It is hereby found that a general public nuisance and threat to the public safety result from the repetitive unnecessary driving of motor vehicles, also known as "cruising," in a designated area of downtown Harrisburg. The purpose of this chapter is to reduce the noise, air pollution and congestion resulting from cruising and to ensure access for safety vehicles to and through said designated area by restricting repetitive driving of motor vehicles in said designated area.
Driving a motor vehicle on a street past a traffic control point, designated by a police officer, in the designated area under congested traffic conditions at or near the control point three or more times within any two-hour period from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. Passing the control point a third time under the same conditions stated herein shall constitute cruising and therefore a violation of this chapter.
That area of the City bounded by Front Street on the west, Chestnut Street on the south, Third Street on the east, and Verbeke Street on the north and shall include the aforementioned boundary streets, and shall also mean that area of the City bounded by the east and west sides of Third Street, Forster Street on the south and Maclay Street on the north and shall include the aforementioned boundary streets.
A reference point on a street in a designated area selected by a police officer for the purpose of enforcing this chapter.
No person shall engage in cruising. For the purpose of this chapter, the person having care, custody, or control of a motor vehicle shall be considered the person cruising whether or not that person was actually driving the motor vehicle. For the purposes of this chapter, the vehicle owner shall be deemed the person having care, custody or control of a motor vehicle at the time of the violation or, if the owner is not present, the person or persons having the owner's authority to use the vehicle shall be the party responsible for the violation.
This chapter shall not apply to official emergency or police vehicles, licensed taxicabs for hire, other commercial or passenger vehicles being driven for business purposes, or to residents of the designated area traveling to a specific destination.