HOUSE BILL REPORT

EHB 1058

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Engrossed Bill

Authorizes motorcycles to be stopped or parked either parallel to or at an angle to the curb or edge of a highway where parking is permitted, unless local jurisdictions prohibit it.
Permits more than one motorcycle to occupy a parking space provided they remain within the boundaries of the parking space.
Clarifies that motor vehicle parking laws apply to each motorcycle parked in a parking space to the same extent they apply to single motor vehicles parked in a single parking space.

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 30 members: Representatives Fey, Chair; Wylie, 1st Vice Chair; Slatter, 2nd Vice Chair; Valdez, 2nd Vice Chair; Barkis, Ranking Minority Member; Walsh, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Young, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Boehnke, Chambers, Chapman, Dent, Doglio, Dufault, Entenman, Eslick, Goehner, Irwin, Kloba, Lovick, McCaslin, Mead, Orcutt, Ortiz-Self, Paul, Pellicciotti, Ramos, Riccelli, Shea, Shewmake and Van Werven.

Background:

Where vehicle parking is permitted and there is no local law permitting angled parking, vehicles stopped or parked on a two-way roadway must park with their right-hand wheels parallel to the curb and within 12 inches of the right-hand curb or as close as practicable to the right edge of the right-hand shoulder. Vehicles stopped or parked on a one-way roadway must park in this same manner and in the direction of traffic, unless otherwise specified by local ordinance.

Local authorities may permit angled parking on any roadway, with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) approval required if the roadway is a federal-aid or state highway.

Summary of Engrossed Bill:

Where vehicle parking is permitted, every motorcycle stopped or parked on a highway may be stopped or parked parallel to or at an angle to the curb or edge of the highway, with at least one wheel or fender within 12 inches of the curb nearest to the motorcycle, or as close as is practical to the edge of the shoulder nearest to the motorcycle (WSDOT approval is not required for motorcycles to park at an angle if the highway is a federal-aid or state highway). A motorcycle may not be parked in a manner that results in the motorcycle extending into the roadway.

A county, city, or town may prohibit the angled stopping or parking of a motorcycle by ordinance. For angled stopping or parking to be prohibited at a location, the local jurisdiction must post visible signage at that location to provide notice of the prohibition.

More than one motorcycle may occupy a parking space, provided that the motorcycles in the parking space remain within the boundaries of that parking space

Motor vehicle parking laws apply to each motorcycle parked in a parking space to the same extent that motor vehicle parking laws apply to a single motor vehicle parked in a single parking space. Proof must be displayed by all parked motorcycles when proof of payment is required of a motor vehicle parking at a given location. However, payment may not be required multiple times for the use of the same parking space by multiple motorcycles during the same period of time when a parking space is metered.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) It is safest to park motorcycles at an angle to the curb. The Washington State Patrol manual for driver's license motorcycle endorsements instructs motorcyclists to back into a curb at an angle to park. Parking at an angle provides for safe movement back into traffic and prevents motorcycles from tipping over on certain roads. Angled parking aligns a motorcycle at an even keel to the motorcycle's kick stand.

This bill aligns the law with best practices. Motorcycles are parked at an angle across the country and all over the world. A few municipalities have begun sporadically enforcing parking laws against motorcyclists when they have parked at an angle to the curb.

With traffic congestion so bad, allowing more than one motorcycle per parking space frees up other parking for others and can help reduce traffic congestion.

(Opposed) None.