City To Review Proposed Parking, Truck Engine Brake Ordinances
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw Traffic and Safety Commission Wednesday approved submitting ordinances for parking and compression release engine brakes to the city council for approval.
The proposed parking ordinance states areas in which parking is prohibited by the city may be designated by painting the curb immediately adjacent to the area yellow or designated by signs.It also states that on one-way streets, vehicles may be parked with the left side of the vehicle next to the curb or edge of the street and with the left wheels of the vehicle within 12 inches of the curb line. On two-way streets, vehicles must be parked with the right side of the vehicle parallel to the curb and within 12 inches of the curb line.
The ordinance also states no person should double park a motor vehicle on any city street or within any city parking lot, and no person should park a motor vehicle in a city parking lot so as to block a driveway.
The ordinance has a towing and wheel locks section that states any illegally parked vehicle may be towed.
Any illegally parked vehicle where there are three or more outstanding, unpaid and overdue parking tickets for a period of 90 days or more may be immobilized through the use of wheel locks. Any vehicle that has been immobilized through the use of wheel locks is to remain immobilized until fees and penalties related to all outstanding parking tickets and penalties owed to the city are paid in full.
If a wheel lock is attached to a vehicle, a notice will be attached to the windshield or any other part of the vehicle.
Any person whose vehicle has been towed or subjected to wheel locking may contest any fine, penalty, parking ticket, towing charge or immobilization fee.
The commission also approved a favorable recommendation to the city council for a compression release engine brake ordinance. The ordinance would prohibit a driver of any motor vehicle to use or operate a compression release brake.
An engine brake is a braking system used primarily on semi-trucks or other larger vehicles that modifies engine valve operation to use engine compression to slow the vehicle. The compression release engine brakes make loud machine gun-like noises when being used.
Shuter said residents from Normandy Lane and the residential areas along Ind. 15S have expressed concern about noise coming from the compression release engine brakes.
Warsaw Police Chief Perry Hunter said the primary points of interest concerning the compression brake issue are the areas at Parker Street, U.S. 30 and Ind. 15S.
Hunter said there have been an estimated 200 semi-trucks a day going back and forth on Ind. 15. There are trucks coming into Warsaw from the south that are using the engine brake system.
"This is an issue with how close the houses are to Ind. 15, and by Normandy Lane and Parker street there are two nursing homes along the U.S. 30 corridor and Kosciusko Community Hospital and people living on the north side of U.S. 30," Hunter said.
Hunter said the brakes, even on a quiet truck, still create noise as trucks just braking and slowing down.
He said the compression brake ordinance would give the city a tool to restrict the compression brake usage and deter the usage in the areas.
If the ordinance is approved by the city council, signs would be posted prohibiting engine braking at locations around the city. The proposed penalty would be $100.
