In May of this year, Prince George's County Council Chair Hawkins, via a request by County Executive Anglea Alsobrooks, introduced CB-052-2022 to the County Council. If enacted, it would increase and add fines and penalties for violating certain parking laws in Prince George's County.
According to the County's Office of Audits and Investigations, this legislation is an attempt to strengthen these parking fines so they are taken more seriously. There is a belief that punitive changes will bring about greater compliance with the parking laws. It is also noted that the increase in fines and penalties from enacting CB-052-2022 will generate more revenue for the County. The laws affected by this legislation include penalties to:
Standing or parking at bus stops
Parking of unregistered vehicles
Reserved parking spaces
Parking meters
Public parking facilities.
Outstanding traffic and parking violation notices
Impoundment without prior notice
Reserved parking for charging electric vehicles.
During the Government, Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee (GOFP) meeting where CB-052-2022 was discussed, Anthony Poteat, the Chief Operating Officer of the Revenue Authority, noted that most of the fines in the bill had not been addressed in years. Reports have also noted that currently, the County’s parking fines and fees are, on average, half of those in surrounding jurisdictions. Raising these fines would bring the County in line with our neighboring jurisdictions and provide greater weight to the penalties currently in the law.
Summary of proposed changes in CB-052-2022
Key changes to parking found in CB-052-2022 (Changes are bolded):
Sec. 26-127. Standing or parking restricted at bus stops-
(b)No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle other than a bus within thirty (30) feet of a 10 bus stop, except that a driver of a passenger vehicle may temporarily stop therein for the purpose 11 of, and while actually engaged in, loading or unloading passengers when such stopping does not 12 interfere with any bus waiting to enter or about to enter such zone. Any person issued a citation 13 for a violation of this Subsection shall be subject to a fine of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) for each violation.
Sec. 26-127.01. Parking of unregistered motor vehicles or unregistered trailers; expired registration stickers.
(c) No person shall park any motor vehicle or trailer displaying expired registration stickers upon the highways, roads, streets, or other public property in the County at any time.
(d) Any person issued a citation for violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for each violation
Sec. 26-129. Unauthorized use of reserved parking spaces; impounding; penalty.
(b) Any vehicle found parked in a reserved parking space designated as provided in Section 26-128, whose owner or driver is not authorized to park in the space, may be impounded by the Police Department, or the Revenue Authority, or County work force. The impoundment of the vehicle shall be done pursuant to Division 18 of this Subtitle.
Sec. 26-129. Unauthorized use of reserved parking spaces; impounding; penalty.
(c) Any person issued a citation for violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Thirty-five Dollars ($35.00) for each violation
Sec. 26-132. - Use of parking meters; impounding; penalty.
(c) Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of not more thanThirty-Five Dollars ($35.00) for each offense
Sec. 26-133. - Damaging parking meters or signs.
(b) Any person violating this Section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be subject to a fine not exceeding One Hundred Dollars ($100) for each offense
Sec. 26-145. - Parking regulations — public parking facilities.
(b) Penalty. Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Thirty-Five Dollars ($35.00) for each violation.
(c) Penalty. Notwithstanding subsection (b), any person issued a citation for a violation of parking for a period longer than twenty-four hours pursuant to subsection (a)(6) of this Section 11 shall be subject to a fine of Fifty Dollars ($50.00).
Sec. 26-163.02. - Outstanding traffic and parking violation notices; impoundment.
(a) Any unattended motor vehicle found parked at any time upon any public street in 17 Prince George's County, or any parking facility owned or operated by the Revenue Authority or Prince George's County, against which there are two or more outstanding or otherwise unsettled traffic and/or parking violation notices, or against which there have been issued two or more warrants, or against which there is any traffic and/or parking fine that is not paid within ninety (90) days of the date of the notice of violation, may, by, or under the direction of the County Police Department either by towing or otherwise, be removed or conveyed to and impounded in any place designated by the Chief of Police or the Revenue Authority, or immobilized in such manner as to prevent its operation, except that no such vehicle shall be immobilized by any means other than by the use of a device or other mechanism which will cause no damage to such vehicle unless it is moved while such device or mechanism is in place.
Sec. 26-166. - Impoundment without prior notice.
(9) When the vehicle has five or more outstanding or otherwise unsettled traffic and/or parking violation notices levied against it or for which there have been issued five or more warrants.
Sec. 26-127.05. Reserved parking for charging electric vehicles.
(a) No person shall stand or park a vehicle in any stall or parking space on public or private property which is designated for charging an electric vehicle with the proper signs posted in conformance with the most recent edition of the State of Maryland Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, unless said vehicle is connected for electric charging purposes.
(b) Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for each violation.
(c) The provisions of Section 26-163.01 shall not be subject to the penalty imposed under this Section.
Next steps for CB-052-2022
CB-052-2022 was presented the Council in June and referred to the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee in May who reported the bill favorably 4-0 in June. The bill had its third reading in its July meeting before the recess and should be up for a final vote at some point after the Council returns from recess in September. If there are any concerns about this bill please contact the Couinty Chair Calvin S. Hawkins via email at: At-LargeMemberHawkins@co.pg.md.us or call his office at 301-952-2508. Youi can also reach out to Chair Hawkins' Chief of Staff Ashely Sharp at: ansharp1@co.pg.md.us