DC "park parallel" provision repealed

[dcgsrider]

While perusing the DC Municipal Regulations on another matter, I ran across this:

2400.8 A person may park a motorcycle or motorized bicycle in a direction other than parallel with the edge of the roadway, including perpendicular with the curb, if the motorcycle or motorized bicycle does not obstruct the flow of traffic.

Well, hallelujah. When I wasn't paying attention, DC added this provision. A recently as a year ago, there was a hyperactive parking enforcer on Capitol Hill who wrote me up all the time for "failure to park parallel to curb." Sanity prevails, at last.

[Chiba]

Stunning!

So now what's good for the police is also good for us! Good for DC!

[stevebmw]

I confess, I didn't realize that had been illegal before. I rarely get to DC these days, but I usually ride my bike when I do. And when I park on the street, I'm almost always parking either at an angle or perpendicular to the curb. Good news there.

Does DC allow more than one motorcycle to share a single parking space? I know there are certain designated motorcycle parking areas, but if you park in a "car" spot, can a couple of you share the space?

[Yellowjacket]

Thanks for the update. I have gotten 2 tickets under the previous ordinance. Merry Christmas to all motorcyclist who park in DC!

[dcgsrider]

I confess, I didn't realize that had been illegal before. I rarely get to DC these days, but I usually ride my bike when I do. And when I park on the street, I'm almost always parking either at an angle or perpendicular to the curb. Good news there.

Does DC allow more than one motorcycle to share a single parking space? I know there are certain designated motorcycle parking areas, but if you park in a "car" spot, can a couple of you share the space?

Steve, I looked for that as well, and didn't find anything specific about motorcycles sharing a metered "car" space. That said, I've never been ticketed for sharing a meter space with another motorcycle. A lot of areas of DC are converting to multi-space metering, which has its own set of problems, such as the lack of a secure place to display the receipt on a motorcycle. I just slip it under the tab on the gas tank filler cap and depend on the honesty of the general populace.

[stevebmw]

... and depend on the honesty of the general populace.

Let me know how that works out for you

[henwin]

While perusing the DC Municipal Regulations on another matter, I ran across this:

2400.8 A person may park a motorcycle or motorized bicycle in a direction other than parallel with the edge of the roadway, including perpendicular with the curb, if the motorcycle or motorized bicycle does not obstruct the flow of traffic.
Well, hallelujah. When I wasn't paying attention, DC added this provision. A recently as a year ago, there was a hyperactive parking enforcer on Capitol Hill who wrote me up all the time for "failure to park parallel to curb." Sanity prevails, at last.

Are you going to go up to the Hill and test it out? See if you can get your parking enforcer "friend" to write you up and then get to show they they're wrong???

[dcgsrider]

Are you going to go up to the Hill and test it out? See if you can get your parking enforcer "friend" to write you up and then get to show they they're wrong???

That would probably be a "no." At my office I have an off-street parking situation, partly due to this type of idiocy, and the "park-by-feel" set in DC.

[Chiba]

The law wasn't uniformly enforced before anyway.

With the proliferation of the pay-to-park kiosks, multiple bikes per space shouldn't be a problem - as long as each has paid. I think there's an app for that

[STATMATT]

Here is my experience with the DC parking of two motorcycles per space.
I was down at waterfront and noticed the change to the pay by phone system. So I took the time to call them and set up an account. I went on the three hour cruise of the Potomac, and when I returned there was another bike sharing the same spot with me. However I did not have a ticket and the other rider did. It stated on their ticket that they failed to pay for parking. So even though they shared the space I was using, they still got ticketed.

The other thing you have to watch out for with the pay to park system is to set up multiple accounts for each licence plate that you drive to DC with. When I drove in with the car, I went through the system to pay for parking. When I clicked OK, it paid for the motorcycle (previously registered) and not the car! When I called them the attendant said that she couldn't cancel it, and I texted them which sent me a text message back saying that it had been canceled. However I was charged for both the motorcycle and the car when I got my statement in the mail. It wasn't worth the time and energy to try and get my six bucks back.

STATMATT