HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance No. 19541i
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ORDINANCE N0. 19541
AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING TRAFFIC CONGESTION THOROUGHFARES;
ADDING A NEW SECTION 5,155 TO THE EUGENE CODE, 1911;
AMENDING SECTION 5.990 OF THAT CODE; AND DECLARING AN
EMERGENCY.
The City Council of the City of Eugene finds that:
1. The repeated driving of a motor vehicle along or across one portion
of a public thoroughfare creates vehicle congestion along the thoroughfare
and at the intersections, which blacks access by emergency vehicles, and
interferes with vehicular traffic attempting to get to businesses and resi-
dences located along congested thoroughfares.
2. This traffic condition disturbs the peace, quiet and welfare of the
neighboring residential and business areas and causes air and noise pollu-
tion along the thoroughfare.
3. The enforcement of existing traffic regulations as a means of pre-
venting this traffic congestion has proven to be inadequate to do so.
4. New Eugene Code, 1971 provisions are needed to reduce traffic con-
gestion on and across traffic congestion thoroughfares.
NOW, THEREFORE,
THE CITY OF EUGENE DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Based upon the above findings, which are adopted herein,
a new section 5.155 is added to the Eugene Cade, 1911, to read and provide:
5.155 Traffic Congestion Thoro,u h~f,ares,
~1~ Pur o~se_. ~~The purpose of this section is to prohibit the re-
peated driving of a motor vehicle along and across one portion of a congested
public thoroughfare. violation of this section shall constitute a strict
i obi 1 i ty offense without requirement of a cul pabl a mental state.
4Z} Thorou„ghfare defined. A thoroughfare is any street, as that
term i s def i ned~ i n this code , ~~~~~~~~~~~
~3~ Traffic con estion thorou hfare defined, A traffic congestion
thoroughfare is any portion of a public thoroughfare within the city affected
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by traffic congestion caused in whole or in part by the repeated driving of
the same motor vehicles along or across that portion of the thoroughfare.
~4} Postin si ns. With respect to any traffic congestion thor-
oughfare, the chief of the police, fire and emergency services department,
or his/her designee is authorized to declare a portion of the thoroughfare
to be a traffic congestion thoroughfare and to cause signs, as described in
this section, to be posted giving notice of that designation.
. ,~5} Signs. The signs referred to in subsection ~4} above shall
notify drivers that they are entering a traffic congestion thoroughfare;
that passage of the same motor vehicle through or across the traffic conges-
tion thoroughfare between the prohibited hours, more than two times is a
violation of this section; and that for a subsequent violation the vehicle
may be towed.
~5}, Acts rohibited. Between the hours of 14:40 p.m. and 5:44 a.m.
of the following morning, no vehicle shall pass along or across a traffic
congestion thoroughfare, designated as such by signs as described in subsec-
t~on ~5} above, more than two times during any two hour period.
~1} Notice of towin for subse vent vio]atians. Upon issuing a
citation for violation of subsection ~6} of this section, the officer shall
give the person to whom the citation is issued a written notice which shall
state:
NDTICE
You have been cited for violation of Section 5.1556}
of the Eugene Code, 1971 for repeated passage of a motor
vehicle on or across a traffic congestion thoroughfare.
if the vehicle you are driving i s again driven along
or across this traffic congestion thoroughfare before
fiend of applicable two hour period} the vehicle may be
impounded and towed at your expense or the expense of the
owner or other person entitled to possession of the vehicle.
(Name of Officer)
~8} Exem tions. This section shall not apply to:
~a} Any publicly owned vehicle of any city, county, public
d~str~ct, state or federal agency.
fib} Any vehicle licensed far public transportation.
~c} Any other vehicle granted an exemption by the chief of
the police, fire and emergency services department because passage
of the vehicle along ar across the traffic congestion thoroughfare
is necessary for commercial or medical reasons.
Section 2. Anew subsection ~l} is added to Section 5.990 of the
Eugene Cade, 1911, to read and provide:
5.990 Penalties - S ecific,
~7} Violation of Section 5.1556} is punishable by fine not to
Ordinance - 2
exceed $150, Each subsequent violation within the same prohibited time
period shall constitute a separate vialation, and in addition to the penalty
provided herein, the vehicle may be towed and taken to a storage area desig~
Hated by the city and may be impounded, all at the expense of the owner or
person entitled to possession of the vehicle.
Section 3. That the matters contained herein concern the public health,
safety and welfare and therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist,
and this Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its passage by the
City Caunci1 and approval by the Mayor.
Passed by the City Council this
14th ,dray of March, 1988
,:
C; y Recorder
Ordinance - 3
Approved by the Mayor this