[Adopted 7-13-1998 by Ord. No. 98-6-1]
An article providing rules and regulations for motor vehicular traffic, parking control and restrictions, impounding of vehicles, and speed limits within the corporate limits of the Town of Chesapeake City.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 26-20(b) of the Charter for the Town of Chesapeake City, the following regulations are adopted.
The provisions of this article are intended to be in addition to and supplementary to the provisions the Maryland vehicle laws and related statutes as they appear in the Annotated Code of Maryland.
[Amended 5-22-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-003]
Whenever, in the judgment of the Mayor and Council of Chesapeake City, it is necessary for the safety or control of vehicular or pedestrian traffic or for the regulation of the use of parking areas, the Mayor of Chesapeake City may erect or cause to be erected traffic signs as approved in the Maryland Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices designed to control, regulate, warn or guide traffic or limit parking on public streets or other areas in the Town of Chesapeake City, and it shall be the duty of all persons to observe such signs, and any person failing to observe any such sign shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of a misdemeanor. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to constitute a repeal of the authority here before granted by the Mayor and Council of Chesapeake City for the erection of traffic control and parking restriction signs, and failure to observe any such signs here before erected shall be subject to the same penalties as set forth hereafter.
A. 
No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the direction of a police officer or traffic control device:
(1) 
In any of those places as prohibited by Title 21 of the Maryland Vehicle Law.
(2) 
At any place where an official sign or painted curb of the Town of Chesapeake City, the State of Maryland, or the County Commissioners of Cecil County prohibits stopping, parking or standing, and it is hereby specifically provided that wherever a curb is painted red or yellow that there shall be no parking, standing or stopping parallel or adjacent to said painted curb.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to stop, stand or park any tractor-trailer or parts thereof, car carrier or parts thereof, or any truck or other motor vehicle with load capacity greater than one ton within the corporate boundaries of the Town of Chesapeake City, except for the purpose of immediate loading or unloading.
C. 
It shall be unlawful to park any vehicle over 24 hours on any street, parking lot or other Town-owned property where official signs have been posted prohibiting parking in excess of 24 hours. Violations will result in the vehicle being cited under this article and the vehicle may be towed and impounded by law enforcement personnel. In such cases the vehicle shall not be released until the provisions of this article pertaining to fines and/or court appearances have been met. All towing and storage fees are the responsibility of the owner or agent and not the responsibility of the Town or its law enforcement agents.
D. 
Where parking has been prohibited or restricted and where a sign has been posted informing potential violators that the prohibition or restriction will result in the towing of a vehicle in violation, law enforcement personnel may cite the offense and have the vehicle towed and impounded. In such cases the incidental costs associated with the towing and impoundment are the responsibility of the owner or agent. The Town or its agents have no responsibility for such fees or any other associated costs for implementation of this provision.
A. 
All vehicles shall be driven and parked on the right hand side of the street, unless a street or avenue is designated by a sign to be for one way traffic. At any time it shall become necessary the Mayor may mark or cause to be marked and designate by a sign a street to be for one way traffic. At any time it shall become necessary the Mayor may mark or caused to be marked and designate areas which may become congested banning parking altogether if necessary. No automobile or other vehicle shall stop in any street, avenue or highway in such manner as to hinder or delay traffic or passage, and law enforcement personnel are empowered to enforce this provision by impounding said vehicle.
[Amended 5-22-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-003]
B. 
Persons violating the provisions of §§ 272-5 and 272-6 shall, upon conviction, be fined as stipulated in a resolution established by the Town Council for the parking offenses stated in the resolution. Where the person named as the violator is the owner of a vehicle cited for violating these parking regulations the fine must be paid as stated on the parking citation or file his intention to stand trial for the violation as established in Title 26 of the Maryland Vehicle Law.
C. 
Persons cited for parking violations and failing to comply with the above provision shall be subject to the following:
[Amended 5-22-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-003]
(1) 
A Maryland resident with a Maryland registered vehicle cited in violation under this article and section may be subjected to the penalty provisions as stated in Title 26 of the Maryland Vehicle Law.
(2) 
Any non-Maryland resident where the vehicle is registered in another state has been cited for a violation of this article and where failure to comply with this section will result in the vehicle being towed and impounded by law enforcement personnel, provided the last known registered owner received written notice by first-class US Postal Service that the vehicle was subject to impoundment as the result of failure to pay the parking fine or to stand trial by the date noted on the citation. This vehicle shall not be released until the stipulated fine has been paid as established by resolution or by the District Court of Maryland. All towing and impoundment fees are the responsibility of the owner.
It shall be unlawful to park, store, or leave any vehicle, the certificate of title, registration card, or registration plate of which has expired, been revoked, cancelled or suspended, or for the owner of any such vehicle to allow, permit, or suffer the same to be parked, stored, or left, whether attended or not, upon any public street, highway, alley or parking lot within the corporate limits of the Town of Chesapeake City for a period longer than 24 hours. Law enforcement personnel are authorized to remove and impound any such vehicle parked, stored or left in violation of this section and to keep the same impounded until the owner thereof, or other duly authorized person, shall deposit collateral in the amount and the manner as hereinafter provided for violation of this article, and shall pay to the Town of Chesapeake City a sum equal to the towage and any all reasonable storage charges incurred by the Town of Chesapeake City in impounding said vehicle.
A. 
No motor vehicle, truck or tractor shall be operated upon any street in the Town and under the jurisdiction of the Town at a greater speed than 25 miles per hour, except on such streets as may otherwise be covered by regulations and the placing of signs establishing a greater or lesser speed limit.
B. 
An infraction of this section shall result in the penalties as set forth in Title 27 of the Maryland Vehicle Law.
No person shall operate over the streets of Chesapeake City any vehicle, motor-driven or otherwise, equipped with spikes, cleats or other traction device which will inflict undue damage or injury upon the surface of the streets of the Town.
Except as herein otherwise provided, the Maryland Vehicle Laws of the State of Maryland are hereby declared and made a part of this article by reference, shall control and govern, and any person violating any of the provisions thereof shall, upon conviction, be subject to the penalties provided therein.
Unless otherwise specifically provided in this article or by resolution, any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not to exceed $100 or may be confined to the Detention Center of Cecil County for a period of not exceeding 30 days, or until such fine and costs be paid.