Horseback riding, mountain bicycling and outdoor walking and hiking are major sports at Palm Springs. There are a large number of pedestrians and riders who use and traverse the public property, streets and ways and constitute a material part of the traffic thereon, and it is essential to the public peace, health, safety and welfare that such traffic other than vehicular be segregated and specifically provided for year-round. In addition, there are certain other unpaved trails within the desert and mountain areas located on public property and subject to multiple use by the public, including horseback riding, mountain bicycling and outdoor walking. Due to the steep and precipitous terrain, and rocky, overgrown and narrow nature of portions of these trails, they may be unsuited to certain types of use, or subject to conflicts arising from multiple use. It is therefore essential to the public peace, health, safety and welfare that the public use of such trails be regulated as provided herein.
(Prior code § 7501; Ord. 1417 § 1, 1992)
Those portions of public property, streets and ways designated in this chapter, marked as provided for in Sections 12.72.070 and 12.72.080, or added by resolution of the parks and recreation commission are set aside for the exclusive use of persons and animals, and shall be closed to vehicular traffic, other than bicycles, all year round.
(Prior code § 7502; Ord. 1417 § 1, 1992)
The parks and recreation commission is authorized to designate unpaved mountain and desert trails on public property, by resolution, for controlled access and restricted use. Such trails or the portions thereof so restricted shall be marked as provided in Sections 12.72.070 and 12.72.080.
(Prior code § 7502.1; Ord. 1417 § 1, 1992)
All paved portions of public property, streets and ways within the city, except Palm Canyon Drive and the areas specifically described in this chapter are hereby closed to use by horses (not drawing vehicles), at all times, excepting only that such horses may cross same laterally at intersections with public or private streets or ways. Horse-drawn vehicles are not intended to be prohibited on paved ways.
(Prior code § 7503)
It is unlawful at all times for any person to drive, ride, allow or stand any unattached horse on any paved portions of any public property, streets or ways within the city excepting Palm Canyon Drive and the areas specifically described in this chapter, and also excepting lateral traversing thereof at intersections with public or private streets or ways.
(Prior code § 7503.1)
It is unlawful for any person to stop, stand, park or place any vehicle, excluding bicycles, on or across any of the portions of public property, streets or ways described in this chapter, marked as provided in Sections 12.72.070 and 12.72.080 or added by resolution of the parks and recreation commission, year-round, other than on public or private streets and ways intersecting same, or to otherwise obstruct the use thereof.
(Prior code § 7504; Ord. 1417 § 1, 1992)
The parks and recreation commission is authorized and directed to appropriately mark and signpost at the entrances thereto and elsewhere as it deems proper and necessary to designate same, the portions of public property, streets and ways described in this chapter, and thereby set aside for the exclusive use of persons and animals year round.
(Prior code § 7505; Ord. 1417 § 1, 1992)
No provisions of this chapter for which signs or markings are required shall be enforced against an alleged violator unless at the time and place of the violation an official sign or marking is in place and sufficiently legible and visible to be seen by an ordinarily observant person.
(Prior code § 7506)
The provisions of this chapter regulating the operation, parking, placing and standing of vehicles shall not apply to any authorized emergency vehicles as defined in the Vehicle Code of the state of California.
(Prior code § 7507)
It is the duty of the officers of the police department to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior code § 7508)
The parks and recreation commission is authorized to close trails which are deemed too steep and precipitous for multiuse, or otherwise restrict or limit use. The parks and recreation commission will make every attempt to solicit input from concerned groups regarding these trail closures. Upon closure, these trails may be limited to pedestrians and horse riders only until such time as the trail may be modified to safely accommodate pedestrians, horse riders and mountain bicycles.
(Ord. 1417 § 1, 1992)