Ask Officer Michelle – Question #395
Posted by cowboypriest
Can motorcycles legally and freely park on city streets in between parked vehicles?
Dear cowboypriest,
I checked with the City’s on-street parking division. There are various allowances for motorcycle parking downtown, but it is somewhat at your own risk in terms of the safety of your motorcycle and whether you risk getting a parking ticket if the car next to you with paid parking leaves while you are parked next to it.
Here is a brief summary to answer your question:
1) Yes, if a motorcycle can safely park within a single on-street parking space (usually marked off by end brackets) while a vehicle is parked in the space. The key here is "safely within the one space."
2) For the payment portion, as long as the meter is paid for, or one of the vehicles has a current Pay & Display ticket (not expired), then both the vehicle and the motorcycle can park in the space without both having to pay. For example, suppose a motorcycle parks in an on-street space and the vehicle has current Pay & Display ticket, then the motorcycle doesn’t have to pay, but if the vehicle leaves and the motorcycle is still in the space without a Pay & Display, then the motorcycle could be cited for non-payment of the meter.
3) Also, there are about 117 motorcycle parking spaces that are free within the downtown/midtown area and the locations are listed on our website (http://www.cityofsacramento.org/transportation/parking/offstreetother .html). As well, in an effort to increase the number of spaces available for motorcycles, we also try to install motorcycle parking spaces in the areas at the end of a block that are usually "No Parking" zones for safety reasons. The no parking zones at the end of the block are mainly in place to allow for better visibility for vehicle driver to be able to see when they’re turning and having motorcycle parking in those locations, doesn’t impede the visibility.
Hope this helps. Be safe!
Officer Michelle
