ARTICLE 533

Parking Meters

533.01 Establishment of meter zones.
533.02 Installation of meters; use of tokens.
533.03 Operation of meters.
533.04 Meter instructions.
533.05 Definition of meter space.
533.06 Rules governing use of meter spaces.
533.07 Deposit of coins; time limits.
533.08 Meter overtime parking.
533.09 Other restrictions.
533.10 Use of slugs prohibited.
533.11 Tampering with meter.
533.12 Application of proceeds; Parking Revenue Account.
533.99 Penalty

CROSS REFERENCES

Overtime parking defined - See Vehicle Code §102
Local ordinances on overtime parking - See Vehicle Code §6302(d)
Traffic Division - See TRAF. Art. 503
Impounding - See TRAF. Art. 538

533.01 ESTABLISHMENT OF METER ZONES.

The Bethlehem Parking Authority shall recommend changes in meter rates after which the Mayor or his designated representative shall hold a public hearing. After review, the Mayor directs whether such rate changes shall be implemented or rejected.

The Bethlehem Parking Authority shall have available on file for the public a complete list of all meter locations and applicable rates and times.

(Ord. 2611. Passed 4/4/78; Ord. 2671. Passed 9/4/79; Ord. 2715. Passed 10/7/80; Ord. 2772. Passed 4/7/81; Ord. 2928. Passed 2/22/84; Ord. 3147. Passed 11/17/87; Ord. 3215. Passed 9/20/88; Ord. 3076. Passed 7/15/86; Ord. 3443. Passed 11/19/91.)

533.02 INSTALLATION OF METERS; USE OF TOKENS.

(a) In those areas designated by the Mayor, the Bethlehem Parking Authority shall install parking meters in the parking meter zones established, as provided in this article, immediately adjacent to each designated parking space. The meters shall be capable of being operated, either automatically or mechanically, upon the deposit of a coin of United States currency.
(Ord. 2611. Passed 4/4/78; Ord. 3443. Passed 11/19/91.)

(b) Certain meters, to be installed by the Bethlehem Parking Authority in areas designated by the Mayor, shall be capable of being operated by tokens, as herein provided. Such tokens shall be legal for use under regulations of the United States Treasury Department and shall be redeemable by the Bethlehem Parking Authority in cash for their face value through a person, organization or corporation certified as financially responsible by the Executive Director. (Ord. 1970. Passed 3/15/66; Ord. 3443. Passed 11/19/91.)

(c) In Sections 533.03, 533.04, 533.06, 533.07, 533.08 and 533.13 of this Article the word "coin" means "coin or token as herein provided," and the word "coins" means "coins or tokens as herein provided."
(Ord. 1970. Passed 3/15/66.)

533.03 OPERATION OF METERS.

Each parking meter shall be so designed, constructed, installed and set that upon the expiration of the time period registered, by the deposit of one or more coins, as provided herein, it will indicate by an appropriate signal that the lawful parking meter period has expired, and during such period of time and prior to the expiration thereof will indicate the interval of time which remains of such period. (Ord. 1769. Passed 11/13/62.)

533.04 METER INSTRUCTIONS.

Each parking meter shall bear thereon a legend indicating the days and hours when the requirement to deposit coins therein shall apply, the value of the coins to be deposited and the limited period of time for which parking is lawfully permitted in the parking meter zone in which such meter is located.
(Ord. 1769. Passed 11/13/62.)

533.05 DEFINITION OF METER SPACE.

A parking meter space shall be twenty-two (22) feet from the point of installation of the meter within the block and twenty (20) feet at the ends of a block or driveways.

(Ord. 1769. Passed 11/13/62; Ord. 3443. Passed 11/19/91.)

533.06 RULES GOVERNING USE OF METER SPACES.

No person shall park a vehicle in any such designated parking meter space, during the restricted or regulated time applicable to the parking meter zone in which such meter is
located, so that any part of such vehicle occupies more than one such space or protrudes beyond the markings designating such space, except that a vehicle which is of a size too large to be parked within a single designated parking meter zone shall be permitted to occupy two adjoining parking meter spaces when coins shall have been deposited in the parking meter for each space so occupies as is required in this Article for the parking of other vehicles in such space. (Ord. 1769. Passed 11/13/62.)

533.07 DEPOSIT OF COINS; TIME LIMITS.

No person shall park a vehicle in any parking space upon a street alongside of and next to which a parking meter has been installed, during the restricted and regulated time applicable to the parking meter zone in which such meter is located, unless a coin or coins of United States currency of the appropriate denomination as provided in this Article shall have been deposited therein, or shall have been previously deposited therein for an unexpired interval of time, and the meter has been placed in operation.
(Ord. 1769. Passed 11/13/62.)

533.08 METER OVERTIME PARKING.

(a) No person shall permit a vehicle within his control to be parked in any such parking meter space during the restricted and regulated time applicable to the parking meter zone in which such meter is located, while the parking meter for such space indicates by signal that the lawful parking time in such space has expired. This provision shall not apply to the act of parking or the necessary time which is required to deposit immediately thereafter a coin or coins in such meter.
(Ord. 1769. Passed 11/13/62.)

(b) No person shall park a vehicle in any parking meter space for a greater period of time than that initially provided for on the meter, irrespective of the number or amount of the coins deposited in such meter. In addition thereto, any person removing or causing to be removed a vehicle from one parking meter and thereafter reparking or causing to be reparked such vehicle in the same block area or within a radius of 500 feet shall be deemed not to have removed the vehicle and will thereby be subject to penalty for overtime parking.
(Ord. 2440. Passed 10/29/74.)

533.09 OTHER RESTRICTIONS.

The provisions of this Article shall not relieve any person from the duty to observe other and more restrictive provisions of this Traffic Code and the State Vehicle Code prohibiting or limiting the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles in specified places or at specified times.
(Ord. 1769. Passed 11/13/62.)

533.10 USE OF SLUGS PROHIBITED.

No person shall deposit or attempt to deposit in any parking meter any slug, button or any other device or substance as
substitutes for coins of United States currency, except for the
tokens as specified in Section 533.02.
(Ord. 1970. Passed 3/15/66.)

533.11 TAMPERING WITH METER.

No person shall deface, injure, tamper with, open or willfully break, destroy or impair the usefulness of any parking meter. (Ord. 1769 §13. Passed 11/13/62.)

533.12 APPLICATION OF PROCEEDS: PARKING REVENUE ACCOUNT.

(a) The coins required to be deposited in parking meters as provided in this article are levied and assessed as fees to cover the regulation and control of parking upon public streets, the costs of parking meters, their installation, inspection, supervision, operation, repair and maintenance, control and use of parking spaces, and regulating the parking of vehicles in parking meter zones, and the costs of acquiring, establishing, improving, maintaining and operating public off-street parking facilities.

(b) The coins deposited in parking meters shall be collected by the Bethlehem Parking Authority. The proceeds of the operation of parking meters shall be deposited in the Bethlehem Parking Authority Account.
(Ord. 2611. Passed 4/4/78; Ord. 3443. Passed 11/19/91.)

533.99 PENALTY.

(a) Notice of Parking Violations. Any Bethlehem police officer or Bethlehem Parking Authority enforcement officer or duly authorized City employee shall place on a vehicle operated in violation of any provisions of Article 533, a notice for the owner or operator to report to the Bethlehem Parking Authority in regard to a violation. (Ord. 3443. Passed 11/19/91.)

(b) Waiver; Overtime Parking Violations.

(1) For violation of any provision of Article 533, the owner shall pay the applicable fine designated. Within fourteen days of the violation, the owner shall pay a fine of ten dollars ($10.00); thereafter, until a citation is issued, thirty dollars ($30.00); and after the issuance of a citation, fifty dollars ($50.00). Every owner who fails to pay the applicable fine shall, upon summary conviction, be fined fifty dollars ($50.00) and, in default of the payment of fine and costs, imprisoned for not more than ten days. (Ord. 2729. Passed 12/16/80; Ord. 3209. Passed 9/6/88; Ord. 3403. Passed 3/5/91; Ord. 3619. Passed 6/7/94; Ord. 4448. Passed 11/7/07; Ord. 2010-19. Passed 7/6/10).

(c) Request for Hearing; Fine. An owner aggrieved by the receipt of a notice of violation issued pursuant to subparagraph (a) hereof may, within fourteen (14) days of the date of the violation, notify the Bethlehem Parking Authority in person or in writing, that he or she desires a hearing before a district justice on the alleged violation. If an owner has made a timely request for a hearing, the owner shall, upon conviction, be assessed the minimum fine specified by the Article for the violation alleged. This provision shall not apply to summary appeals to the Courts of Common Pleas of Northampton and Lehigh Counties. (Ord. 3800. Passed 2/4/97.)