§ 50-4. Stopping, standing and parking.

(a)

Unattended vehicles. No person having control or charge of a motor vehicle shall allow such vehicle to stand on any street unattended without first effectively setting the brakes thereon and stopping the motor of such vehicle. Parking shall be prohibited where posted.

(b)

Prohibited in specified places. No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle except in compliance with the directions of a police officer or official traffic control device or signal in any of the following places:

(1)

On any sidewalk.

(2)

Within any intersection.

(3)

On a crosswalk.

(4)

Within 30 feet of any flashing beacon, stop sign, or traffic-control signal located at the side of a street or roadway.

(5)

Alongside or opposite any street excavation or obstruction, when such stopping, standing or parking would obstruct traffic.

(6)

Upon any bridge or other elevated structure or within any underpass structure.

(7)

On the roadway side of any vehicle stopped, standing or parked at the edge of any street.

(8)

In front of a private driveway.

(9)

On any street or roadway in a manner that would obstruct traffic.

(c)

Parking prohibited for certain purposes. No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle upon any street for the principal purpose of:

(1)

Displaying it for sale.

(2)

Washing, greasing or repairing such vehicle.

(3)

Storing such a vehicle for any time by a garage, dealer or other person when such storage is not incident to the use and operation of the vehicle.

(4)

Storing any motor home, detached trailer or van for longer than three days when the towing unit has been disconnected.

(5)

Transferring merchandise or freight from one vehicle to another.

(6)

Advertising.

(d)

Stopping in streets generally. No vehicle shall stop in any street except for the purpose of parking as prescribed in this chapter, unless such stop is made necessary by the approach of fire apparatus or other emergency vehicles, by the approach of a funeral or other procession which is given the right-of-way, by the stopping of a school bus or other public conveyance, by the requirements of official traffic signals or devices, by the passing of some vehicle or a pedestrian, or by some emergency; and in any case covered by these exceptions, such vehicles shall stop so as not to obstruct any crosswalk, pedestrian aisle, safety zone, crossing or street intersection.

(e)

Stop intersections. When any stop sign is erected at any intersection of streets, highways or alleys, drivers of vehicles shall come to a complete stop in obedience to any such stop signs and shall yield the right-of-way to:

(1)

Traffic upon the street, highway or alley not obligated to stop in obedience to other such stop signs; and

(2)

Traffic already in the intersection, and shall not proceed into or across the intersection without first determining that such movement can be made in safety.

(f)

Stop when traffic obstructed. No driver shall enter an intersection, or a marked crosswalk, unless there is sufficient space on the other side of the intersection or crosswalk to accommodate the vehicle he is operating without obstructing the passage of other vehicles or pedestrians, notwithstanding any traffic control signal indication to proceed.

(g)

Method of parking generally. All vehicles shall park out of the traveled portion of the roadway, or in designated parking areas.

(h)

Parking in prohibited zones generally. When signs are placed, erected, or installed by the town or the state department of transportation prohibiting parking, no person shall park a vehicle at any time in any such zone. In the event that parking is prohibited in such zone between hours, this subsection shall apply only between such hours, as indicated on the signs erected in such zone.

(i)

Parking in limited parking zone. Whenever a limited parking zone is designated by the town or the state department of transportation, no person shall park any vehicle in such zone, except in accord with the signs and markings erected therein.

(j)

Parking near fire hydrant, entrance to fire station or intersection. No person shall park a vehicle, whether attended or unattended, upon a street within 25 feet in either direction of a fire hydrant, within 25 feet of the entrance to a fire station, nor within 35 feet of a street intersection.

(k)

Parking near scene of fire. It shall be unlawful for any person to park any vehicle, other than an authorized emergency vehicle, within 500 feet of any place where fire apparatus has stopped in answer to a fire alarm; provided, however, that this prohibition shall not apply to those vehicles operated by or for authorized persons (G.S. 20.157).

(l)

Blocking entrances and exits in parking areas. In any area set aside for public or private parking of vehicles, it shall be unlawful for any person to park or otherwise leave a vehicle standing in such position as to interfere with the free ingress into such parking area or egress therefrom. It shall likewise be unlawful for any person, having entered such an area with a vehicle, to park or stop a vehicle in such manner or in such position with reference to any other vehicle already parked therein as to interfere with the free movement of such other vehicle.

(m)

Police authority to move vehicles. Police shall have authority to move any vehicle that is parked in a no-parking area or location:

(1)

That is obstructing, impeding or endangering traffic;

(2)

That is parked in a tow-away zone; or

(3)

That is interfering with emergency operations. This shall include authority to have the vehicle towed away.

(n)

Payment of penalties for parking violations. The town clerk, the administrative assistant, and any employee of the town designated by the town manager for such purposes, are authorized to accept payment at the place specified on the parking summons of the penalty designated for the specific violation shown on the notification form issued at the time the violation was discovered.

(o)

Form of summons. The form of summons used by the public safety department to be presented to violators of parking regulations shall be a civil citation as recommended by the chief of police and approved by the board of commissioners.

(Code 2001, § 7-4; Ord. of 7-6-1977, § 1; Ord. of 7-5-1978, §§ 1—15; Ord. No. 1986-4, 8-12-1986; Ord. No. 2010-2, § XVIII, 2-9-2010; Ord. No. 2011-12, § I, 10-11-2011)

State law reference

City may regulate and prohibit parking on public streets, alleys and bridges; G.S. 160A-301.