7-9
TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES1:
7-9.1 Authority Of Traffic Engineer To Install:
a. The city traffic engineer shall have the power and the duty to place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained official traffic control devices when and as required in this chapter and other traffic ordinances of the city to make effective the provisions of this chapter and other traffic ordinances.
b. Whenever the state vehicle code requires for the effectiveness of any provision thereof that traffic control devices be installed to give notice to the public of the application of such law, the city traffic engineer is hereby authorized to install or cause to be installed the necessary devices subject to any limitations or restrictions set forth in the law applicable thereto.
c. The city traffic engineer may also place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained such additional traffic control devices as he may deem necessary to regulate traffic or to guide or warn traffic; however, he shall make such determination only upon the basis of traffic engineering principles and traffic investigations and in accordance with such standards, limitations and rules as may be set forth in this code or other traffic ordinances of the city or as may be determined by ordinance or resolution of the city council. (Code 1972 §19-46)
7-9.2 Lane Markings On Roadways:
The city traffic engineer is authorized to mark centerlines and lane lines upon the surface of the roadway to indicate the course to be traveled by vehicles and may place signs temporarily designating lanes to be used by traffic moving in a particular direction, regardless of the centerline of the highway2. (Code 1972 §19-47)
7-9.3 Designation of Lanes Where Driving on the Left is Prohibited.
The City Traffic Engineer is authorized to place and maintain distinctive roadway markings as described in the State Vehicle Code on those streets or parts of streets where the volume of traffic or the vertical or other curvature of the roadway renders it hazardous to drive on the left side of such markings or signs and markings. Such markings or signs and markings shall have the same effect as similar markings placed by the State Department of Public Works pursuant to provisions of the State Vehicle Code. (Code 1972 §19-45)
State law references: Authority to designate lanes where driving on the left is prohibited, Vehicle Code, §21460; manner of marking lanes when driving on the left is prohibited, Vehicle Code, §21460.
7-9.4 Turning Markers.
The City Traffic Engineer is authorized to place markers, buttons or signs within or adjacent to intersections indicating the course to be traveled by vehicles turning at such intersections, and the City Traffic Engineer is authorized to allocate and indicate more than one (1) lane of traffic from which drivers of vehicles may make right or left-hand turns, and the course to be traveled as so indicated may conform to or be other than as prescribed by law or ordinance. (Code 1972 §19-49)
State law references: Two-way turning lanes, Vehicle Code, §21460.5; markings or signs for turning, Vehicle Code, §22101.
7-9.5 Hours of Operation.
The City Traffic Engineer shall determine the hours and days during which any traffic-control device shall be in operation or be in effect, except in those cases where such hours or days are specified in this chapter or other ordinances of the City. (Code 1972 §19-50)
7-9.6 Official Traffic-Control Signals.
a. The City Traffic Engineer is hereby directed to install and maintain official traffic-control signals at those intersections and other places where traffic conditions are such as to require that the flow of traffic be alternately interrupted and released in order to prevent or relieve traffic congestion or to protect life or property from exceptional hazard.
b. The City Traffic Engineer shall ascertain and determine the locations where official traffic-control signals are required by the use of field observation, traffic counts and other traffic information as may be pertinent and his determinations therefrom shall be made in accordance with those traffic engineering and safety standards and instructions set forth in the Planning Manual of Instructions, Part 8, “Traffic,” issued by the Division of Highways of the State Department of Public Works.
c. Whenever the City Traffic Engineer installs and maintains an official traffic-control signal at any intersection, he shall likewise erect and maintain at such intersection street name signs visible to the principal flow of traffic, unless such street name signs have previously been placed and are maintained at any intersection.
(Code 1972 §19-51)
State law references: Official traffic-control signals, Vehicle Code, §21450 et seq.; street name signs to appear at intersections with traffic-control signals, Vehicle Code, §21366.
7-9.7 Designation of Official Traffic-Control Signals at Which a Right Turn on Red is Prohibited.
The City Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to determine those intersections within any business or residence district at which drivers of vehicles shall not make a right turn against a red or stop signal and shall erect proper signs giving notice of such prohibition. No driver of a vehicle shall disobey the directions of any such sign. (Code 1972 §19-52)
State law reference: Authority of the city to prohibit right turns on a red signal from a traffic-control signal, Vehicle Code, §21453(b).
7-9.8 Stop Signs.
a. Whenever this chapter or any other ordinance or resolution of the City designates and describes any street or portion thereof as a through street, or any intersection at which vehicles are required to stop at one (1) or more entrances thereto, or any railroad grade crossing at which vehicles are required to stop, the Traffic Engineer shall erect and maintain stop signs as follows:
1. A stop sign shall be erected on every street intersection such through street or portion thereof so designated and,
2. At those entrances of other intersections where a stop is required,
3. At any railroad grade crossing so designated.
b. Each stop sign erected pursuant to this section shall conform with and shall be placed as provided in Sections 21351 to 21355 and 21400 and 21401, inclusive, of the Vehicle Code. (Code 1972 §19-53)
State law references: Stop signs, Vehicle Code, §23155; stop signs on local highways, Vehicle Code, §23154; obedience to traffic-control devices, Vehicle Code, §21461.
7-9.9 Signs To Be Legible:
No provision of the state Vehicle Code3 or of this chapter for which signs are required shall be enforced against an alleged violator unless appropriate signs giving notice of such provisions of the traffic laws are in place and sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinarily observant person. (Code 1972 §19-54)
See Veh. C. §21350 et seq., §§21100(d), 21351, 21103 and 21461.
See Veh. C. §21657.
Veh.C. §21400 et seq.