ORDINANCE _________________

AN ORDINANCE related to the Traffic Code, amending Sections 11.14.277, 11.72.075, 11.72.260, 11.72.300, 11.72.357, 11.72.435, 11.74.020, 11.76.015, and 11.76.020 of the Seattle Municipal Code to provide consistency throughout the Traffic Code about "parking holidays," days on which payment at parking meters and pay stations is not required and on which most signed, time-limited parking is not enforced.

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle's Traffic Code defines holidays as they pertain to parking and traffic management; and

WHEREAS, "free parking days" are specifically called out and identified on every parking meter and pay station; and

WHEREAS, many signs that designate curb space use and time limit restrictions identify "except Sundays and holidays" as the exception to payment and time limit requirements; and

WHEREAS, it is in the public interest to ensure sufficient clarity to those desiring to park on city streets regulated by sign and/or paid parking of any relevant exemptions due to holidays; and

WHEREAS, legislation is needed to change the Traffic Code to make the treatment of holidays consistent for paid parking and unpaid timelimited parking in Seattle; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Section 11.14.277 of the Seattle Municipal Code is amended as follows:

11.14.277 Legal Parking holidays.

Except where otherwise indicated by signposting in the area or for individual parking spaces, Tthe following are legal parking holidays: Sunday; the first day of January, New Year's Day; the third Monday of January, the anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr.; the third Monday of February, Presidents' Day; the last Monday of May, Memorial Day; the fourth day

of July, the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence; the first Monday in September, Labor Day; the eleventh day of November, Veterans Day; the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving Day; the day immediately following Thanksgiving Day; and the twentyfifth day of December, Christmas Day.

Whenever any legal parking holiday, other than Sunday, falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be the legal a parking holiday.

Whenever any legal holiday falls upon a Saturday, the preceding Friday shall be the legal holiday.

Section 2. Section 11.72.075 of the Seattle Municipal Code is amended as follows:

11.72.075 Commercial load zone.

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle other than a commercial vehicle or a vehicle displaying a valid commercial loading permit in a commercial load zone during the hours the zone restriction is in effect; provided, that commercial load zone restrictions are not effective on Sundays or public parking holidays, except where otherwise indicated by appropriate signposting for the load zone.

Section 3. Section 11.72.260 of the Seattle Municipal Code is amended as follows:

11.72.260 Overtime.

No person shall stand or park a vehicle upon a street for a longer period of time than the limit that is signposted. Parking spaces may be used without respect to time limit posted on Sundays and legal parking holidays, except where otherwise indicated by the signposting in the area on the block or for such individual parking spaces.

Section 4. Section 11.72.300 of the Seattle Municipal Code is amended as follows:

11.72.300 Peak traffic hours.

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle during peak traffic hours on any day, except Sundays and legal parking holidays, on any portion of any street when signs are erected giving notice of the specified hours of such prohibition, and except as provided in Section 11.74.120.

Section 5. Section 11.72.357 of the Seattle Municipal Code is amended as follows:

11.72.357 Shuttle Bus Load Zone.

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle other than a shuttle bus displaying a valid shuttle bus loading permit in a shuttle bus load zone during the hours the zone restriction is in effect; provided that shuttle bus load zone restrictions are not effective on Sundays or public parking holidays, except where otherwise indicated by appropriate signsposting for the load zone.

Section 6. Section 11.72.435 of the Seattle Municipal Code is amended as follows:

11.72.435 Truck load zone -Passenger vehicles.

No person shall stop, stand, or park a passenger vehicle, including truck-licensed taxicabs, in a truck load zone during the hours the zone restriction is in effect: Provided, that passenger vehicles other than taxicabs which are commercial vehicles may stop, stand, or park in a truck load zone as provided in Section 11.74.020: Provided further, that truck load zone restrictions are not effective on Sundays or public parking holidays except where otherwise indicated by appropriate signposting for the load zone.

Section 7. Section 11.74.020 of the Seattle Municipal Code is amended as follows:

11.74.020 Truck load zone Commercial vehicles.

No person shall stop, stand, or park a commercial vehicle for any purpose or length of time other than for the expeditious unloading and delivery or pick-up and loading of property in a truck load zone during the hours the zone restriction is in effect, and then in no case shall such parking for loading and unloading of property exceed thirty (30) minutes: Provided, that truck load zone restrictions are not effective on Sundays or legal and parking holidays, except where otherwise indicated by appropriate signs signposting for the load zone.

Section 8. Section 11.76.015 of the Seattle Municipal Code is amended as follows:

11.76.015 Parking violations at parking payment devices.

D. This The prohibitions in this section shall not apply to the act of parking or to the

necessary time required to activate the time on the parking meter or to obtain a parking pay station receipt, or to the parking of certified carpool vehicles in accordance with the provisions of

Section 11.23.410.

E. The prohibitions in this section shall not apply on Sundays and parking holidays.

Section 9. Section 11.76.020 of the Seattle Municipal Code is amended as follows:

11.76.020 Parking longer than time limit.

It is unlawful for any person to park a vehicle in any parking space for a consecutive period of time longer than that limited period of time for which parking is lawfully permitted in the parking space as indicated in the legend on the parking meter or pay station, irrespective of the amount paid; provided, that the restrictions in this section shall not apply on Sundays and parking holidays; and provided further that the restrictions in this section shall not apply to the parking of certified carpool vehicles in accordance with the provisions of Section 11.23.410.

Section 10. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force thirty (30) days from and after its approval by the Mayor, but if not approved and returned by the Mayor within ten (10) days after presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Municipal Code Section 1.04.020.

Passed by the City Council the ____ day of _________, 2006, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of __________, 2006.

_________________________________

President __________of the City Council

Approved by me this ____ day of _________, 2006.

_________________________________

Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor

Filed by me this ____ day of _________, 2006.

____________________________________

City Clerk

(Seal)

Mike Estey

SDOT Parking Holidays Ordinance

July 6, 2006

Version # 2

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