[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Las
Vegas as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 10-16-2019 by Ord. No. 19-04]
A.
The City of Las Vegas Meadow City Express has determined that the
orderly operation of the Meadow City Express Transit System to include
transit vehicles and facilities for the safety, comfort, and well-being
of its passengers, employees, and the general public requires the
adoption of rules and regulations, titled and promulgated here as
"Municipal Transit Code of Conduct."
B.
These rules and regulations are in addition to and supplement all
applicable laws, ordinances, and regulations.
A.
Use of Municipal Transit is a privilege and not a right. As a result,
these regulations restrict and prohibit certain conduct to ensure
all passengers are afforded the same benefits of the transit system.
Failure to comply with this code of conduct provides Municipal Transit
with the option of revoking a person of the privilege to use this
transit.
B.
Any requirement or provision of these regulations to any prohibited
act shall respectively extend to and include the causing, procuring,
aiding or abetting, directly or indirectly, of such act; or the permitting
or the allowing of any minor in the custody of any person, doing any
act prohibited by a provision hereof.
C.
Any act otherwise prohibited by these regulations shall be lawful
if performed under, by virtue of, and strictly in compliance with
the provisions of an agreement, permit, or license approved by Municipal
Transit.
The Administrator of the Municipal Transit Code of Conduct shall
be the Transit Manager of the Meadow City Express Transit System or
their designee .
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any motor vehicle designed for carrying more than 10 persons,
including the driver, and used or maintained for the transportation
of passengers.
A designated area marked by a sign for the loading and unloading
of passengers from or onto a bus, which may or may not include a bench
or shelter.
Seats designed specifically to protect children from injury
or death during collisions. Automobile manufacturers may integrate
child safety seats directly into their vehicles' design. Most
commonly, these seats are purchased and installed by consumers.
INFANT SEATSRear-facing seats designed just for infants, and usually, your baby will outgrow an infant seat at around eight or nine months of age.
CONVERTIBLE SEATSTransform from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat as soon as your child reaches the correct size.
COMBINATION SEATSChange from a forward-facing seat into a booster seat once your child is big enough.
BOOSTER SEATProp your child up to the correct height needed to use an adult seat belt. Options include a backless design and a high-back design, which provides head and neck support.
ALL-IN-ONE SEATSTransition from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat before finally changing into a booster seat once your child is ready.
Includes, but is not limited to, transit centers, bus shelters,
and bus stops on public or private property.
The money a passenger on public transportation has to pay.
A no-show occurs anytime the passenger is not available to
board a vehicle within three minutes after the vehicle arrives for
a scheduled pickup. The no-show definition includes rides that were
not properly canceled. Late cancelations occur anytime a passenger
does not cancel at least one hour prior to their scheduled pickup.
Any person who is afoot or who is using a means of conveyance
propelled by human power other than a bicycle.
Buses or any other form of public conveyance utilized, owned,
or controlled by the City of Las Vegas Meadow City Express.
Any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained
to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, including,
but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting
individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing
minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching
dropped items.
A.
Prohibited conduct onboard transit vehicles. The following outlines
conduct prohibited onboard transit vehicles:
(1)
No person shall consume any food or beverage, except that passengers
may consume nonalcoholic beverages while aboard a transit vehicle
if the nonalcoholic beverages are contained in a spill-proof or screw-top
container or bottle.
(2)
No person shall consume any alcoholic beverages or possess or engage
in use of any illegal drugs.
(3)
No person shall smoke in any form.
(4)
No person shall operate any radio or other such device that is audible
to any other person.
(5)
No person shall expectorate, spit, urinate, defecate, or create an
unsanitary condition through presence of blood, urine, feces, vomit,
or other bodily fluids.
(6)
No person shall discard litter.
(7)
No person shall write, paint, or draw anything on or deface any transit
vehicle.
(8)
No person shall injure, deface, alter, change, displace, remove,
or destroy any sign, notice, signal, or advertisement in a transit
vehicle.
(9)
No person shall injure, destroy, loosen, remove, or tamper with any
device in a transit vehicle.
(10)
No person shall extend his/her head, hand, arm, foot, leg, or
other portion of the body through any window.
(11)
No person shall interfere in any manner whatsoever with the
safe operation of any transit vehicle, including physically blocking
or impeding a transit vehicle.
(12)
No person shall block an aisle, stairway, or seat with any object,
including strollers .
(13)
No person shall enter nonpublic areas which are for transit
personnel only.
(14)
No person shall sleep in a transit vehicle or bus where the
sleeping interferes with the enjoyment of a transit vehicle or bus
by other persons or compromises or interferes with the operator or
operation of the transit vehicle.
(15)
No person shall throw or project any object inside of a transit
vehicle.
(16)
No person shall possess explosives, flammable, caustic, or other
harmful material in a transit vehicle.
(17)
No person shall possess a weapon in a transit vehicle unless
allowed under state and federal law. Weapons which are not possessed
pursuant to a concealed carry permit or other state or federal law
must be unloaded and carried in an enclosed case, box or other container
which completely conceals the item from view and identification as
a weapon. This provision does not apply to law enforcement.
(18)
No person shall possess an open alcoholic beverage container,
irrespective of whether the container is spill-proof or screw-top.
(19)
No person shall undertake unruly behavior, which includes being
loud on a transit vehicle which reasonably interferes with the enjoyment
of a transit vehicle by other persons.
(20)
No person shall use a cell phone or electronic device in a manner
which is unreasonably loud which then affects the transit vehicle
operator or which reasonably interferes with the use and enjoyment
of the transit vehicle by other persons.
(21)
No person shall have unwelcome physical or verbal contact with
passengers.
(22)
No person shall hang or swing off bars or stanchions.
(23)
No person shall ride any bike, skateboard, scooter, or roller-skate,
in-line skate, or undertake a same or similar activity in a transit
vehicle.
(24)
No person shall activate without justification, mutilate, deface
or misuse in any manner any safety device or intercom located onboard
a transit vehicle.
(25)
No person shall attach oneself to the exterior of a transit
vehicle.
(26)
No person shall bring odors, whether from one's person,
clothes, articles, or any other source, which unreasonably interfere
with the use and enjoyment of a transit vehicle by other persons.
(27)
No person shall reasonably interfere with the use and enjoyment
of a transit vehicle by other persons.
(28)
No person age 11 years old and under shall be permitted to ride
unaccompanied by a person at least age 18 years or older. Exception:
The child may ride with a person that is under the age of 18 years
old if they are the parent. The parent must bring proof of parentage.
B.
Prohibited actions on or about a transit facility. The following
outlines conduct prohibited on or about a transit facility.
(1)
No person shall drink alcoholic beverages or possess an open alcoholic
container on or in a transit facility.
(2)
No person shall smoke in any form on or in a transit facility.
(3)
No person shall enter nonpublic areas which are for transit personnel
only to enter.
(4)
No person shall injure, deface, loosen, remove, or tamper with a
transit facility.
(5)
No person shall injure, deface, alter, change, displace, remove,
or destroy any sign, notice, signal, or advertisement on a transit
facility.
(6)
No person shall interfere with any lamp, electric light, or electric
fixture on or at a transit facility.
(7)
No person shall write, paint, or draw anything on or deface any transit
facility.
(8)
No person shall interfere with, encumber, obstruct, or render dangerous
any transit facility.
(9)
No person shall throw or project any object at a transit vehicle,
bus, person, or thing on or in a transit facility.
(10)
No person shall throw or project any object from a transit vehicle
or transit facility.
(11)
No person shall possess explosives, flammable, caustic, or other
harmful material in a transit facility.
(12)
No person shall possess a weapon in a transit facility unless
allowed under state and federal law. Weapons which are not possessed
pursuant to a concealed carry permit or other state or federal law
must be unloaded and carried in an enclosed case, box or other container
which completely conceals the item from view and identification as
a weapon. This provision does not apply to law enforcement.
(13)
No person shall urinate, defecate, or create an unsanitary condition
through presence of blood, urine, feces, vomit, or other bodily fluids
in a transit facility.
(14)
No person shall undertake unruly behavior, which includes being
loud in a transit facility which reasonably interferes with the use
and enjoyment of a transit facility by other persons.
(15)
No person shall post, distribute, or display commercial signs,
advertisements, circulars, handbills, or written material of a commercial
nature on or within the transit facility, nor shall any person engage
in any verbal solicitations of a commercial nature on or within a
transit facility.
(16)
No person shall climb atop of a transit facility.
(17)
No person shall camp or store property in a transit facility.
(18)
No person shall sleep in a transit facility such that the sleeping
interferes with the enjoyment of a transit vehicle or bus by the persons
or compromises or interferes with the operator or operation of the
transit vehicle.
(19)
No person shall bring odors, whether from one's person,
clothes, articles, or any other source, which unreasonably interfere
with the enjoyment and use of a transit facility by other persons.
(20)
No person shall reasonably interfere with the use and enjoyment
of a transit facility by other persons.
C.
Fares. Passengers shall be permitted upon transit vehicles upon payment
of fares. Transit personnel may confiscate any and all passes which
are being used in violation of this provision. Concerning payment
of fares, it is unlawful for a person:
(1)
To ride a transit vehicle without paying the appropriate fare.
(2)
To present an invalid pass or transfer.
(3)
To purchase or use an unused ticket or pass provided by a person
who is not an authorized MCE transit employee.
(4)
To misrepresent oneself as eligible for special or reduced fare or
transfer.
(5)
To fail to surrender a pass if demanded by authorized MCE Transit
personnel to check the validity of the pass or ticket.
(6)
To fail to surrender an expired or unauthorized pass upon request
by transit personnel, including any pass which is in violation of
this section.
D.
Animals. No person shall bring, carry onto, or convey upon the transit
facility a dog, or other animal, unless it is completely enclosed
in a carry case, which can be accommodated in the lap of a passenger
with no danger or annoyance to other passengers. This rule shall not
apply to a "service" or "assistance" animal. A "service" or "assistance"
animal is trained to assist persons with disabilities. Such animals
shall be properly harnessed when possible. Service or assistance animals
must be under the control of the person at all times. Municipal transit
personnel reserve the right to inquire about the status of such animals.
(See Meadow City Express Service Animal Policy.)
E.
Commercial activity prohibited. No person shall exhibit, sell, or
offer for sale, hire, lease, or let out in or about the transit facility
or a transit vehicle any object or service, except concessions under
contract with Municipal Transit.
F.
No smoking at any transit facility. Consistent with the City of Las
Vegas Second-Hand Smoke Control Code, no person shall smoke any materials,
whether tobacco or any other product, with any device, cigarette,
cigar, pipe, or any other apparatus or utilize any smoking device,
cigar, pipe, or other apparatus within 10 feet of any transit facility.
G.
Child safety seats/restraint requirements. Meadow City Express, along
with NMDOT, follow the New Mexico child car seat laws; therefore,
when riding any Meadow City Express vehicle, the passenger must provide
the proper car seat for children meeting the criteria for a child
safety seat/car seat. Meadow City Express drivers are responsible
for knowing which laws apply and reserve the right to refuse service
to anyone who does not have the proper child restraints when boarding
the buses. (See Meadow City Express Child Safety Seat Policy.)
H.
No-shows and late cancelations. Passengers are required to cancel
no later than one hour prior to their scheduled pickup. Each no-show
and late cancelation is documented and the passenger is responsible
for paying the no-show fare or late cancelation fare before riding
the bus again. (See Meadow City Express No-Show and Late Cancelation
Policy.)
A.
Denial of service.
(1)
Violators of the code of conduct may be subject to immediate denial
of service to all transit vehicles and all transit facilities.
(2)
Immediate denial of service may be effected by a City of Las Vegas
officer, authorized Meadow City Express personnel, including drivers,
or authorized personnel of a contract service provider.
B.
Suspension of privileges.
(1)
Violators of the code of conduct may be subject to suspension of
privilege to enter or use transit vehicles and/or transit facilities.
Suspension of privileges to enter or use Meadow City Express vehicles
or facilities may be effected by Las Vegas City police officers, or
authorized transit employees, who shall issue a written notice stating
the cause and duration of the suspension and the process for requesting
an appeal. Length of the suspension will be at the discretion of the
issuer of the suspension and may consider the nature of the present
violation, prior instances of violations, and any other facts which
the individual issuing the suspension deems pertinent.
(2)
Suspension shall be in effect upon receipt of the notice and shall
remain in effect during any review process. Failure to comply with
suspension or privilege to enter or use transit vehicles and facilities
shall be grounds for criminal trespass prosecution.
C.
Criminal conduct. Criminal conduct, including, but not limited to,
assault, disorderly conduct, and illegal drugs use, is prohibited
on all transit vehicles and transit facilities. The City of Las Vegas
Police Department will be contacted if such conduct is observed by
Meadow City Express personnel.
A.
Within 10 days after receiving a notice of suspension of privileges
to enter or use Meadow City Express transit facilities, a person receiving
such notice may deliver to the Manager of Meadow City Express a written
request for review of the suspension and an opportunity to present
reasons for reconsideration of the suspension. An appeal filed after
10 days have passed from the issuance of the suspension will not be
accepted and heard unless the Transit Manager, along with the City
Manager's approval, finds the appellant has shown good cause
existed for the late-filed appeal.
B.
Within 10 days after receiving a request for review, the Manager
of Meadow City Express shall set a telephonic or in-person hearing
to review the decision. The hearing shall be held within 10 days following
the request for a hearing. The Transit Manager shall decide to affirm
or reverse the suspension within 10 days following the hearing and
make a recommendation to the City Manager. The City Manager's
decision will be final. The City Manager will then review the recommendation
of the Transit Manager and will either concur and approve the decision
of the Transit Manager or request a final appeal hearing and make
a final decision on the matter.
