Legislative Updates
November 2005
South Carolina out-of-state licensing
Rep. Walton J. McLeod introduced HB 4219 in the South Carolina legislature on May 26, 2005. The bill provides for the licensing of out-of-state RV dealers and manufacturers so they can display and sell RVs at RV shows in the state.
Out-of-state manufacturers would be charged a $100 license fee for each new RV brought into the state to display at an event, and out-of-state dealers would be charged $200 per vehicle for the special license.
The bill gives in-state licensed dealers priority to participate in shows.
Status: Referred to the Committee on Education and Public Works on May 26. The legislature will reconvene in January 2006
Indianapolis, Indiana, RV parking
In June, an Indianapolis City-County Council committee was considering a proposed ordinance amendment that would prohibit RVs from parking in front yards and in front-yard driveways.
Proposal No. 242 would have restricted RVs to parking inside a garage or atop a hard-surface area alongside or behind the owner’s residence.
Status: The Metropolitan Development Committee, on June 27, eliminated from the proposal all references to “recreational vehicle.” FMCA’s Membership Services Department, FMCA members in Marion County, and Indiana RV dealers were a cooperative force in opposing the ordinance amendment.
H.R. 3 “” Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU)
SAFETEA-LU was signed into law by President Bush on August 10. It authorizes the federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and transit for the five-year period 2005 to 2009.
SAFETEA-LU gives states more flexibility to use tolling to manage congestion and finance infrastructure improvements, on a demonstration basis. Among the programs available to states:
The Interstate System Construction Toll Pilot Program permits states to collect tolls at an eligible toll facility on a bridge, tunnel, or interstate highway for the purpose of constructing interstate highways. This program is limited to three projects nationwide.
The Interstate System Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Toll Pilot Program, established under the previous highway funding law, TEA-21, continues without change. It allows up to three interstate tolling projects for reconstructing or rehabilitating interstate highways that could not be adequately maintained or improved without the collection of tolls.
The new Express Lanes Demonstration Program will allow 15 demonstration projects through 2009 to permit tolling to manage high levels of congestion, reduce emissions in a nonattainment or maintenance area, or finance added interstate lanes for the purpose of reducing congestion. Automatic toll collection is required in express lanes to optimize traffic flow.
More information: www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu.
Florida RV friendly signage
“RV Friendly” markers “” bright yellow circles with the letters “RV” “” were expected to appear on Florida highways as early as fall 2005.
Governor Jeb Bush, in early June, approved a law authorizing the department of transportation to incorporate the symbols on logo signs. The law is designed to make it easier for RVers to locate establishments that cater to their needs.
Gas stations, restaurants, tourist attractions, travel destinations, hotels, and other local businesses will be able to have RV Friendly markers placed under their “Gas-Food-Lodging” highway signs. The businesses must meet state requirements concerning size of parking spaces, entrances, exits, and overhang clearances.
“We are thrilled to be one of the first states to get on board with this national program,” said Lance Wilson, executive director of the Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA). “As popular a destination as Florida is for many RVers, we felt it was extremely important for us to push for this legislation and be one of the first states to get these signs up on the highway as soon as possible ….”
Florida joins Louisiana, Tennessee, and Washington as the only states to pass RV Friendly legislation. A trial program has been under way in Oregon.
Torrance, California, on-street parking
The city of Torrance is considering drafting an ordinance regulating on-street parking of oversize vehicles, including RVs.
The city has held community meetings to receive input from residents. As a follow-up to the meetings, city staff presented a summary of recommendations and received additional feedback at a Traffic Commission meeting on August 1.
Status: The Traffic Commission was scheduled to present an assessment and receive additional feedback from residents at its October 3 meeting.
For more information or to convey your views, contact the Transportation Planning Division of the Community Development Department at (310) 618-5990; e-mail cddtraffic@torrnet.com.
San Diego on-street parking
The City Council was considering a proposed ordinance that would restrict RV parking on city streets.
The Transportation Engineering Division was scheduled to present the latest draft of the proposal before City Council’s Land Use and Housing Committee on September 14, 2005.
Status: City Council member resignations reduced the committee to three members, so the proposal was removed from the agenda and no further action was scheduled.
The RV-specific text of the latest draft includes:
Parking on street without a permit:
- No time limit from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- No parking from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- No parking within 50 feet of intersections and alleys.
- A permit is required for overnight parking and is available for residents and guests as follows:
Permit:
- Application and fee.
- Proof of residence.
- Proof of ownership.
- Directly in front of residence.
- Up to 72 overnight stays per year with a maximum of three consecutive overnight stays per permit.
- A minimum of one night away after three consecutive overnight stays before next permit is used.
- The vehicle shall not be used for overnight camping, lodging, or accommodation purposes.
- The city engineer may issue a permit for parking within 50 feet of intersections based on safety analysis on a case-by-case basis.
Guest Permit:
Same rules as above. In addition:
- Available only for guests and visitors of city residents, who reside outside the county.
- Guest permits are counted as part of the total 72 overnight stays available for a city resident.
- Certification by the city resident that permit being issued is for a guest or a visitor of the city resident.
Billings, Montana, overnight parking
In summer 2004 Billings began enforcing a decades-old law that prohibits overnight RV parking except in licensed campgrounds.
Several RV parks had complained that RVs were camping illegally in the lots at the two Wal-Mart stores in Billings. The subsequent crackdown by the city prompted protests from the RVing community.
In effect since at least 1967, a portion of the city’s traffic code states, “It is unlawful for any person to park a motor vehicle for camping purposes in the city except in an authorized tourist park.”
Status: Billings City Council, at its September 12 meeting, voted to create a task force to suggest changes to the city’s RV parking ordinance.