As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
LEGAL PARKING TIME
The time which a vehicle may legally park in a parking meter zone, as established pursuant to this article and indicated on the parking meter.[1]
MUNICIPAL PARKING DISTRICTS
The municipal parking lots in a designated geographical area for which a municipal parking permit is valid.
[Added 10-17-2001 by Ord. No. 3624]
PARKING METER
A device intended to assist the Township authorities in enforcing the regulation of parking pursuant to this article. Each parking meter installed shall indicate by proper legend the legal parking time established by this article and, when operated, shall at all times indicate the balance of legal parking time, and at the expiration of such period shall indicate illegal or overtime parking.
PARKING METER RATE
The monetary charge a user of a parking meter zone shall pay for the privilege of parking a vehicle in such parking meter zone in the manner set forth in this article and by other law, such charge being paid by inserting an appropriate coin or smart card in a parking meter.
[Added 10-17-2001 by Ord. No. 3624; amended 9-21-2011 by Ord. No. 3951]
PARKING METER SPACE
Any space within a parking meter zone adjacent to a parking meter and which is duly designated for the parking of a single vehicle by lines painted or otherwise durably marked upon the curb or the surface of the highway or parking lot adjacent to or adjoining a parking meter.
PARKING METER ZONE
Any street or highway, or portion thereof, and/or any parking lot or other designated location set aside under provisions of this article for the installation of parking meters and upon which parking meters have been installed and are in operation. Such zones shall not include locations where fire hydrants have been installed, nor such spaces as have been designated as bus stops, taxicab stands or entrances to post offices, churches, theaters or banks, nor other places where parking has been prohibited.
[Added 10-17-2001 by Ord. No. 3624]
SMART CARD
A debit card sold and replenished by the Parking Services Department of the Township of Lower Merion for exclusive use in Township parking meters.
[Added 9-21-2011 by Ord. No. 3951]
[1]
Editor’s Note: The definition of "complimentary tokens," which immediately preceded this definition, was repealed 9-21-2011 by Ord. No. 3951.
A. 
On-highway parking meter zones. Parking meter zones are hereby established upon the streets and highways, or portions thereof, described in Schedule XXII (§ 145-122). The legal parking times and parking meter rates for such zones shall be as indicated in said schedule.
B. 
Off-highway parking meter zones. Parking meter zones are hereby established in the municipal parking lots or other properties owned or leased by the Township described in Schedule XXIII (§ 145-123). The legal parking times and parking meter rates for such zones shall be as indicated in said schedule.
It shall be unlawful for any person to park a vehicle in a parking meter zone for more than the legal parking time between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. of any day except Sunday, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
[Amended 10-17-2001 by Ord. No. 3624]
In all parking meter zones, one parking meter shall be installed for each parking space. All spaces shall be plainly designated by lines or markings on the paving and may be either parallel, perpendicular or diagonal to the curb. Parking meters shall be placed upon the sidewalk or curb, if any, immediately adjacent to each designated parking space and in such manner as to show by a signal that the parking space controlled by the meter is or is not legally occupied. Each meter shall indicate the legal parking time and when in operation shall also indicate the duration of the period of legal parking.
[Amended 10-17-2001 by Ord. No. 3624; 9-21-2011 by Ord. No. 3951]
When any vehicle shall be parked in any space adjacent to which a parking meter is located, the operator shall, upon entering the space, immediately deposit in such meter one or more five-cent coins (nickels), one or more ten-cent coins (dimes), one or more twenty-five-cent coins (quarters) one or more dollar coins of the United States as indicated on the meter, or insert a smart card and activate the deduction therefrom of a parking fee, and shall operate the meter in accordance with the instructions thereon, and failure to do so shall constitute a violation of this article.
[Amended 10-17-2001 by Ord. No. 3624; 10-17-2007 by Ord. No. 3829]
The allocation of spaces for metered and permit parking in municipal parking lots where both are permitted shall be established by the Director of Parking Services, subject to the approval of the Board of Commissioners. Metered spaces shall be indicated by the placement of meters adjacent to such space.
It shall be unlawful and a violation of the provisions of this article for any person:
A. 
To cause, allow, permit or suffer any vehicle registered in the name of or operated by such person to be parked overtime or beyond the period of legal parking time established for any parking meter zone as herein described, or to deposit in any parking meter any coin for the purpose of parking beyond the maximum legal parking time for the particular parking meter zone.
B. 
To permit any vehicle to remain or be placed in any parking space adjacent to any parking meter while said meter is displaying a signal indicating that the vehicle occupying such parking space has already been parked beyond the period prescribed for such parking space.
C. 
To park any vehicle across any line or marking of a parking meter space or in such position that the vehicle shall not be entirely within the area designated by such lines or markings, or in any parking meter space in any position other than with the front end of the vehicle adjacent to the meter controlling such space.
[Amended 9-17-1980 by Ord. No. 1920]
D. 
To deface, injure, tamper with, open or willfully break, destroy or impair the usefulness of any parking meter installed under the provisions of this article.
E. 
To deposit or cause to be deposited in any parking meter any slug, device or metal substance or other substitute for a lawful coin.
[Amended 10-17-2001 by Ord. No. 3624]
F. 
To park or permit the parking of any vehicle in any parking meter space where the meter does not register lawful parking.
A. 
It shall be the duty of police officers and meter attendants of the Township of Lower Merion to report:
(1) 
The number of each parking meter which indicates that the vehicle occupying the space adjacent to such meter has been parked in violation of any provision of this article.
(2) 
The state license number of such vehicle.
(3) 
Any other facts, a knowledge of which is necessary to a thorough understanding of the circumstances attending such violation.
B. 
Each such officer or meter attendant shall also place on such vehicle a notice to the owner thereof that such vehicle has been parked in violation of the provisions of this article and instructing such owner to report to Police Headquarters in regard to such violation, in accordance with § 145-9C(2) of this chapter.
[Amended 10-17-2001 by Ord. No. 3624]
The provisions of this article may be temporarily suspended by the Township Manager, and he may prescribe temporarily such other rules and regulations as traffic conditions may require.
[Amended 10-17-2001 by Ord. No. 3624]
Nothing herein shall be construed as preventing the Township of Lower Merion from providing for free parking space for loading and unloading purposes, bus stops, taxicab stands, entrances to post offices, churches, theaters, banks and other places of a similar nature. No vehicle other than a taxicab shall stand or park in an officially designated taxicab stand, except that an operator of any vehicle may temporarily stop in such taxicab stand for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading of passengers. Commercial vehicles actively engaged in loading and unloading in a parking meter zone shall be exempt from the provisions of this article.
[Amended 10-17-2001 by Ord. No. 3624]
The coins required to be deposited in parking meters as provided herein are hereby levied and assessed as fees to provide for the proper regulation and control of traffic upon the streets and highways, including the cost of supervising and regulating the parking of vehicles in the parking meter zones created hereby and the cost of the acquisition of parking lots and spaces and the purchase, installation, inspection, operation, maintenance, control and use of the parking meters. The coins deposited in parking meters shall be collected and accounted for under the direction of the Township Manager, and such coins shall be deposited by him in the general Township account at least once a week.