Division 13. Miscellaneous Regulations

The Director is hereby authorized to regulate through truck traffic, and in the regulations prohibit trucks from using any highway or alley which has not been designated or maintained as part of the State or Federal highway system or an extension thereof, provided the Director has designated an adequate alternate route for truck traffic diverted or prohibited from using any highway or alley.

When signs are erected giving notice thereof, no person shall operate any truck upon any such street, or portion of street, except that such vehicles may be operated thereon for the purpose of delivering or picking up materials or merchandise and then only by entering such street at the intersection nearest the destination of the vehicle and proceeding thereon no farther than the nearest intersection thereafter.

This Section does not apply to light commercial vehicles.

The Director may prohibit the operation of vehicles upon the road or highway or impose restrictions as to the weight of vehicles to be operated upon the highway, or reduce the maximum speed limits of vehicles operating upon the highway for any one period not to exceed 60 days, and for a total period of not to exceed 90 days in any one calendar year, whenever the road or highway by reason of deterioration, rain, snow, or other condition will be seriously damaged or destroyed unless the use of vehicles thereon is prohibited or the permissible weights thereof reduced or the maximum speed limits be reduced; provided, however, vehicles supplying emergency service such as supplying fuel and fuel oil and hauling milk may use the roads and highways upon written permission of the Director or his duly authorized representative. The Director may designate and define the term "vehicle supplying emergency service" as hereinabove used.

The Director shall erect or cause to be erected, posted, and maintained signs designating the provisions of the ordinance or resolution at each end of that portion of any road or highway affected thereby, and the resolution shall not be effective unless and until the signs are erected and posted.

Any person, whether the owner of such vehicle, the person in charge and control over the same, or employee or agent, who draws, drives, propels, or in any other manner takes or causes to be taken, drawn, driven, or propelled over the road or highway posted as aforesaid any vehicles of any kind, weighing, with or without any load which may be in or upon the same, more than the number of pounds specified on the signboard so erected, at the entrance to the road or highway, or at a greater rate of speed than that specified on the signboard, without a permit in writing from the Director shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. In addition, the owner or person in control of the vehicle shall be liable to the County for all damages which may be done to the road or highway by the violation of the regulation so prescribed. In any trial of any person charged with a violation of any of the provisions of this Section, oral proof of the existence of the signboard posted as herein provided and its contents shall be accepted as prima facie evidence of the validity of the regulation thereon prescribed.

The Director is hereby authorized to designate County roads as snow emergency routes, along which parking shall be prohibited during snow emergencies, and any vehicle using such prescribed routes shall be required to use snow tires or snow chains during such emergency. The Director shall adequately post such emergency routes with proper signs to warn the public of the provisions of this Section, and such posted roads are determined to be emergency routes subject to the provisions of this Section.

No person shall park a motor vehicle or drive a motor vehicle without snow tires or snow chains during the emergency period on emergency routes designated by the Director.

Any vehicle which is parked in violation of this Section, or any vehicle not equipped with snow tires or snow chains which is stalled on any emergency route, shall be subject to being towed from such emergency route and impounded. The towing and storage charge shall be a lien against the vehicle and shall be paid before the vehicle may be released from impoundment.

Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Thirty Dollars ($30.00) for each violation.

The Director or his designee may restrict on-street parking during snow and ice emergencies or other emergency conditions on any or all streets maintained by the County where parking is permitted on both sides of the street. While such restriction is in effect, vehicles shall remain parked on the even-numbered side of the street until such time as the condition causing this restriction is cleared from the odd-numbered unparked side of the street at which time all vehicles must be moved to the odd-numbered side of the street. Provided, however, that nothing in this Section permits parking in areas in which parking is otherwise prohibited.

Said restriction shall be effectuated by public broadcast (Metro area television and radio) with said broadcasts deemed sufficient for enforcement of this Section.

The Director shall be responsible for the promulgation of regulations for the implementation of this Section.

Any vehicle which is parked in violation of Subsection (a) shall be issued a citation for such violation and be subject to being towed and impounded by the County police or other authorized police agency.

Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) for each violation.

Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following terms shall mean:

Situational Awareness Report. The director shall submit a situational awareness report to the County Council within twenty-four (24) hours of receiving notice of anticipated snow if the snow qualifies for:

Report Requirements. The situational awareness report shall detail:

The Director shall designate the weights of wagons, trucks, road engines, road rollers, traction engines, threshing machines, or other vehicles of any kind passing over any bridges or culverts included in the County road system and the rate of speed of such vehicles while passing over the bridges or culverts.

Such regulations shall be indicated by the conspicuous posting and maintenance of signs at both ends of or the entrance to such bridges or culverts. Such signs shall be those set forth as standard applications for vehicle weight and speed restriction in the most recent edition of the State of Maryland Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, adopted by the Maryland State Highway Administration pursuant to the Annotated Code of Maryland, Transportation Article, Section 25-104.

Such signs shall be taken to mean that no vehicle of any kind, weighing, with or without any load which may be in or upon the vehicle, more than the number of pounds specified on such signboard shall pass or be drawn, driven, propelled, or in any other manner taken over such bridge or culvert, and that no such vehicle of any kind, shall pass or be drawn, driven, propelled, or in any other manner taken over such bridge or culvert at a greater rate of speed than that specified on such signboard.

Any person, whether the owner of such vehicle, the person in charge and control over the vehicle, or an employee or agent of any such person, who draws, drives, propels, or in any other manner takes or causes to be taken, drawn, driven, or propelled over any such bridge or culvert so posted, any wagon, truck, road engine, road roller, traction engine, threshing machine, or other vehicle of any kind, weighing, with or without any load which may be in or upon the vehicle, more than the number of pounds specified on the signboard so erected at the entrances or approaches of such bridge or culvert, or at a greater rate of speed than that specified on such signboard, without a permit, in writing, from the Director, shall be deemed guilty of a violation of this Code. In addition to any penalty provided therefor, the owner or person in control of such vehicle shall be liable to the County for all damages which may be done to the bridge or culvert by the violation of the regulation.

In any trial of any person charged with a violation of any of the provisions of this Section, oral proof of the existence of such signboard posted as provided in this Division and its contents shall be accepted as prima facie evidence of the validity of the regulations prescribed on such sign.

The Director is hereby authorized to post signs and signals at such places and for such times as it is reasonably necessary to construct, alter, repair, clean by vehicular devices, or protect the public from dangerous conditions in any public right-of-way.

No person shall park or drive a vehicle on the public road, street, alley, or other public controlled way in violation of a closed street sign, no parking sign, or other traffic sign or signal as posted. Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Thirty Dollars ($30.00) for each violation.

Whenever the Director finds that there exists on any private property within the County any obstructions such as trees, bushes, vines, weeds, undergrowth, loose earth, equipment, or any other obstructions either fixed or movable, except buildings and similar structures affixed to the ground, that obstruct the vision of operators of vehicles traveling upon any public street, road, or highway so as to constitute a traffic hazard, the Director shall immediately serve the owner, agent, lessee, or any other person having supervision over such property a written notice describing the premises whereon such obstruction exists, a statement of the particulars in which the vision of operators of vehicles is obstructed, including the steps necessary to correct such conditions, and an order directing that corrective steps be taken within a stated period of time.

Any person who considers himself aggrieved by any order issued pursuant to the authority of this Section may, within ten days of the receipt of such order, petition the Director, in writing, for a hearing thereon. Within ten days from the receipt of such petition, the Director shall hold such a hearing after which he may either affirm, modify, or rescind the order. No official of the County government shall remove any obstruction or enforce any order issued hereunder until after such hearing by the Director has been held or until the time to petition for such hearing has expired without such a petition having been filed, or until any appeal becomes final.

Upon failure of any person to comply with the provisions of any order issued under this Section within the time specified therein, the Director shall direct his subordinates to enter upon the property whereon the obstruction is located and remove all or such part of the obstruction as may be necessary to eliminate the traffic hazard.

All orders and notices issued by the Director pursuant to the authority of this Section shall be served on the person to whom they are directed either by registered mail or by personal delivery to such person. If such person is not known to reside and cannot be found in the County, such service shall be made by publication and posting shall be deemed to be made on the day of publication or posting.

Whenever it is necessary for the Director to provide for the removal or elimination of any type of obstruction referred to herein pursuant to the procedures prescribed above, he shall file with the accounting officer's office a certified statement of the cost to the County of such removal or elimination, together with proof of service and the notice prescribed above. The cost of such removal together with the cost of publication shall constitute a charge and lien against the property and shall be collected in the same manner as are real estate taxes.