§ 162-941. Garden District tour bus route limitations.

(a)

Authorized zones. Except as otherwise provided by this section, no buses with a seating capacity of more than 20 passengers shall be permitted to travel on any street within the area known as the Garden District, which is bounded by St. Charles Avenue, Jackson Avenue, Louisiana Avenue and Magazine Street. Tour buses may be stopped for the purpose of receiving and discharging passengers for the Garden District at authorized zones that are marked and bear signs indicating that tour buses may stop for the purpose of receiving and discharging passengers. Tour buses may be parked while pedestrian Garden District Tours are in progress at authorized zones within nonresidential areas. The authorized zones shall be jointly designated by the director of the department of public works and the director of the department of safety and permits.

(b)

Exceptions.

(1)

The bus route limitation of this section shall not be applicable to school buses transporting students in the Garden District.

(2)

The director of the department of safety and permits may authorize up to 22 buses per month having a seating capacity of more than 20 passengers to travel on Prytania Street and Washington Avenue within the Garden District for the sole purpose of receiving and discharging passengers from commercial establishments if customers were transported to the establishments by bus on a regular basis on or before July 1, 1979. A permit shall be issued by the director of the department of safety and permits to each bus authorized to travel on Prytania Street and Washington Avenue under the provisions of this subsection. The permit shall be displayed in a conspicuous place on the bus so as to be visible to police or other law enforcement officers in accordance with regulations established by the director of the department of safety and permits. Buses permitted under this subsection shall park only in authorized zones marked and bearing signs permitting such parking, such zones to be designated by the director of the department of public works and the director of the department of safety and permits.

(c)

Penalty. In addition to any other penalty that may be imposed in accordance with the laws of this city and state, the director of the department of safety and permits may suspend a permit issued pursuant to this section for any violation of this section for not less than one nor more than five days. The director may revoke a permit issued to this section for repeated violations of this section.

(d)

Parking. Except as otherwise provided by this section, it shall be unlawful to park any bus with a seating capacity of more than 20 passengers in the Garden District.

(e)

Operation at idle. It shall be unlawful for the operator of a bus to allow the bus to operate at idle for a period longer than ten minutes in the Garden District, except for situations beyond the operator's control.

(f)

Violations. It shall be unlawful for the operator of any bus to violate the provisions of this section. Any person cited for violation of this section shall be subject to arrest or to the issuance of a summons or citation.

(Code 1956, § 12-249; M.C.S., Ord. No. 21480, § 5, 4-1-04)