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Vehicles

Chapter VII.  Traffic and Motor Vehicles  

Part 1.  Highways and Highway Vehicles  

701.01.  Definitions.  Any term used in this chapter and defined in Minn. Stat. 169.01 has the meaning given it by that section.  

701.02.  Turning.  Subdivision 1.  Restriction on Turns.  The council by resolution may, whenever necessary to preserve a free flow of traffic or to prevent accidents, designate any intersection as one where the turning of vehicles to the left or to the right, or both, is to be restricted at all times or during specified hours.  The city street commissioner shall mark by appropriate signs any intersection so designated.  No intersection on a trunk highway shall be so designated until the consent of the commissioner of transportation to such designation is first obtained.  No person shall turn a vehicle at any such intersection contrary to the direction on such signs.  

  Subd. 2.  U-turns.  No person shall turn a vehicle so as to reverse its direction on any street in the business district or at any intersection where traffic is regulated by traffic control signal.  

701.03  Through streets; one-way streets.  The council by resolution may designate any street or portion of street as a through highway or a one-way roadway where necessary to preserve the free flow of traffic or to prevent accidents.  The street commissioner shall cause appropriate signs to be posted at the entrance to such street.  No trunk highway shall be so designated unless the consent of the commissioner of transportation to such designation is first secured.  

701.04.  Speed limit in school zones.  School speed limit zones are establish on he following streets:  H. C. Andersen Alle between Brogade and Engvej, and Dannesbrogade between Kobmagergade and H.C. Andersen Alle.  Upon the erection of appropriate signs designating the beginning and ending of such speed limit zones, no person shall drive a vehicle within the zones designated by this section in excess of 20 miles per hour when children are present, going to or leaving school during opening or closing hours or during school recess periods.  

701.05.  Truck restrictions.  The city council by resolution may designate streets on which travel by commercial vehicles in excess of 10,000 pounds axle weight is prohibited.  The city street commissioner shall cause appropriate signs to be erected on such streets.  No person shall operate a commercial vehicle on such posted street in violation of the restrictions stated

  701.06.  Seasonal weight restrictions.  The city street commissioner may prohibit the operation of vehicles upon any street under the commissioner's jurisdiction or impose weight restrictions on vehicles to be operated on such street whenever the street, by reason of deterioration, rain, snow or other climatic conditions, will be seriously damaged or destroyed unless the use of vehicles on the street is prohibited or the permissible weights thereof reduced.  The commissioner shall cause to be erected and maintained signs plainly indicating the prohibition or restriction at each end of that portion of the street affected.  No person shall operate a vehicle on a posted street in  violation of the prohibition or restriction.  

701.07.  Parking regulations.  Subdivision 1.  Angle and parallel parking. Angle parking shall be required on streets as designated by the council by resolution. On any such street every vehicle parked shall be parked with the front of the vehicle facing the curb or the edge of the traveled portion of the street  and facing between the painted or other markings on  the curb or street indicating the parking.  On all other streets, cars shall be parked parallel to the curb or edge of the roadway in accordance with law.  Every vehicle when parked where parking spaces are marked shall be parked in a single space marked for vehicle parking by painted lines on the street or curb, and no part of the vehicle shall extend into any other marked space.  

Subd. 2.  No parking, stopping or standing zones.  The council may, by resolution, designate certain streets or portions of streets as no parking or no stopping or standing zones and may limit the hours in which the restrictions apply.  The city street commissioner shall cause to be marked by appropriate signs each zone so designated.  Except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or a traffic control device, no person shall stop or park a vehicle in an established no stopping or standing zone when stopping and standing is prohibited. No vehicle shall be parked in a no-parking zone during hours when parking is prohibited except that a vehicle may be parked temporarily in such zone for the purpose of forming a  funeral procession and a  truck may be parked temporarily between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. of any business day for the purpose of loading or unloading where access to the premises is not otherwise available.  

  Subd. 3.  Time limit parking zones.  The city council may by resolution designate certain areas where the right of parking is limited during hours specified.  The city street commissioner shall cause to be marked by appropriate signs each zone so designated. During the hours specified on the sign, no persons shall park a vehicle on any limited parking zone for a longer period than is so specified.  

  Subd. 4. Time limit and winter parking.  

  a.  It shall be unlawful for anyone to park motor vehicles, equipment or structures on a residential street or alley in the city for more than 24 consecutive hours, without a special written permit from the clerk.  

  b.  It shall be unlawful for anyone to park motor vehicles, equipment, or structures on a street or alley in the city between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. between November 15 and April 1 of the following year, those dates inclusive.  

  Subd. 5. Impoundment. The council may request the police to remove a vehicle from a street to a garage or other place of safety when the vehicle is left unattended and constitutes an obstruction to traffic or hinders snow removal or street improvement or maintenance operations.  Such vehicle shall not be released until the fees for towing and storage are paid in addition to any fine imposed for violation of this ordinance.  

  Subd. 6.   Prima facie violation.  The presence of any motor vehicle on any street when standing or parked in violation of this chapter is prima facie evidence that the registered owner of the vehicle committed or authorized the commission of the violation.  

701.08.  Truck zone, loading zone, etc.    Subdivision 1.  Establishment.  The city council may by resolution establish space in streets as loading zones or truck zones.  The city council may specify in the resolution establishing the zone such times as shall be the loading zone or truck zone hours.  The street commissioner shall mark each such zone by appropriate signs.  

  Subd. 2.  Truck zone prohibitions.  During truck zone hours, no person shall stop, stand, or park any vehicle except a truck in a truck zone.  No person shall stop, stand, or park a truck in a truck zone except to receive or discharge passengers or freight and then only for a period no longer than is necessary for the purpose.  

  Subd. 3.  Loading zone prohibitions.  No person shall stop, stand, or park any vehicle in a loading zone except to receive or discharge passengers for the purpose.  No person shall occupy a loading zone with a vehicle other than a truck for more than five minutes.  

  Subd. 4.  Property owner initiative.  Any person desiring the establishment  of loading zone or truck zone abutting premises the person occupies shall make written application therefor to the city council.  If the council grants the request, the proper city officer shall bill the applicant for the estimated cost of placing signs and of painting the curb.  When the amount is paid to the city  treasurer, the street commissioner shall install the necessary signs and paint the curb.

    Subd. 5.  Semi-trailer parking.  No person shall allow a semi-trailer to stand or be parked unattached from a tractor for any length of time on any street in the city except in an emergency in order to change tractors.  

  Subd . 6.  No truck parking zones.  The council may by resolution establish "No Truck Parking" zones in the business district and the city street commissioner shall mark by appropriate signs any zone so established.  Such zones shall be established in the business district where heavy traffic by truck or other traffic congestion make parking by trucks a hazard to the safety of vehicles or pedestrians.  No person shall park a truck of more than two ton capacity between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on any week day upon any street in any such zone, but parking of such vehicle for a period of not more than 20 minutes shall be permitted in such zone for the purpose of having access to abutting property when such access cannot conveniently be secured otherwise.  

701.09   Certain vehicles, equipment and animals prohibited on streets.  It is unlawful to operate any vehicle or equipment of any type whatsoever not equipped with pneumatic tires, a pneumatic tire being a tire in which compressed air is deigned to support the load or to ride or otherwise permit an animal with shod hoofs upon any street or alley in the city.  A violation of this section shall constitute a misdemeanor.   

701.10.  Establishment of safety zone, lanes of traffic, etc.  To assist in the direction and control of traffic, to improve safe driving conditions at any intersection or dangerous location, and to warn pedestrians or drivers of motor vehicles  of dangerous conditions or hazards, the street commissioner may establish safety zones, lanes of traffic, and stop intersections, and may order installation of stop signs, yield signs, warning signs, signals, pavement markings, or other devices with the approval of the city council.  No regulation may be established on a trunk highway unless the consent of the commissioner of transportation is first secured.  

701.11.  Exhibition driving prohibited.  No person shall turn, accelerate, decelerate, or otherwise operate a motor vehicle within the city in a manner which causes unnecessary engine noise or backfire, squealing tires, skidding, sliding, swaying, throwing of sand or gravel, or in a manner simulating a race.  Unreasonable squealing or screeching sounds emitted by tires, the unreasonable throwing of sand or gravel by the tires is prima facie evidence of a violation of this section.  

701.12. Police duties.  During a fire or other emergency or to expedite traffic or safeguard pedestrians, officers of the fire department may direct or assist the police in directing traffic at the scene of a fire or emergency or in the immediate vicinity.  

701.13.  Penalty.  Any person convicted of violating any provision of this ordinance is guilty of a petty misdemeanor.