Rider Code of Conduct

Rules & Policies Governing the Conduct & Safety of the Public in the use of Petaluma Transit Facilities & Vehicles.

Purpose and Applicability

The purpose of the policies and rules are to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Petaluma Transit’s passengers and drivers, to protect equipment and facilities used in providing public transit services, and to assure civility and desirability of transit service.

Petaluma Transit’s Public Safety Rules and Policies shall apply to all passengers, whether riding, exiting, entering, or waiting for the bus at a designated transit stop, or visiting the transit business offices. Please note that this Rider Code of Conduct serves as a guide and any federal, state, or local laws will supersede the agency’s policies and procedures.

Civility, Compliance, & Cooperation

1. Abuse and harassment of Petaluma Transit representatives or patrons is prohibited in Petaluma Transit facilities and vehicles.
2. A person must comply with all lawful orders and directives given by an authorized Petaluma Transit representative relative to Petaluma Transit facilities or vehicles consistent with the Code, including any instruction to leave a Petaluma Transit vehicle or facility for safety reasons, for a violation of the Code, or following notice of ejectment or exclusion.
3. A person receiving a Notice of Violation must provide accurate and complete identification and fare media when requested to do so by an authorized Petaluma Transit representative.
4. A person may not falsely represent himself or herself to be a Petaluma Transit representative through words, actions, clothes, insignia, badge, or equipment.
5. A person must wear a shirt, pants or skirt, and shoes, while in a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle at all times. Infants being held or in strollers and persons in wheelchairs are not required to wear shoes.
6. Patrons unable to care for themselves, who do not exhibit an ability to comply with Petaluma Transit’s Code, or who pose a safety risk, must be accompanied by a service animal or a responsible individual who can care for the Patron when in a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle.

Disorderly Conduct

The following acts are prohibited in, on, or near Petaluma Transit facilities and vehicles and any :

1. Expectorating (spitting).

1. Carrying any explosive, acid, flammable liquid, or toxic or hazardous material.
2. Urinating or defecating, except in a lavatory. This includes using Petaluma Transit facilities & vehicles while soiled as a result or urination or defecation. This subsection does not apply to a person who cannot comply as a result of disability, age, or medical condition.
3. Throwing an object at a patron, Petaluma Transit representative, or a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle.
4. Gambling to win money or anything of value.
5. Hanging from, swinging from, or attaching anything to handrails. This does not apply to holding a handrail to stabilize one’s body during transit.
6. Inciting violence or posing a clear and present danger to other persons, including making verbal or visual gang affiliation or provocation signs.
7. Engaging in or soliciting another person to engage in lewd conduct.
8. Engaging in or soliciting another person to engage in prostitution.
9. Placing feet or shoes on seats or furnishings.
10. Defacing with graffiti, vandalizing, damaging, destroying, or tampering with Petaluma Transit facilities or vehicles.
11. Littering or dumping.
12. Injuring another person or damaging another person’s property or possessions.
13. Throwing an object from a Petaluma Transit vehicle.

Food, Alcohol, & Drugs

The following acts are prohibited in Petaluma Transit facilities and vehicles:

1. Eating, drinking, smoking, vaping, or carrying a lit cigar, cigarette of any type, or pipe, except in designated areas permitting that activity or is required by a disability.
2. Placing chewed gum onto any surface in a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle other than into a trash receptacle.
3. Drinking or possessing in an open container an alcoholic beverage, except in designated areas where there is notice that drinking alcohol is permitted, and all required permits have been obtained.
4. Possessing an illegal drug or substance.
5. Being under the influence of alcohol, a drug, a controlled substance, toluene, or any combination of those items, and unable to care for one’s own safety or the safety of others or interfering with the use of a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle.
6. Creating a public nuisance or a health hazard by dropping food other than in a proper waste disposal receptacle.
7. Smoking or vaping is also not allowed within twenty (20) feet of any Petaluma Transit facility entrance, exit or operable window.

Loitering

 Loitering is prohibited in Petaluma Transit facilities and vehicles.

Lost and Found

1. Items found in a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle shall be turned in to a Petaluma Transit operator or other authorized Petaluma Transit representative, who will forward the items to the Petaluma Transit Lost and Found.
2. Items can be claimed in person at the Petaluma Transit Lost and Found by providing proof of ownership. Items that remain unclaimed for 30 days will be discarded or donated to a charitable organization, without liability for Petaluma Transit to anyone.
3. Petaluma Transit is not responsible for items lost in a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle.

Animals

PET POLICY

Dogs must be leashed and muzzled and can only ride on the lap of the rider or under their seat; all other pets must be carried in a small closed container on the lap of the rider or under their seat.

Violations of the pet policy can result in the rider and their pet being required to vacate the bus per the direction of the driver or further discipline to the rider including banning of non-service animals for repeat violations.

SERVICE ANIMAL POLICY

Service animals are defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as “any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability.”

Animals that meet this definition are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.

1. Trained service animals can ride free of charge on all Petaluma Transit vehicles.
2. Customers traveling with a service animal should notify the Operator immediately upon boarding.
3. Service dogs may travel without a muzzle but must be on a leash. Note: If the customer is unable to hold a leash due to disability, service dogs must still be under control of their owners.
4. Service animals must ride on their owner’s lap, under their owner’s seat, or as far out of the aisle as possible. Animals may not occupy a seat.

Blocking of Vehicles or Facilities

The following acts are prohibited in Petaluma Transit facilities and vehicles:

1. Willfully blocking or impeding the free movement of another person.
2. Blocking an aisle, elevator, escalator, door, or stairway with one’s body or an object, in a way that poses a danger, unreasonably impedes a patron’s movement, or displaces a person.
3. Operating, stopping, or parking a vehicle in a location that is reserved for transit vehicles or is otherwise restricted.
4. Obstructing or impeding the flow of a Petaluma Transit vehicle or interfering with the operation or use of transit services.
5. Preventing a door from closing.
6. Reclining on, placing objects on, or blocking a seat.
7. Occupying more than one seat.
8. Willfully interfering with the operator or operation of a Petaluma Transit vehicle in a manner that affects the operator’s control of the vehicle.
9. Impeding the safe boarding or exiting of passengers.

Wheeled Riding Devices

1. Wheeled riding devices including bicycles, skates, skateboards, kick scooters, and other wheeled riding devices except Wheelchairs and Mobility Aid Devices, may not be ridden in Petaluma Transit facilities or vehicles, except for public bikeways or roadways clearly intended for those types of devices. A person may carry or walk such wheeled riding devices in a safe manner on Petaluma Transit facilities to park or board Petaluma Transit vehicles.
2. Tandem, three-wheeled, or fuel-powered bicycles or other wheeled riding devices, are not permitted in, attached to, or on Petaluma Transit facilities or vehicles. Bicycles or other wheeled riding devices over six (6) feet long are prohibited.
3. All persons entering Petaluma Transit facilities with wheeled riding devices of any type, including Wheelchairs and Mobility Aid Devices, but excluding handheld skates or skateboards, must use elevators or ramps to access elevated or lowered platforms.
4. A person who enters a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle with a bicycle must do the following:
   • Use available bicycle racks.
   • Secure the bike using the tensioning arm of bike rack.
   • If racks on a bus are full, wait for the next bus.
   • Inform the bus operator before exiting that they will be removing a bicycle from a rack in front of the bus.
   • Load and unload bicycles from the front of a Petaluma Transit bus to the curbside and not into traffic.
   • Not attempt to access the bicycle rack after the bus has left the curb.
5. Folded bicycles, handheld skates, non-motorized scooters, or skateboards may be carried into a Petaluma Transit vehicle at any time without using the rack. These items must be stored so that they do not block passageways, aisles, or seats.

Strollers, Carts, & Luggage

• All strollers must be collapsed, and the child removed from the stroller prior to boarding.
• Commercial or large size carts, dollies and strollers are prohibited on Petaluma Transit vehicles, unless collapsed. If a small cart is filled, then it must be securely held and not block passageways or seats.
• Carts, dollies, strollers and large luggage that create an unsafe condition are prohibited.
• During crowded conditions or peak hours, remove materials from carts, and collapse, or wait for the next Petaluma Transit vehicle that has room for the cart or stroller. This provision does not apply to Wheelchairs or other Mobility Aid Devices.
• Strollers and other wheeled carts must be folded before boarding and must be stowed safely away from the aisles.

Boarding, Exiting, and Seating

The following acts are required in Petaluma Transit facilities and vehicles:

1. Enter and exit the bus is an orderly, single-file manner.
2. Never go onto a track or busway except through designated crossings and never step or put arms, legs, or objects in the path of a Petaluma Transit vehicle.
3. Maintain control of children at all times in or on Petaluma Transit vehicles or facilities, including when a Petaluma Transit vehicle is approaching.
4. Do not signal in the path of or by touching the bus when it is moving.
5. Yield priority, reserved, Wheelchair, or similarly designated seating to older adults and individuals with disabilities.

Noise

The following acts are prohibited in Petaluma Transit facilities and vehicles:

1. Disturbing others by engaging in unruly (disorderly and disruptive) behavior.
2. Failing to comply with a warning by a Petaluma Transit representative to cease creating loud, boisterous or unreasonable noise, including unnecessary cell phone or other conversation, that is so loud, lengthy, sexually explicit, threatening, violent, or disruptive, that it causes a nuisance or unreasonably interferes with the use, operation, or enjoyment of the Petaluma Transit facilities or vehicles for Petaluma Transit representatives or patrons, or creates an unsafe condition, such as distracting operators of Petaluma Transit vehicles.
3. Playing a sound device, except when using headphones or earphones that make the sound inaudible to others unless a permit has been issued for usage of such sound device by Petaluma Transit.

Odors

1. A person may not be in a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle with an unavoidable grossly repulsive odor so extreme it causes a nuisance, unreasonably interferes with the use, operation, or enjoyment of the Petaluma Transit facilities or vehicles for Petaluma Transit representatives or patrons or creates an unsafe condition. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Subsection shall not apply to persons with odors directly related to a disability or medical condition unless the odor is so severely disruptive that it interferes with the use or operation of the Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle by Petaluma Transit representatives or patrons, or creates direct threat or an unsafe condition.
2. Extreme odors may arise from a variety of sources, including one’s body, possessions, clothing, food, chemicals or accompanying animals.

Safety

1. The following acts are prohibited in Petaluma Transit facilities and vehicles:
   • Attaching to, hanging from, or riding on any part of the outside of a Petaluma Transit vehicle, or being inside an area in which the public is prohibited. This section does not apply to an employee conducting Transit business.
   • Interfering with the safe operation or movement of a Petaluma Transit vehicle.
   • Abandoning personal items.
   • Throwing or kicking a ball, disc, or other object.
   • Standing, lying, or climbing on a sign, bench, passenger shelter, trash, container, or planter.
   • Extending anything in the path of or through a door or window on a Petaluma Transit vehicle.
   • Engaging in sport, horseplay, or recreational activities.
   • Creating a danger to other persons.
   • Extending any portion of the body through any window opening of a Petaluma Transit vehicle in an unsafe manner.
   • Engaging in any unsafe activity other than those described above.
2. To avoid injury, patrons must always use care when on or in a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle.
3. Patrons should be alert and promptly report to Petaluma Transit or law enforcement any unsafe condition, broken equipment, or suspicious activity, odor, or package.
4. Emergencies should be reported immediately to a Petaluma Transit representative, law enforcement, or emergency personnel. Emergencies may be reported using telephones or intercoms if available in the Petaluma Transit facilities or vehicles.
5. If a Petaluma Transit representative or other authorized personnel evacuates a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle, patrons shall promptly and orderly follow instructions to avoid injury to other persons.
6. No person shall remove, tamper with, injure or destroy a Petaluma Transit vehicle or the contents thereof, with the intent to cause great bodily injury to another person, or place an obstruction in front of a Petaluma Transit vehicle, or willfully set a Petaluma Transit vehicle in motion while it is at rest and unattended.

Signs

1. No person shall affix or post signs, stickers, buttons, advertisements, circulars, or other printed materials on or in Petaluma Transit facilities or vehicles. Written permission must be obtained from Petaluma Transit prior to placing, posting, or displaying a poster, notice, advertisement, sign, or other written material on a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle.
2. No persons shall destroy, cover, deface with graffiti, remove, damage, or tamper with a Petaluma Transit poster, sign, advertisement, or notice, unless authorized by Petaluma Transit.
3. Persons shall obey any sign that is intended to provide for the safety and security of transit passengers or the transit system.
4. Persons shall also obey all other notices and signs posted by Petaluma Transit in a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle.
5. The carrying of signs or stick-like items into any Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle shall be limited.

Solicitation

1. No person shall aggressively solicit money or other things of value in a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle. Aggressive solicitation includes the following:
   • Using insults, profanity or threats;
   • Repeated requests to the same person who has refused;
   • Making demands while blocking access to a facility such as a building or restroom.
2. No person shall solicit public support, or distribute materials, for any cause in Petaluma Transit vehicles and in underground or non-public areas of Petaluma Transit facilities where the distribution is disruptive, presents a safety hazard, or impedes the movement of Petaluma Transit patrons.
3. The exercise of freedom of speech is permitted in Petaluma Transit facilities and vehicles, subject to the following restrictions:
   • Activity at a rail station is limited to street level areas and areas which are not platform waiting areas for patrons.
   • Activity may not occur within fifteen (15) feet of an elevator, escalator, stairwell or staircase entryway, above-ground platform, loading zone, kiosk, transit entrance or exit, emergency exit or telephone, fare vending machine, or fare media readers or validators, or customer service station.
   • Activity may not impede transit services or the movement of patrons or Petaluma Transit personnel.
   • Pamphlets and leaflets may not be left unattended in a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle.
   • The carrying of signs or placards larger than thirty inches (30”) by thirty inches (30”), in Petaluma Transit facilities or vehicles is prohibited. Large signs can be folded or rolled up to comply with the 30″ by 30″ restriction. No pole, stick, or other similar object or device utilized to display a sign shall exceed a length of thirty inches (30″), nor shall such object exceed a thickness of one-quarter inch (1/4″) and a width of two inches (2″); or if not generally rectangular in shape, such object shall not exceed three-quarters inch (3/4″) at its thickest dimension. This limitation is not intended to prohibit walking canes, crutches, or similar devices used for mobility assistance by a person with a disability. No object shall have an exposed sharp pointed end.
   • Carrying of any such signs or sticks must not interfere with the movement, seating, or safety of patrons or Petaluma Transit representative.
   • Food and drinks shall not be distributed in Petaluma Transit facilities or vehicles except by Petaluma Transit or persons who obtain a permit from Petaluma Transit.
   • Tables and portable equipment are prohibited, unless approved by Petaluma Transit.

Weapons

1. A weapon or instrument intended for use as a weapon shall not be discharged or directed at a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle, or at a person or object in a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle.
2. Entering a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle with a weapon or instrument intended for use as a weapon is prohibited. This provision does not apply to law enforcement or security personnel.

Fares

1. Patrons who ride Petaluma Transit vehicles or use Petaluma Transit services must pay all applicable fares and fees in full.
2. Patrons shall show proof of payment of fare upon request by a Petaluma Transit representative.
3. Evading payment of a Petaluma Transit fare is prohibited. Fare evasion includes the following:
   • Boarding a Petaluma Transit vehicle or entering a Petaluma Transit facility platform or other fare required zone, without proof of valid fare media or without paying the fare upon boarding a Petaluma Transit bus.
   • Duplicating, counterfeiting, altering, or transferring any nontransferable fare media without Petaluma Transit authorization.
   • Placing anything other than valid coin, tokens, United States currency or other valid fare media, into a fare box, ticket machine, pass reader, or other fare validation or collection device.
   • Falsely representing oneself as eligible for a waiver or a special or reduced fare or obtaining fare media by making a false or misleading representation.
   • Refusing to show proof of valid, validated, unexpired fare media upon request by a Petaluma Transit representative. Patrons shall show identification upon request for the purpose of accurate completion of citation data entry in accordance with posted policies.
   • Misusing fare media with the intent to evade payment of a fare.
   • Unauthorized use of a discount ticket or failing to present upon request by Petaluma Transit acceptable proof of discount eligibility to use a discount ticket and show identification in accordance with posted policies.
   • Boarding through a rear bus door to avoid payment of fare.
   • Entering a Petaluma Transit vehicle or facility when any penalty, fee or assessment for violation of the Code is past due or during any exclusion period.
   • Entering a Petaluma Transit vehicle or facility in such a way as to bypass or avoid any fare-required zone barriers such as media collection or validation machines or Petaluma Transit representatives collecting fares.
4. No payment or rebate will be made to patrons who overpay the required fare or who are ejected or excluded from Petaluma Transit facilities or vehicles for violating the Code or applicable laws.

Enforcement of Policies

Violations

A person who violates the Code is subject to a notice of violation and imposition of any and all remedies, fines, criminal sanctions, damages, and penalties available by law. Enforcement of any provisions of the Code involving the payment of any fees, penalties or other administrative amounts, or community service, based on California Penal Code section 640 (b) and (c), shall be pursuant to the authority and according to the procedures, herein and as set forth in the California Public Utilities Code including section 99580 et seq. Parents or guardians shall also be responsible in addition to the minor for any fees, penalties, or fines incurred or damages caused by their minor in connection with a citation.

1. A person who violates any provision of the Code and who receives a notice of violation may, within twenty-one (21) days of the issuance of such notice of violation, request an initial review of the notice of violation by Petaluma Transit. The request for review may be made by telephone, email, in writing, or in person. If following the initial review Petaluma Transit is satisfied that the violation did not occur, or that extenuating circumstances exist, and that the dismissal of the notice of violation is appropriate in the interests of justice, Petaluma Transit may cancel the notice of violation. Petaluma Transit shall notify, in writing the person requesting the review as to the outcome of the review. If the notice of violation is not dismissed, reasons shall be provided for the denial. Notice of the results of the review shall be deemed to have been received by the person who requested the initial review five (5) days following the mailing of the decision by Petaluma Transit.
2. If the person subject to the notice of violation is not satisfied with the result of the initial review, the person may no later than twenty-one (21) days following the mailing of the initial review decision appeal the decisions/suspension of the initial review. The request may be made by telephone, email or by mail. An appeals hearing shall be scheduled within 14 calendar days upon notice of request for appeal. 
   • Transit Decision/Suspension Appeals Panel
     • The City of Petaluma, Transportation Division establishes the following as the “Transit Decision/Suspension Appeals Panel” to consider all decision/suspension appeals and render a final decision on the decision/suspension:
       • Petaluma Transit’s (Contractor) Operations General Manager
       • City of Petaluma Director of Public Works & Utilities
       • A member of the City Transit Advisory Committee
     • Upon appeal request, the Transit Suspension Appeals Panel shall meet with the appellant, or, in the case of a written appeal, shall meet as a group to consider the appeal. The Transit Suspension Appeals Panel, after considering the appeal, may:
       • Uphold the suspension, and determine the starting date of the suspension
       • Modify the suspension, and determine the starting date of the suspension
       • Dismiss the suspension and reinstate the appellant’s ability to use the service

Ejection

A person who violates any provision of the Code may be ejected by order of an authorized Petaluma Transit representative and may be excluded from all or a portion of Petaluma Transit vehicles and facilities. This remedy is in addition to any other fine, penalty, assessment, or other remedy available at law.

1. A person who violates the Code may be immediately ejected from the Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle, without refund of any fare, by an authorized Petaluma Transit representative who witnesses a violation.
2. A person who violates the Code must pay restitution if the violation involves damages.
3. A violation of the Code that is also a violation of a local, state, or federal law may be prosecuted in a court proceeding by the appropriate authority, in addition to any enforcement by or remedies available to Petaluma Transit.
4. Failure to comply with a Notice of Exclusion may result in fines, a citation for criminal trespass, and any other applicable criminal and civil remedies.

Exclusion

1. A person, who violates the Code or a law in a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle, may be excluded from all or part of Petaluma Transit facilities and vehicles either indefinitely or for a period of time specified in the Petaluma Transit penalty schedule or notice of exclusion provided pursuant to subsection below.
2. Any person to whom a notice of violation or Penal Code citation or written warning pertaining to an offense which occurred on or in a public transit facility or vehicle, was issued, and
   • Who has received a citation or written warning for the same violation at least three (3) times in the prior twelve (12) months;
   • or who has failed to pay any applicable fines, fees, penalties or other administrative amounts by the due date, or otherwise resolve the citation when such payment was due;
   • or who is the subject of any outstanding warrant, pending trial, or convicted with respect to any Penal Code offense that is alleged to have occurred on or in a public transit system facility or vehicle, is subject to exclusion.
3. A person excluded under the Code may not enter a Petaluma Transit facility or vehicle during the period of exclusion. Petaluma Transit may take any reasonable steps necessary to enforce an order of exclusion, including criminal arrest or such other remedies as may be available at law.
4. Petaluma Transit is entitled to expedite this exclusion process if either passenger or driver’s safety is threatened by an individual’s actions and/or behavior.

Notice of Exclusion

A notice of exclusion shall be given by Petaluma Transit or its authorized representative by personal delivery, first class mail, or if the person does not provide Petaluma Transit or its representative with a valid current address, to the address provided by the excluded person at the time of any underlying violation(s), or at the excluded person’s last known address. A notice of exclusion is deemed received on the date of personal delivery or three (3) days after the date the notice of exclusion is mailed.

The notice of exclusion shall specify the reason for exclusion, the places or transit lines from which the person is excluded, the duration of exclusion, the consequences for failing to comply with the terms of exclusion, and the right to seek review or appeal the decision. Any exclusion shall begin on the third day following delivery of the notice of exclusion unless otherwise specified in the notice of exclusion, except that exclusions issued for a period of one (1) day or less are effective at the time the notice of exclusion is delivered.

Surveillance

To further the health, safety and welfare of drivers and passengers, the City of Petaluma may, at its election, equip some or all its vehicles and facilities with video and/or audio equipment.  Said equipment shall be used solely in connection with the furtherance of the above policies and shall not be released for any other purpose.

Consistency

The above policies shall be enacted and enforced consistent with all applicable federal and state laws.

Miscellaneous

1. The Code is not intended to affect lawful activity, or first amendment rights protected by state or federal law, including laws related to collective bargaining, labor relations, or labor disputes.
2. Petaluma Transit reserves the right to suspend, waive, modify, limit, or revoke the application of the Code.
3. Petaluma Transit may refuse service, or access to Petaluma Transit facilities or vehicles, including eject or exclude, to any person who does not comply with the Code or applicable laws.
4. The Code incorporates all relevant applicable legislative changes that occur after the date the Code is adopted.
5. Acts prohibited under the Code are permitted if authorized by agreement, permit, license, or a writing signed by an authorized Petaluma Transit representative.
6. The Code applies with equal force to any person who aids or abets in any of the acts prohibited by the Code or in the avoidance of any of the requirements of the Code.
7. Individuals with disabilities may visit transit.cityofpetaluma.net for information and request a reasonable modification of the provisions of this Code. Whenever possible a request for a reasonable modification shall be made in advance to Petaluma Transit at transit.cityofpetaluma.net, 707-778-4460, or at 555 N McDowell Blvd, Petaluma CA 94954. If a request for a modification is made to a Petaluma Transit operator or other Petaluma Transit representative the employee may contact his or her supervisor or control center for guidance. Requests for reasonable modifications will not be approved if the request would: fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program, or activity; create a direct threat to the health or safety of others; result in an undue financial and administrative burden; or the individual would be able to fully use the services provided by Petaluma Transit without the modification. Individuals with disabilities may file complaints regarding reasonable modification or accommodation with Petaluma Transit Customer Relations by telephone at 707-778-4460 or via email at transit@cityofpetaluma.org

Documents

Rider Code of Conduct