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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6.2 Ordinance Prohibity Cruising CITY OF DUBLIN AGENDA STATEMENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: April 14, 1986 SUBJECT Ordinanace Prohibiting Cruising EXHIBITS' ATTACHED Proposed Ordinance Cruise Flier RECOMMENDATIO 1 . Open public hearing 2 . Receive staff report and public testimony 3. Close public hearing 4 . Deliberate, waive reading and adopt emergency ordinance FINANCIAL STATEMENT California Vehicle Code requires the posting of NO CRUISING SIGNS at the beginning and the end of the portion of street subject to control. Estimated cost of posting appropriate signs is $700. 00 DESCRIPTION Saturday, April 5, 1986 , the city of Dublin experienced its third organized cruise within the last five months. Police estimate approximately 3,500 vehicles and 10,000 persons attended. The street cruised was Dublin Boulevard between San Ramon Road and Clark Avenue. The parking lots of Wards, Mervyn' s, Ross and other commerical concerns were used as impromptu meeting and partying places by cruisers and onlookers. During the height of the cruise all traffic was at a near standstill from Donlon to Clark Avenue on Dublin Boulevard. All intersections between these two points were blocked to traffic attempting to cross Dublin Boulevard. At 12:40 a.m. , police began to divert cruisers from Dublin Boulevard by blocking U-turns at San Ramon Road and at Village Parkway, thereby forcing most cruisers to proceed south on San Ramon Road to the freeway and to proceed north on Village Parkway. This police action broke the gridlock of the cruise route and dispersed the cruisers sufficiently so that the event did not regain its momentum and dwindled out about 1 : 30 a.m Sunday morning. Events of criminality associated with the cruise are as follows: 1 . Pedestrian ran over by a vehicle. 2 . Rear window of a police vehicle broken out. 3 . Lit flare placed under police vehicle. 4 . Nails and tacks scattered in intersection. 5 . Emblems taken from vehicles belonging to Burns Motors. 6 . Vehicle stolen from Honda Motors . 7. City landscaping damaged. 8. Walls of retail concerns urinated upon. 9. Traffic and vehicle violations; 104 citations issued. BACKGROUND With the demise of cruising in the city of Livermore, Dublin experienced an increase in the number of cruisers that utilized city streets on the weekends. During this time several loosely organized cruising clubs sprang up. An unknown club made up a flier advertising a Dublin cruise on November 9 , 1985. Approximately 700 cruisers responded in a heavy rain storm. Another unknown cruise club circulated fliers for a January 18, 1986 cruise. Approximately 2,000 cruisers responded. ---------------------------------------------------------------- COPIES TO: ITEM NO. s ....... ._,.... .. ... .... ..-..,:. ra•_._ •..••; e -.;-'.. J.:C.c.., .., ti^.. _ .C',i r,)9..,.:'C_.., > ...., ,:,.?n.c?•�• ._ :.... .. ., =.a ., my AGENDA STATEMENT - Ordinance Prohibiting Cruising April 14, 1986 Page Two The April 5 , 1986, cruise was sponsored by a local cruising club. 500 fliers were distributed from Castro Valley to Stockton. 3 ,500 cruisers responded. Cost of the three cruises are as follows: 11 -9-85 $1 , 019.70 police overtime 1 -18-86 $1 , 217. 63 police overtime 4-5-86 $1 ,722.62 police overtime 4-5-86 $ 695. 04 public works cost Total Cost of Cruises to Date: $4, 654 . 99 The April 5 , 1986, cruise fliers invited cruisers to not only participate on April 5 but to cruise Dublin every Friday and Saturday night. These fliers received wide distribution in the greater bay area and in the central valley area. A check of citations written during the three above cruises indicate that cruisers do respond from outside of the city of Dublin. Of the 400 plus citations issued to cruisers only 10% were to persons with Dublin addresses. Others cited were from Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Cruz, Union City, Fremont, Hayward, San Leandro, Castro Valley, Concord, Walnut Creek,. as well as the local Tri-Valley communities. It is apparent that cruising is quickly becoming the thing to do in Dublin, and is appealing to an ever growing geographical area and will continue to gain in number of participants and number of events. Experience with cruising events indicate that as the cruises grow in size and frequency, more unlawful acts are associated with them. Dublin Police Services is unable to provide adequate police protection to the citizens of Dublin when organized cruising events are taking place, nor is Dublin Police Service able to properly police the cruise event itself. The City Attorney has prepared an ordinance to prohibit cruising by allowing police to cite cruisers after they pass a control point twice within two hours time in a congested traffic situation. The ordinance has a fine of $50 : 00 for the first violation and then escalates to $250. 00 for three or more violations within one year. The ordinance is flexible enough to allow citizens full usage of city streets including what could be considered cruising until such time as traffic becomes congested and a police control point is established. Additionally, the City Attorney has advised that not passing an ordinance may cause the city to be liable for damages in any future cruise as there is existing evidence to indicate that organized cruising hinders police response to unlawful acts or requests for emergency services within the community. ORDINANCE NO. - 86 AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN - REGULATING CRUISING The City Council of the City of-Dublin does ordain- as follows: CHAPTER 1 . Section 1 . This Chapter is enacted pursuant to § 21100(k ) of the California Vehicle Code. Section 2. DEFINITIONS . The following definitions apply to this Chapter. ( a) CENTRAL TRAFFIC AREA. "Central Traffic Area" means the area bordered by and including Amador Valley Boulevard from Village Parkway to San Ramon Road, San Ramon Road from Amador Valley Boulevard to Dublin Boulevard, Dublin Boulevard from San Ramon Road to Village Parkway and Village Parkway from Dublin Boulevard to Amador Valley Boulevard. It also includes the continuation of Village Parkway northerly from the intersection of Village Parkway and Amador Valley Boulevard to Kimball Street. This area shall be clearly identified by signs as required by Vehicle Code § 21100 (k) that briefly and clearly state the appropriate provisions of the Vehicle Code and this Chapter. (b) CRUISING. "Cruising" is driving a motor vehicle on a hig� hway past a traffic control point, designated by a peace officer, under conditions in which traffic is congested at or near the control point, two or more times in one direction within a two hour period after having driven past said control point one time within the same period and having been given adequate written notice after the first passing that passing the control point a second time under the same conditions stated herein shall constitute a violation of this section. ( c) HIGHWAY AND MOTOR VEHICLE. "Highway and motor vehicle" are as defined in §§ 360 and 415, respectively, of the California Vehicle Code. Section 3 . CRUISING PROHIBITED. Cruising in the Central Traffic Area shall constitute an infraction. Section 4 . EXCLUSIONS. This Chapter shall not apply to the following vehicles: In-service emergency vehicles, taxicabs for hire, buses and other vehicles being driven for business purposes., Section 5 . PENALTY. A person who violates this Chapter is guilty of an infraction punishable by a fine not exceeding: ( 1 ) $50.00 for a first violation; ( 2) $100. 00 for a second violation within one year; and (3 ) $250. 00 for each additional violation within one year. Section 6 . EMERGENCY ORDINANCE; IMMEDIATE EFFECT. This is an emergency ordinance, adopted under Government Code §§ 36934 and 3693.7 .for the immediate preservation of the public health, safety and peace of the citizens of Dublin. The facts constituting the emergency are as follows: "Cruise nights" have been held in Dublin recently which have resulted in traffic congestion over and -_- above what Dublin streets can handle; disruption to businesses and residents from noise, drinking and litter and numerous violations of law; and the inability of emergency vehicles to pass on congested streets. The conditions generated by the "cruise night" events and the imminent threat of further such "cruise nights" threaten the public health, safety and peace of the citizens of Dublin. The City Council finds it in the interest of the public health, safety and peace to adopt this Ordinance. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately. Section 7 . POSTING OF ORDINANCE . The City Clerk of the City of Dublin shall cause this Ordinance to be posted in at least three (3 ) public places in the City of Dublin in accordance with Section 36933 of the Government Code of the State of California. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Dublin on this day of , 19 , by the following votes: AYES : NOES : ABSENT : Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk .fit._ •� l i... �'.:% t•f f. rt t •L •; f FBI 1 tY, F r •a w _ V ♦.+ py r� rYs6' T e �` '+�? '� fi �4�r n±, � � •�$ j stn 1' Few a �.�• � � `.My. `y`Wtrrf �w� � �"�� v �' x f t LZ c•y. ��'y,•�. t a � ylnr �t b•.e ��4 � ..y�!'F'y;i 45:. �.c•x ��fir. �,�., •;' I��,,, •� FF�'�"; y.n�'„r'ral5�r�% 5�r. ^� f�. 31�� �. l • P �rX� q4 �'4.ti 4 Il � •'"N:{avT ate'' � BEY 35jr eH