ARTICLE 523

Snow Emergency Routes

523.01 Definitions
523.02 General provisions
523.99 Penalty

CROSS REFERENCES

Tire studs prohibited - See Vehicle Code §4525(c)
Tire chains - See Vehicle Code §4525(d)
Impounding - See TRAFFIC Article 535

523.01 DEFINITIONS.

(a) "Snow" shall mean any precipitation depositing any accumulation on the streets, including snow, sleet, hail, ice and freezing rain. (Ord. 1773 §1. Passed 11/13/62.)

(b) "Snow Emergency Coordinator" shall mean any City employee designated from time to time by the Mayor as the Snow Emergency Coordinator. (Ord. 2623 §8. Passed 10/3/78.)

(c) "Snow Emergency" shall mean that street conditions are hazardous and dangerous to vehicular and pedestrian traffic and so declared by the Snow Emergency Coordinator or his designee.

(d) "Snow Emergency Route" is a city street that has been so designated and when a snow emergency is declared, the police start removing vehicles and the plow trucks open the street wide enough so as to provide for a free flow of traffic when vehicles are permitted to return to the allowed parking areas on the street.

(e) "Chains" shall mean full chains, strap chains or other types of chains mounted on all power driving wheels of the vehicle. (Ord. 1773 §1. Passed 11/13/62.)

(f) "Mud and Snow Tires" shall mean tires having treads designed for use in snow, which tires must be in such condition as to serve the purpose for which they are designed.

A "mud and snow passenger tire" means a tire which, when compared with conventional rib type passenger tires, has a relatively aggressive tread pattern and is designed primarily to provide additional starting, stopping and driving traction in mud and snow. Such tires shall have the words "MUD", "SNOW" or "MUD and SNOW" or any contraction using the letter of "M" and "S" on the side walls. "All Weather" tire shall also be included in this category of tire. All tires must meet the minimum Pennsylvania inspection standards.

(g) "Vehicles" shall mean all self-propelled motorized vehicles using City streets and highways, excluding public transportation conveyances. (Ord. 1773 §1. Passed 11/13/62.)

523.02 GENERAL PROVISIONS

(a) The Director of Public Works shall, by regulation, designate streets which are heavily traveled and are necessary thoroughfares for the movement of vehicular traffic through the City as snow emergency routes. (Ord. 2623 §10. Passed 10/3/78.)

(b) All streets designated as snow emergency routes shall be posted with suitable signs or markers at intervals not exceeding 600 feet, which signs or markers shall bear the words snow emergency route. (Ord. 1838 §1. Passed 12/17/63.)

(c) When, in the opinion of the Snow Emergency Coordinator, the actual or expected precipitation of snow will create hazardous or dangerous highway conditions for vehicular or pedestrian traffic, he shall have authority to declare a snow emergency.

(1) The Snow Emergency Coordinator shall immediately inform the public of the snow emergency by issuing a press release to the local radio, television and news services.

(2) Such declaration of a snow emergency shall not go into effect until at least four hours after being announced, and shall remain in effect until terminated by the Mayor, Snow Emergency Coordinator or their designee. (Ord. 2623 §11. Passed 10/3/78.)

(d) Four hours after a snow emergency has been declared, and during its existence:

(1) No vehicle shall be parked on a snow emergency route unless the snow emergency route signs permit such parking as hereafter described in Article 523.02 (d) (4 and 5).

(2) Any person who drives a vehicle without chains or passenger mud and snow tires upon any street designated as a snow emergency route and such vehicle becomes stalled or incapable of moving under its own power or anyone who leaves such vehicle unattended shall be in violation of this article and shall be subject to the penalty therefor.

(3) Any vehicle parked, stalled, incapable of moving under its own power or left unattended upon any street designated as a snow emergency route may be removed or towed away to any other location by the Police Department or any person authorized by the Snow Emergency Coordinator.

(4) The Snow Emergency Coordinator may declare any snow emergency route or any part of a snow emergency route to be free from the restrictions herein imposed when, in his opinion, the weather or street conditions warrant such an exclusion. The Snow Emergency Coordinator shall give notice of this determination in the manner provided for in subsection (c) (1) above.

(5) While a declaration of emergency is in effect, no person shall park or allow to remain parked any vehicle on any portion of a snow emergency route in accordance with the following:

(A) On the even number side of a route, vehicles will be towed Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting at 7:00 AM for a period of 24 hours unless otherwise signed.

(B) On the uneven or odd number side of a route, vehicles will be towed Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday starting at 7:00 AM for a period of 24 hours unless otherwise signed.

(6) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit parking at any time or place where it is forbidden by other provisions of law. (Ord. 2623 §12. Passed 10/3/78.)

523.99 PENALTY

Any person who violates any provision of this Article shall be subject to the following penalties:

(a) First violation - A fine of $ 50.00, or thirty days imprisonment, or both;

(b) Second violation - A fine of $ 150.00, or sixty day imprisonment, or both;

(c) Third and each subsequent violation - A fine of $ 300.00, or ninety days imprisonment, or both. (Ord. 3127. Passed 7/7/87.)

(Ord. 3669. Passed 2/7/95.)