This chapter shall be known and may be cited
as the "Township of Cheltenham Traffic Code."
The purpose of this chapter is to regulate traffic,
parking, loading and unloading upon the streets and park roadways
of the Township of Cheltenham.
[Amended 11-21-1995 by Ord. No. 1846-95]
A.
Words and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall
have the meanings ascribed to them in the Vehicle Code (Act of June
17, 1976, P.L. 162, No. 81), as amended,[1] except that, in this chapter, 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 chapter,
shall mean and include New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence
Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
The Chief of Police is hereby authorized and
shall have the following powers and duties:
A.
To make rules for the administration of and to enforce
the traffic regulations herein set forth.
B.
When unusual occasions or exigencies arise or streets
or adjoining premises are being used for temporary purposes or in
the operation of any public playground or park or in such other area
as may hereafter be determined upon, to direct that all traffic and
parking be prohibited or limited to particular sections of thoroughfares
or be permitted where otherwise it would be prohibited.
C.
In case of fire, flood or storm, to establish and
enforce temporary traffic regulations for the purpose of expediting
traffic or safeguarding pedestrians during the period of fire, floor
or storm.
D.
To restrict or prohibit parking temporarily in limited
areas for a period not in excess of six hours at any one time, in
case of emergency or in order to facilitate public work, the conduct
of processions or public events. Such temporary regulations shall
be enforced only after notices thereof shall have been posted throughout
the area affected for at least three hours prior to the effective
time of the temporary regulations.
A.
The Public Safety Committee of the Board of Commissioners
is hereby authorized:
(1)
To establish, change or abolish and designate by proper
sign or markings, crosswalks, traffic zones and play highways.
(2)
To recommend to the Board of Commissioners the placing,
operating, removing and replacing of all official traffic control
devices.
(3)
To recommend to the Board of Commissioners the establishment
of one-way streets, the designation of through highways and the fixing
or changing of operating restrictions on designated streets.
B.
When recommendations made by the Public Safety Committee
have been approved by the Board of Commissioners by resolution, they
shall become operative.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: The following former sections, which immediately followed this subsection, were deleted at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I: Section 10-6, Obedience to police and traffic equipment; Section 10-7, Interference with traffic equipment or tags prohibited; Section 10-8, Pedestrians; and Section 10-9, Pedestrian's right-of-way.
No operator of any bus, coach or taxicab shall
stand or park upon any street in any business district in any place
other than a bus or coach stop, and bus, coach or taxicab stand respectively,
except that this provision shall not prevent the operator of any such
vehicle from temporarily stopping in accordance with other stopping
or parking regulations at any place for the purpose of and while actually
engaged in receiving or discharging passengers.
When official traffic control devices are installed
giving notice thereof, no operator of any vehicle, other than a bus
or coach, shall stand or park in an officially designated bus or coach
stop or stand, and no operator of any vehicle other than a taxicab
shall stand or park in an officially designated taxicab stand, except
for the operator of any passenger vehicle may temporarily stop in
any such stop or stand for the purpose of and while actually engaged
in receiving or discharging passengers, when such stopping does not
interfere with any bus, coach or taxicab.
A.
Spaces for loading and unloading are designated as
loading zones.
B.
When official traffic control devices are installed
giving notice thereof, no operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand
or park a vehicle in any space marked as a loading zone during the
hours indicated by official traffic control devices for a period of
time longer than is necessary for the expeditious receiving or discharging
of passengers or for the unloading and delivery or pickup and loading
of materials.
A.
No person shall park a vehicle or permit it to stand,
whether attended or unattended, at any time upon a highway in any
of the places where such parking is prohibited by 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3353,
as amended.[1]
B.
When official traffic control devices are installed,
giving notice thereof, no person shall park a vehicle or permit it
to stand, whether attended or unattended, at any time upon a highway
in any of the following places:
(1)
In a space on the far side of the street opposite
and equal to the space in which parking is prohibited within 15 feet
of the driveway entrance to any fire station.
(2)
On any bridge or viaduct or approach thereon.
(3)
Opposite to the entrance to any garage or off-street
parking space or in such manner as to prevent convenient ingress or
egress to or from any garage or off-street parking space on streets
the width of which is 24 feet or less from curb to curb.
C.
When official traffic control devices are installed,
giving notice thereof, no person shall park a vehicle or permit it
to stand, whether attended or unattended, in such restricted areas.
When official traffic control devices are installed
giving notice thereof, no operator of any vehicle shall park during
the hours indicated by the official traffic control devices in front
of the entrance to an auditorium, hospital, hotel, public building,
theater and other place of public assembly, provided that the operator
of any vehicle may stop in such places for the expeditious receiving
or discharging of passengers.
When official traffic control devices are installed,
giving notice thereof, no person shall park a vehicle upon the portions
of any of the streets designated for a period of time longer than
that specified on official traffic control devices.
No person shall stand or park a vehicle upon
any roadway for the principal purpose of:
A.
Police officers engaged in the enforcement of this
chapter are authorized to make such marks upon parked vehicles as
may be necessary to determine the length of time such vehicles have
been standing in a restricted parking area.
B.
No person shall erase such marks by any means whatsoever
for the purpose of evading the provisions of this chapter. The erasure
of said marks shall be deemed a violation of this chapter.
Operators of vehicles parked in violation of
this chapter may be notified of the violation by attaching a traffic
tag to the vehicle.
The officer shall indicate the violation on
said tag and attach the same to the steering wheel or, in case the
door is locked, to the door handle of the vehicle.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate
or to park any vehicle on any street for the primary purpose of advertising.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The following former sections,
which immediately followed this section, were deleted at time of adoption
of Code 11-21-1995 by Ord. No. 1846-95: Section 10-21, Stop when traffic
is obstructed; Section 10-22, Driving on sidewalk prohibited; Section
10-23, Limitation on backing; and Section 10-24, One-way streets.
[Amended 12-15-1981 by Ord. No. 1527]
It shall be unlawful for the owner or operator
of any truck or commercial vehicle which, together with its load,
is of a greater gross vehicle weight (GVW) than 5,000 pounds or which
is registered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in Weight Class
2 or higher to operate such a vehicle in the Township where official
signs or traffic control devices have been posted prohibiting the
same. This section shall not apply where the operator is making deliveries
or providing services or improvements to the property owners on such
street.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 10-26, Operation
of special vehicles, which immediately followed this section, was
deleted at time of adoption of Code 11-21-1995 by Ord. No. 1846-95.
[Amended 7-23-1996 by Ord. No. 1863-96]
B.
Restrictions. It shall be unlawful for the owner or
operator of any truck, tractor-trailer or commercial vehicle having
a gross vehicle weight of 9,001 pounds or greater, or a Class 1 to
Class 3 vehicle having a gross vehicle weight from 5,000 pounds to
9,000 pounds which is affixed in combination to a trailer or other
apparatus, to park such vehicle on any residential street situate
in the Township of Cheltenham between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00
a.m. Parking of these vehicles between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and
7:00 p.m. shall be permitted only when providing services or making
deliveries or improvements to the property owners on such residential
streets.
C.
Violations and penalties. Any persons violating any
of the provisions of this section shall, upon summary conviction before
the District Justice, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than
$15 and not more than $100 and cost of prosecution and, in default
of payment thereof, shall undergo imprisonment for not more than five
days.
[Added 7-18-1989 by Ord. No. 1698]
A.
The use of skateboards on sidewalks and streets in
commercial districts or on commercial properties in residential districts
within the Township is hereby prohibited.
B.
Skateboards are also prohibited on sidewalks, walkways,
curbs, streets and any other structures at the Elkins Park Library,
the Glenside Library and the Rowland Community Center.
[Added 10-16-2001 by Ord. No. 1996-01; amended 8-17-2004 by Ord. No. 2063-04]
No operator of a vehicle shall at any time sound
the horn or other warning device of such vehicle except when absolutely
necessary as a warning signal while actually driving.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Subsection (b), dealing
with suitable warning devices for bicycles, which immediately followed
this section, was repealed 11-21-1995 by Ord. No. 1846-95.