6109 - Specific powers of department and local authorities.
§ 6109. Specific powers of department and local authorities. (a) Enumeration of police powers.--The provisions of this title shall not be deemed to prevent the department on State- designated highways and local authorities on streets or highways within their physical boundaries from the reasonable exercise of their police powers. The following are presumed to be reasonable exercises of police power: (1) Except as limited by subsection (h), regulating or prohibiting stopping, standing or parking. (2) Regulating traffic by means of police officers or official traffic-control devices. (3) Regulating or prohibiting processions or assemblages on highways. (4) Designating particular highways or roadways for use by traffic moving in one direction as authorized in section 3308 (relating to one-way roadways and rotary traffic islands). (5) Establishing speed limits for vehicles in public parks. (6) Designating any highway as a through highway or designating any intersection or junction of roadways as a stop or yield intersection or junction. (7) Prohibiting or restricting the use of highways at particular places or by particular classes of vehicles whenever the highway or portion of the highway may be seriously damaged by the use or the movement of the vehicles would constitute a safety hazard. (8) Regulating the operation of pedalcycles and requiring their registration and inspection, and the payment of a reasonable registration fee. (9) Regulating or prohibiting the turning of vehicles or specified types of vehicles as authorized in section 3331 (relating to required position and method of turning). (10) Altering or establishing speed limits as authorized in Subchapter F of Chapter 33 (relating to speed restrictions). (11) Enforcement of speed restrictions authorized under Subchapter F of Chapter 33, except that speed restrictions may be enforced by local police on a limited access or divided highway only if it is patrolled by the local police force under the terms of an agreement with the Pennsylvania State Police. (12) Designating no-passing zones as authorized in section 3307 (relating to no-passing zones). (13) Prohibiting or regulating the use of designated streets by any class or kind of traffic. (14) Establishing minimum speed limits as authorized in section 3364 (relating to minimum speed regulation). (15) Regulating and temporarily prohibiting traffic on streets closed or restricted for construction, maintenance or special events. (16) Prohibiting pedestrians from crossing a roadway in a business district or any designated highway except in a crosswalk. (17) Restricting pedestrian crossings at unmarked crosswalks. (18) Regulating persons propelling push carts. (19) Regulating persons upon skates, coasters, sleds and other toy vehicles. (20) Adopting and enforcing such temporary or experimental regulations as may be necessary to cover emergencies or special conditions. (21) Regulating the operation of streetcars, the passing of streetcars by other vehicles and the driving upon streetcar tracks by other vehicles. (22) Providing for and establishing procedures governing the removal and impounding of any vehicle parked on the highways or public property of the local authority in violation of any local ordinance adopted pursuant to the authority of this title or of any of the provisions of this title. (23) Adopting such other traffic regulations as are specifically authorized by this title. (b) Action by local authorities.--Action taken by local authorities under this section shall be: (1) by ordinance of the local governing body; or (2) by a commission or public official authorized to act on specified matters. (c) When traffic-control devices required.--No regulation or ordinance enacted under subsection (a)(1), (4), (5), (6), (7), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16) or (21) shall be effective until official traffic-control devices giving notice of the traffic regulations or ordinances are erected upon or at the entrances to the highway or part thereof affected as may be most appropriate. (d) Prior approval by department.--Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), the department may require local authorities to obtain department approval in advance of regulating traffic on State-designated highways within their physical boundaries. (e) Engineering and traffic investigation required.--Action by local authorities under this section shall be taken only after completing an engineering and traffic investigation when and in such manner as required by regulations promulgated by the department. No engineering and traffic investigation is required to establish a speed limit under section 3362(a)(1.2) (relating to maximum speed limits). (f) Delegation of powers authorized.--Except as set forth in subsection (h), nothing contained in this section shall be deemed to prevent local authorities by ordinance or resolution of the local governing body from delegating their powers under subsection (a)(1) or (22) to a parking authority established pursuant to 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 55 (relating to parking authorities). (g) Delegation of powers in cities of the first class.-- (Repealed). (h) Delegation of powers in cities of the second class.-- (1) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 55 or this title, beginning on January 1, 2005, the parking authority of a city of the second class shall enforce and administer all ordinances and resolutions enacted or adopted by the city of the second class pursuant to the powers specified under subsection (a)(1) and those certain stopping, standing and parking provisions provided in sections 3351 (relating to stopping, standing and parking outside of business and residence districts), 3353 (relating to prohibitions in specified places) and 3354 (relating to additional parking regulations). (2) Beginning on March 1, 2005, the parking authority of a city of the second class shall enter into an agreement with the city of the second class for the transfer of a portion of the fines, penalties and costs collected pursuant to this subsection, which the parking authority board deems reasonable, to the city of the second class. (3) As used in this subsection, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this paragraph: "Administer." To provide any services or materials necessary to enforce any ordinance or resolution enacted in order to regulate or prohibit the stopping, standing or parking of motor vehicles in a city of the second class or those certain stopping, standing and parking provisions provided in sections 3351, 3353 and 3354, including, but not limited to: (i) The installation and maintenance of all equipment, including parking meters, on and along highways, streets and roadways. (ii) The installation and maintenance of all signage, including signage for handicapped parking, residential permit parking and loading areas, on and along highways, streets and roadways. (iii) The operation and management of any handicapped parking, residential parking and loading area permit programs. (iv) The adjudication of all disputed parking violation notices or citations issued through enforcement by the parking authority in a city of the second class. "Enforce." The issuance of parking violation notices or citations, the immobilization, towing and impoundment of motor vehicles and the collection of fines, penalties and costs, including independent collection agency fees, for violations of any ordinance or resolution enacted in order to regulate or prohibit the stopping, standing or parking of motor vehicles in a city of the second class and those certain stopping, standing and parking provisions provided in sections 3351, 3353 and 3354. (Dec. 7, 1982, P.L.820, No.229, eff. imd.; Dec. 21, 1998, P.L.1126, No.151, eff. 60 days; Feb. 9, 2004, P.L.65, No.8; Feb. 10, 2004, P.L.69, No.9, eff. imd.; Dec. 8, 2004, P.L.1791, No.237) 2004 Amendment. Act 8 amended subsecs. (a)(1) and (f) and added subsec. (g) and Act 237 amended subsecs. (a)(1) and (f) and added subsec. (h), effective in 60 days as to (a)(1) and (f) and 150 days as to the remainder of the section. Section 4 of Act 9 of 2004 provided that the amendments to subsecs. (a)(1) and (f) by Act 8 shall take effect immediately. 2004 Repeal Note. Act 9 repealed subsec. (g). 1998 Amendment. Act 151 amended subsec. (e). Cross References. Section 6109 is referred to in section 3363 of this title.