So the vehicle is the offender? What about zip cars, shared vehicles. The statute says return, I would think just that alone would be a problem. Merely driving through the area again after parking would qualify as a violation.

I wonder what is posted on signs in that area. If the "exclusion" for twelve hours is not prominently displayed, how can the parking nazis ticket cars for violating the policy. Once again, the City that Makes No Sense (but lotsa $) rules with impunity.

Pretty soon Portland should be posting border guards and requiring visas to enter the city if you're an outsider. And then they'll have to erect walls to keep those in from fleeing...

No wonder why I see so many sickle-and-hammer symbols in Portland.

You forgot to add:

"You Filthy Cagers"

at the bottom of the sign.

I'm leaning toward what Jack proposes: Just staying the hell out of downtown, except for the purposes of work. The city has become a deplorable joke. The mayor is a fool who uses the city's "brand" as a way to elevate his own celebrity. To hell with him, to hell with his fawning constituents, to hell with the stupid TV show that celebrates their idiocy.

What legitimate purpose does this law serve, if any?

What exactly are the boundaries of Zone J?

Does this rule exist in other parts of the city?

This is just about as stupid as the new Tri-Met tickets that only work one way.

The law brings in revenue, mostly.

How about a general-purpose sign, to be posted once per block in Portland:

STOP WHINING
BE GRATEFUL THAT
WE LET YOU
DRIVE AT ALL

Don't worry Portland, we try to avoid shopping, and any and everything we can to spend our money outside the City Limits. Yes, we barley live in Portland, and we are looking forward to the day we can move out of the UGB.

I'm with Mark - I literally can't remember the last time I parked or spent money in Portland. We live barely in the city limits, and hope to rectify that as soon as possible (and out of the Metro clutches, as well).

Is the ordnance even enforceable ?
As someone else noted the way it reads one doesn't even need to park in the district to be in violation.

...uses the city's "brand" as a way to elevate his own celebrity....

Isn't our city brand also used to invite more in to perpetuate the brand?

Wonder how much of our money is used in that regard?

In response to Erik H. - I wonder if the tolls will be charged on the bridge to those trying to leave rather than enter Portland. After all they will need to keep people from leaving rather then entering Portland.

Iced Borscht wrote:
I'm leaning toward what Jack proposes: Just staying the hell out of downtown, except for the purposes of work.

Yep. Next, find ways not to go there for work, either. This may take care of itself, as employers are in the same boat. They'll put up with a lot, but there are limits.

I'm confused, this says that the businesses (50% of them) will ask for this type of zone via petition and Area Parking has also been around longer than SamRand.

The businesses asked for the Area Parking zone and SamRand had nothing to do with the creation of them.
Who is to blame?

16.20.840
(Amended by Ord. No. 170923, effective March 21, 1997.) The following process must be followed to establish area permit parking programs:
A. An area may apply to participate in a permit program through a community-initiated petition with signatures representing 50 percent of the affected addresses (one signature per address) to be submitted to the neighborhood association and the business district association. This petition shall include:

1. The parking problem;

2. The probable cause of the problem;

3. The proposed boundaries of the congested area;

4. The number of individual addresses in the congested area; and

5. The permit fees of the program.

In response to PDXbug's 8:06A post:

The meter distric folks don't come to PBOT, PBOT goes out soliciting them. Pressure is implied because of that to the businesses.

I have seen this done over many years and by many Parking Control Division Managers. It is done to improve the revenue gathered by PBOT. In my opinion it would be a less than 20 percent by real request that these zones get implemented and meters placed. (Note that is not a statistically valid number, just an impression gathered over a long period.)

But that being said, the return rule has been in force for many years. Pay the fine and again as others have said, don't visit Portland again, or simply, now that you know the rule, obey it.

"But that being said, the return rule has been in force for many years."

The difference being that now computer technology allows the meter maid to determine that you had parked somewhere else in the district ten hours before. They didn't use to be able to do that.

Rich,
"The meter distric folks don't come to PBOT, PBOT goes out soliciting them."
"In my opinion it would be a less than 20 percent by real request that these zones get implemented and meters placed. (Note that is not a statistically valid number, just an impression gathered over a long period.)"
This area is not metered and opinions are not facts.

And the prize for trolling on the taxpayers' dime goes to Pdx bug! With an 8:06 post followed by another 75 minutes later, we can safely infer that he/she isn't using taxpayer resources during break, but rather as a dedicated, hard-working, and well-compensated CoPo staffer.

Probably needs to take a break from Tweet duty; trolling's more fun.

Oops, must have made the assumption that this was a meter district because someone mentioned "business" in the posts.

I agree that the parking districts are initiated by the folks that live in the residential area via complaints. They usually are very tired of not being able to park in front or near their home, because business/school users near their homes are avoiding meters and other paid for parking or inadequate free parking provided by the business/school, or are employees, or students of the adjacent business/school avoiding the paid for parking.

Sorry for the mistake. To the initial complainer, stop parking in front of peoples houses and taking up their right to access their homes. Pay the fine, don't come back unless you are invited. (It used to be that the home owner could get extra permits for people visiting them. I am not sure that is still the case though.)

Back up a bit here...
A myriad of these problems are caused by policies. The UGB unduly squeezing more people into less space, not enough land for building and parking for those who live there. Then add the policies by the city who allow these dense units to be built without parking...never would have been allowed years ago when we had good planners. Costs of so much else going sky high that people cannot afford to park in places.
Transportation not really being efficient or safe does not help the matter either.
It all adds up to more regulations and more people stressed out.
One of the more freeing feelings I have is when we stop in a small community, park on Main Street, no meters and what a welcoming and freeing feeling that is.
I realize this is a city, but these added complexities and rules add stress.
My point being, policies are created that set the scene and then "gotcha" step comes in.
I suppose the message is, time to move on.
...in more ways than one, either out of the city, or out of the zone.