Borough of Spring Grove, PA Article I General Regulations

§ 375-1 Definitions and interpretation.

A. Words and phrases, when used in Part 1 of this chapter, except for sections or Articles to which different or additional definitions apply, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Vehicle Code (the Act of June 17, 1976, P.L. 162, No. 81[1]), as amended, except that in this Part 1, the word "street" may be used interchangeably with the word "highway" and shall have the same meaning as the word "highway" as defined in the Vehicle Code.

[1] Editor's Note: See 75 Pa. C.S.A. § 101 et seq.

B. The term "legal holidays" as used in this Part 1 shall mean and include: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

C. In this Part 1, the singular shall include the plural, the plural shall include the singular and the masculine shall include the feminine.

D. Although the streets in the Borough run generally in a northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast direction, for the purpose of this Part 1, Main Street and the street(s) running parallel or generally parallel to Main Street shall be deemed to run in a north-south direction, and Constitution Avenue and the streets parallel or generally parallel to Constitution Avenue shall be deemed to run in an east-west direction.

§ 375-2 Manner of adopting permanent regulations.

All traffic and parking regulations of a permanent nature shall be enacted as ordinances or as parts of ordinances or as amendments to ordinances of the Borough of Spring Grove, except where the law specifically authorizes less formal action.

§ 375-3 Temporary and emergency regulations.

A. The Mayor shall have the following powers to regulate traffic and parking temporarily and in time of emergency:

(1) In the case of fire, flood, storm or other emergency; to establish temporary traffic and/or parking regulations; and

(2) In the case of emergency public works or public events of limited scope or duration, to restrict or prohibit traffic and/or parking in limited areas for periods of not more than 72 hours.

B. These temporary and emergency regulations shall be enforced by the Mayor and the Police Department in the same manner as permanent regulations. Any person who drives or parks a vehicle in violation of any such regulation shall be guilty of a violation and, upon conviction, shall be liable to the penalty set out in the law or elsewhere in this Part 1 for a violation of that nature, and, in case of a violation for which no specific penalty is set out in the law or elsewhere in this Part 1, to a fine of $25 and costs.

§ 375-4 Experimental regulations.

Council may, from time to time, designate places upon and along the streets and alleys in the Borough where, for a period of not more than 90 days, specific traffic and/or parking regulations, prohibitions and restrictions shall be in force and effect, and shall designate those locations by proper signs and markings. Those regulations, prohibitions and restrictions shall be effective just as if they had been specified in this Part 1. No person shall drive or park a vehicle in violation of any such regulation, prohibition or restriction, and no person shall move, remove, destroy or deface any sign or marking erected, posted or made by authority of this section. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall, upon conviction, be liable to the penalty set out in the law or elsewhere in this Part 1 for a violation of that nature, and, in case of a violation for which no specific penalty is set out in the law or elsewhere in this Part 1, to a fine of $25 and costs; provided that the purpose of this section is to allow for test and experimental determination of the feasibility and desirability of permanent changes in the ordinances of the Borough relative to traffic and parking.

§ 375-5 Temporary closing of streets; special events.

A. Council shall have authority to close any street, alley or specific part of a street or alley to vehicular traffic and to place barriers or station police officers or fire police at each end of the closed portion while construction or maintenance work is under way or a special event is being conducted on the closed portion. It shall be unlawful for any person to drive a vehicle upon any such closed portion.

[Amended 5-5-2003 by Ord. No. 2-2003]

B. Council shall have authority to establish a restricted traffic area upon any street or alley where construction or maintenance work is under way and to station flagmen at each end of the restricted portion. It shall be unlawful for any person to drive a vehicle upon any such restricted traffic area at any time when the flagman is displaying a sign directing that vehicle to stop or is signaling that vehicle, by a flag or other device, not to proceed.

C. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $25 and costs.

§ 375-6 Use of streets by processions and assemblages.

A. For the purpose of this section, the words "assemblage" and "procession" shall have the following meanings:

ASSEMBLAGE

A gathering of people without vehicles which interferes with the movement of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on any street or alley.

PROCESSION

A group of individuals, vehicles, animals and/or objects moving along a street or alley in a way that interferes with the normal movement of traffic. A procession shall not include a funeral caravan or military convoy.

B. It shall be unlawful for any person to hold or participate in any assemblage unless the person organizing or conducting the assemblage first obtains a permit from the Mayor or Council, which shall be issued without fee. Application for the permit shall be made at least one week in advance of the day on which the assemblage is proposed to be held, but in any case where a state-designated highway is proposed to be used, application shall be made at least three weeks in advance of the proposed date. The permit shall state the place where and the date when the assemblage is to be held, the hour when the assemblage may convene and the hour by which it shall have been completely dispersed. It shall be unlawful for any person to hold or to participate in any assemblage unless the permit has been granted or at any time or place other than that authorized by the permit.

C. It shall be unlawful for any person to hold or participate in any procession unless the person organizing or conducting the procession first obtains a permit from the Mayor or Council, which shall be issued without fee. Application for the permit shall be made at least two weeks in advance of the day when the procession is proposed to be held, but in any case where a state-designated highway is proposed to be used, application shall be made at least three weeks in advance of the proposed date. The permit shall specify the date on which the procession is to be held, the route to be followed by the procession, the hour when and the place where participants may commence to assemble and form before the procession is under way, the time when the procession may commence to move along its route and the time by which the end of the procession shall have reached the end of the route of the procession and the procession shall have been disbanded. It shall be unlawful for any person to hold or to participate in any procession unless the permit shall have been granted or under any other conditions as to time or route, or otherwise, than those stated in the permit.

D. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $25 and costs.

§ 375-7 Authority of police officers.

The police officers of the Borough shall have authority to direct traffic on the streets in the Borough, at intersections in public and in other places where the Vehicle Code or this Part 1 applies.