Construction Notice: No Stopping vs. No Standing
At 8:50 a.m. on Tuesday, you are assigned to West 30th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. A construction notice posted at the corner reads: 'Effective Tuesday only, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: No stopping on the north side of West 30th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. No standing on the south side 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. The north-side restriction does not apply to vehicles displaying a valid DOT construction permit. The marked bus stop on the south side remains available for buses only.' At 10:30 a.m., you see: (1) a passenger car with no permit parked on the north side; (2) a delivery truck with a DOT construction permit stopped on the north side; (3) a bus stopped at the marked bus stop on the south side; (4) a rideshare car with its hazard lights on, stopped on the south side outside the bus stop. The rideshare driver is in the car.
1. Which vehicles, if any, are in violation at 10:30 a.m.? Explain each using the notice.
Read the worked answer
At 10:30 a.m., the north-side no-stopping rule is active. Vehicle 1 (passenger car, no permit) is in violation. Vehicle 2 (delivery truck with a valid DOT construction permit) is excepted by the notice. Vehicle 3 (bus at the marked bus stop) is permitted because the notice says the bus stop remains available for buses only. Vehicle 4 (rideshare with hazards on, driver present, south side outside the bus stop) is in violation of the south-side no-standing rule, which runs 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; hazard lights do not create an exception. The key is to apply each clause to each vehicle rather than treating the whole block as a single restriction.
2. List the steps you should follow in order before issuing a citation to the passenger car, and explain why the order matters.
Read the worked answer
Steps in order: (1) confirm the day and time - Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., within 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; (2) confirm the side of the street - north side; (3) read the posted sign and the construction notice; (4) check for a valid DOT construction permit; (5) observe whether the vehicle is stopped, standing, or parked; (6) identify the driver and ask them to move if appropriate; (7) record plate, location, sign text, and photos; (8) issue the citation or warning. The order matters because the permit exception and the time window can make an apparent violation lawful. Checking the permit last, for example, could lead to a wrong citation.
3. Explain the difference between 'no stopping' and 'no standing' as used in the notice, and why the distinction changes your action for the rideshare car.
Read the worked answer
'No stopping' means the vehicle may not halt at the curb at all, even briefly, except for traffic conditions; 'no standing' means the vehicle may stop briefly to load or unload passengers but may not wait. The rideshare car is standing - the driver is present and the car is waiting, not actively loading a passenger. Hazard lights do not convert standing into a lawful activity. Therefore the rideshare car is in violation of the south-side no-standing rule, while the passenger car on the north side is in violation of the stricter no-stopping rule. The distinction affects both the citation and the explanation I give to each driver.