BILL NUMBER: AB 213ENROLLED BILL TEXT PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 24, 2009 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 27, 2009 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 17, 2009 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, 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 authorize the City of Long Beach 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 city 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. 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) The City of Long Beach 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 City of Long Beach 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 have been placed near the designated roadways. SEC. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that a special law is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because Long Beach residents require safer access into and out of the uniquely impacted streets, to decrease the potential for "fender benders" and to give residents better access to their homes and apartments.