Opinion ID: 538815
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the ordinance and its justifications

Text: 3 The York ordinance prohibits cruising in a designated area of the city. Cruising or unnecessary repetitive driving is defined as 4 driving a motor vehicle on a street past a traffic control point, as designated by the York City Police Department, more than twice in any two (2) hour period, between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. The passing of a designated control point a third time under the aforesaid conditions shall constitute unnecessary repetitive driving and therefore a violation of this Ordinance. 5 York, Pa., Ordinance No. 6, Sec. 3(a) (Apr. 19, 1988). Traffic control points are clearly identified reference point[s] designated by the police, which may be placed only along certain blocks of Philadelphia and Market Streets, two major thoroughfares in downtown York. See id. Secs. 3(b), 3(c). 2 Whenever a violation occurs, exactly one person is deemed to be cruising--the car's owner, if present, or otherwise the driver. See id. Sec. 4. Violators, if convicted, are fined $50. See id. Sec. 7. Municipal and commercial vehicles are excluded from the ordinance, see id. Sec. 5, which also contains a standard severability clause, see id. Sec. 8. 6 The ordinance was passed in response to the following legislative findings: 7 It is hereby found that with consistency, on certain days and times, a threat to the public health, safety and welfare arises from the congestion created by repetitive unnecessary driving of motor vehicles on main thoroughfares within the City of York. The purpose of this Ordinance is to reduce the dangerous traffic congestion, as well as the excessive noise and pollution resulting from such unnecessary repetitive driving, and to insure sufficient access for emergency vehicles to and through the designated city thoroughfares now hampered by this repetitive driving of motor vehicles. Id. Sec. 2. 8 Several York officials defended the ordinance in testimony before the district court. Thomas Gross, a York police officer assigned to coordinate traffic safety, recited findings of a study indicating that traffic in the affected area, measured in terms of cars passing per unit time, is almost as high from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on a Friday night as it is during the afternoon rush hour. 3 Gross testified further, from personal observation, that congestion during cruising hours was even worse than congestion during rush hour: during rush hour, traffic was heavy, but flow[ed] smoothly, while traffic during cruising hours was often at virtually a complete standstill, for minutes at a time. App. at 37, 39. 9 Keith Ressler, the night shift supervisor of the York Police Department, testified that because of cruising, traffic often became bumper-to-bumper for several blocks. As a result, it could take as long as 20 minutes to travel two blocks in the affected areas. He further testified that emergency vehicles were unable to respond quickly to calls during cruising hours, and that sometimes police cars had been forced to drive on the sidewalk to circumvent the congestion. Echoing Gross's testimony, Ressler stated that the traffic problem was worse during cruising hours than during rush hour: during rush hour, traffic flows smoother [sic] because motorists are going somewhere; during cruising hours, by contrast, [t]raffic on the loop flows erratically and sometimes not at all because [c]ars will remain stopped in lanes of traffic so the occupants of one car can talk to the occupants of another car even though there is a green light. Id. at 50-52. 10 George Kroll, the York fire chief and ambulance administrator, testified that two of York's fire stations were located within the loop frequented by the cruisers. He stated that traffic in front of the central fire station on Market Street was often at a total standstill during cruising hours, making it impossible for the fire engines to exit the station. Kroll emphasized that seconds, not even minutes can be critical in controlling fires and saving lives. Id. at 56-58. 11 The plaintiffs did not seriously contest the magnitude of the congestion problem described by the city officials. Lutz himself admitted that traffic late on a weekend night could be bumper-to-bumper, so that it might take 20 minutes to travel three blocks on Market Street within the cruising area. Id. at 18-20.