated bus stand.

   (2)   No operator shall stop a bus at any location for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers or their baggage other than at a designated bus stop, bus stand, or passenger loading zone except in case of emergency.

   (3)   The operator of a bus shall enter a bus stop, bus stand, or passenger loading zone in such a manner that the bus when stopped to load or unload passengers, shall be in a position with the right front wheel of such vehicle not farther than 6 inches from the curb and the bus approximately parallel to the curb.

   (4)   The operator of a taxicab on duty shall not stand or park such vehicle at any place other than in a designated taxicab stand; provided that the operator of a taxicab may stop temporarily at other than taxicab stands for the purpose of and while actually engaged in the expeditious loading or unloading of passengers.

   (5)   The operator of a taxicab not on duty shall display an off-duty sign and such operator shall be subject to all of the provisions of this Title pertaining to motor vehicle parking.

§ 12-909. Restricted Use of Bus and Taxicab Stands.

   (1)   No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle other than a bus in a bus stop or bus stand, or other than a taxicab in a taxicab stand, except that the operator of a passenger vehicle may temporarily stop therein for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading passengers when such stopping does not interfere with any bus or taxicab about to enter such stand.

§ 12-910. Angle Parking.

   (1)   The Department may permit angle parking upon designated streets.

   (2)   Angle parking shall not be permitted at any place where passing traffic would thereby be compelled to drive upon the left side of the street or upon any tracks in use.

   (3)   Where a street or portion of a street is designated by the Department for angle parking, the Department shall post notice that the parking is back-in only. No person shall park a vehicle in an angled parking spot in an orientation contrary to that designated by applicable signs. 94

 

Notes

94	Added, Bill No. 230487 (approved November 13, 2023), effective December 13, 2023.