Exciting enhancements are coming soon to eCode360! Learn more 🡪
City of Clairton, PA
Allegheny County
By using eCode360 you agree to be legally bound by the Terms of Use. If you do not agree to the Terms of Use, please do not use eCode360.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[Adopted 1-26-1999 by Ord. No. 1662]
This article shall be known and may be cited as the "Snow Emergency Parking and Vehicle Operation Ordinance of the City of Clairton."
The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this article:
DECLARATION OF SNOW EMERGENCY
The EOC will declare a snow emergency in time for public announcement not later than by 6:00 p.m. the day of or, in the case of a probable overnight or early morning start, the day preceding the event.
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS COORDINATOR (EOC)
The City Manager or another City employee so designated by the City Manager, i.e., Emergency Management Director or designated department head.
EMERGENCY ROUTES
Designated major arterials and main interconnectors between wards and other municipalities which are used for principal emergency, commercial, school or bus access. Also includes major, high-volume residential streets. (See list of designated primary snow emergency routes under § 331-22 below.)
SNOW EMERGENCY EVENT
A snow event where accumulation of snow is expected to exceed three inches or where the effects of other types of winter weather create an emergency situation.
SNOW TIRES
Any tires mounted on drive wheels of vehicles which are designed to give effective traction on snow, mud or ice-covered streets by means of extra-heavy-duty treads with special high-traction patterns, except that no tire so defined shall be construed to be a snow tire if it is damaged or worn to the extent that its performance would be substantially impaired. The performance of a snow tire shall be considered substantially impaired if such tire, when measured in tread groove at two points of the circumference where the tread is thinnest, but not closer than 15 inches, the tread design depth measures not less than 1/4 of an inch at both locations.
A. 
The EOC will declare a snow emergency in time for public announcement not later than by 6:00 p.m. the day of or, in the case of a probable overnight or early morning start, the day preceding the event. The EOC shall cause each declaration made by him/her pursuant to this article to be publicly announced by means of broadcast from a radio station, television station or public access channel with a normal operating range covering the City of Clairton, and he/she may cause such declaration to be further announced in newspapers of general circulation when feasible. Each announcement shall describe the action taken by the EOC, including the time it became or will become effective.
B. 
The EOC shall make or cause to be made a record of each time and date when any declaration is announced to the public in accordance with this section.
C. 
Whenever the EOC shall find that some or all of the conditions which give rise to a parking prohibition in effect pursuant to this article no longer exist, he/she may declare the parking prohibition terminated, in whole or in part.
A. 
The additional parking restrictions along designated primary routes shall become enforceable one hour after the snow emergency is declared by the EOC or when designated by the EOC, but not less than one hour. The additional parking restrictions shall remain in effect until terminated by announcement of the EOC in accordance with this article.
B. 
No person shall operate any vehicle on a snow removal street or snow emergency route in such manner or in such condition as to allow or permit such vehicle to become stalled or incapable of moving under its own power, either by reason of the fact that the driving wheels of such vehicle are not equipped with chains, snow tires, or all-weather radial tires or by reason of the fact that the motor fuel supply of such vehicle has been allowed to become exhausted.
The EOC, acting through the Police Department, is hereby authorized to remove or have removed a vehicle from a street when the vehicle is parked in violation of any parking ordinance or provision of law and is interfering or about to interfere with snow plowing, salting, cindering or snow removal operations.
In any prosecution with regard to a vehicle parked or left in a place in violation of this article, proof that the particular vehicle described in the complaint or information was parked or left in violation of a provision of this article, together with proof that the defendant named in the complaint or information was at the time the registered owner of such vehicle, shall constitute prima-facie evidence that the defendant was the person who parked or left the vehicle in violation of this article.
It shall be illegal and unlawful for any person to remove any snow from any portion of the street and pile the same on any other area of said street for any purposes whatsoever. No person shall remove snow, ice or sleet from private property, sidewalk areas or driveways and deposit the same on the streets of the City of Clairton.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this article shall face a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $600 and costs of prosecution and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, shall face imprisonment for not more than 10 days.
The City Manager is authorized and directed to prepare a Winter Weather Emergency Plan to define the actions to be taken in the event of adverse winter weather conditions to mitigate the effects of such severe winter weather on transportation, commerce and general community welfare and safety. Such plan shall include, but not be limited to, defining roles and responsibilities of City departments, identifying street designations and operational parameters, identifying equipment and personnel available and snow emergency event activation.
The following streets are hereby designated primary routes under the Winter Weather Emergency Plan. During a declared snow emergency, the following additional parking restrictions shall apply.
A. 
Additional parking restrictions on the designated primary routes, with the exception of the Central Business District, are based on an odd/even method where parking is restricted to that side of street address numbering (odd/even) that correlates with the date the snow emergency is declared by the EOC.
B. 
For instance, on December 28, the EOC announces a snow emergency starting at some time that evening or early the next morning. Along primary routes where parking is allowed on the even side of streets, vehicle owners must move their vehicles off that side of the street to legal parking elsewhere. At 6:00 p.m. the next evening (December 29), if the emergency is still in effect, vehicle owners may park back on the even side, but must be off any odd side, legal, primary route parking areas. This will allow plowing crews to clear the full street width within a two-day period for better traffic flow and overall parking availability.
C. 
Areas that are normally restricted will also remain restricted during snow emergencies. This parking pattern for designated primary routes will continue until the emergency is declared over.
D. 
Central Business District. All legal street parking along primary routes designated in the Central Business District will be prohibited during snow emergencies between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m. Off-street parking is available during these hours so that snow removal crews can clear as much of the high traffic areas as possible.
E. 
Primary routes.
Emergency Snow Removal Routes
Desiderio Boulevard
Maple Avenue
Miller Avenue
St. Clair Avenue/Ravensburg Boulevard
State Street
Walnut Avenue
Worthington Avenue