Cross References — Police and fire commission, §§125.090 et seq.; public works and stormwater commission, §§125.240 et seq.; emergency management, ch. 230; stormwater and erosion control, ch. 415; service stations, §615.160 et seq.; municipal court, ch. 135; trees, etc., creating hazard to vehicular traffic, §215.030(13); planning, ch. 400; police, ch. 200; streets, sidewalks and public places, ch. 505; zoning regulations, ch. 405; subdivision regulations, ch. 410.
[Code 1975 §15.01; CC 1989 §13-1; Ord. No. 971 §1, 2-24-1986; Ord. No. 1382 §1, 3-26-1990; Ord. No. 3044 §1, 8-12-2005]
The following words and phrases, when used in this Title, mean:
ABANDONED PROPERTY
Any unattended motor vehicle, trailer, all-terrain vehicle, outboard motor or vessel removed or subject to removal from public or private property as provided in Sections 304.155 and 304.157, RSMo., whether or not operational.
ACCIDENT
An unintended event that produces injury or damage. The word "injury" includes "fatal injury". A motor vehicle accident is an accident involving a motor vehicle in transport, but not including aircraft or watercraft.
BICYCLE
Every vehicle propelled solely by human power upon which any person or persons may ride, having two (2) tandem wheels, except scooters and similar devices.
BUS
A motor vehicle designed primarily for the transportation of a driver and eight (8) or more passengers, but not including shuttle buses.
BUS ZONE
A portion of a roadway adjacent to the curb which has been marked by appropriate signs or painted markings and which is primarily reserved for the use of buses while loading and unloading passengers.
BUSINESS DISTRICT
The territory contiguous to and including a highway when within any six hundred (600) feet along the highway there are buildings in use for business or industrial purposes, including, but not limited to, hotels, banks or office buildings, railroad stations and public buildings which occupy at least three hundred (300) feet of frontage on one (1) side or three hundred (300) feet collectively on both sides of the highway.
CENTERLINE
A continuous or broken line marked upon the surface of a roadway by paint or otherwise to indicate each portion of the roadway allocated to traffic proceeding in opposite directions, and, if the line is not so painted or otherwise marked, it is an imaginary line in the roadway equally distant from the edges or curbs of the roadway.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE
A motor vehicle designed or regularly used for carrying freight and merchandise, or more than eight (8) passengers but not including vanpools or shuttle buses.
CONTROLLED ACCESS HIGHWAY
Every highway, street or roadway in respect to which owners or occupants of abutting lands and other persons have no legal right of access to or from the same except at such points only and in such manner as may be determined by the public authority having jurisdiction over the highway, street or roadway.
CONVICTION
Any final conviction; also a forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure a defendant's appearance in court, which forfeiture has not been vacated, shall be equivalent to a conviction, except that when any conviction as a result of which points are assessed under Section 302.302, RSMo., is appealed, the term "conviction" means the original judgment of conviction for the purpose of determining the assessment of points, and the date of final judgment affirming the conviction shall be the date determining the beginning of any license suspension or revocation under Section 302.304, RSMo.
CROSSWALK
1. 
That part of a roadway at an intersection included within the connections of lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway measured from the curbs, or in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the traversable roadway;
2. 
Any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface.
CURB
The lateral boundaries of that portion of the street designated for the use of vehicles, whether marked with curbstones or not.
CURB LOADING ZONE
A space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of passengers or materials.
DAYTIME
The period of time from one-half (½) hour before sunrise to one-half (½) hour after sunset.
DEALER
Any person, firm, corporation, association, agent or subagent engaged in the sale or exchange of new, used or reconstructed motor vehicles or trailers.
DERELICT VEHICLE
Any partially dismantled, non-operating, wrecked or junked motor vehicle of any type, left or abandoned by its owner or guardian upon any highway, street, roadway, thoroughfare or private property within this City, excluding those vehicles within an enclosed area and not visible from adjoining properties.
DRAG RACE
The operation of two (2) or more vehicles from a point side by side at accelerating speeds in a competitive attempt to outdistance each other, or the operation of one (1) or more vehicles over a common selected course, from the same point to the same point, for the purpose of comparing the relative speeds or power of acceleration of such vehicle or vehicles within a certain distance or time limit.
DRIVER
Any person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle.
DRIVEWAY
A private roadway providing access for vehicles to a parking space, dwelling or other structure or building.
ELECTRIC BICYCLE
A bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals, a saddle or seat for the rider, and an electric motor of less than seven hundred fifty (750) watts that meets the requirements of one (1) of the following three (3) classes:
[Ord. No. 4484, 2-14-2022]
1. 
"Class 1 electric bicycle," an electric bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of twenty (20) miles per hour;
2. 
"Class 2 electric bicycle," an electric bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and that is not capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of twenty (20) miles per hour;
3. 
"Class 3 electric bicycle," an electric bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of twenty-eight (28) miles per hour.
EMERGENCY TOW
The towing of a motor vehicle or junked motor vehicle that presents a real or imminent danger or hazard to the safety of others or a menace to traffic.
EMERGENCY VEHICLE
A vehicle of any of the following types:
1. 
A vehicle operated by the State Highway Patrol, the State Water Patrol or a State Park Ranger, those vehicles operated by enforcement personnel by the Division of Motor Carrier and Railroad Safety of the Department of Economic Development, Police or Fire Department, Sheriff, Constable or Deputy Sheriff, Federal Law Enforcement Officer authorized to carry firearms and to make arrests for violations of the laws of the United States, Traffic Officer or coroner or by a privately owned emergency vehicle company;
2. 
A vehicle operated as an ambulance or operated commercially for the purpose of transporting emergency medical supplies or organs;
3. 
Any vehicle qualifying as an emergency vehicle pursuant to Section 307.175, RSMo.;
4. 
Any wrecker, or tow truck or a vehicle owned and operated by a public utility or public service corporation while performing emergency service;
5. 
Any vehicle transporting equipment designed to extricate human beings from the wreckage of a motor vehicle;
6. 
Any vehicle designated to perform emergency functions for a civil defense or emergency management agency established pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 44, RSMo.;
7. 
Any vehicle operated by an authorized employee of the department of corrections, who as part of the employee's official duties, is responding to a riot, disturbance, hostage incident, escape or other critical situation where there is the threat of serious physical injury or death, responding to mutual aid call from another criminal justice agency, or in accompanying an ambulance which is transporting an offender to a medical facility;
8. 
Any vehicle designated to perform hazardous substance emergency functions established pursuant to the provisions of Sections 260.500 to 260.550, RSMo.
FARM EQUIPMENT
A tractor or other equipment used exclusively for agricultural purposes.
FIRE LANE
Areas designated as fire lanes by the Town and Country Fire District.
GROSS WEIGHT
The weight of a vehicle and/or vehicle combination without load, plus the weight of any load thereon.
HIGHWAY
Any thoroughfare for vehicles, including State roads, County roads and streets, avenues, boulevards, parkways or alleys in the City.
IMPROVED HIGHWAY
A highway which has been paved with gravel, macadam, concrete, brick or asphalt, or surfaced in such a manner that it shall have a hard, smooth surface.
INCOMPETENT TO DRIVE A MOTOR VEHICLE
A person who has become physically incapable of meeting the prescribed requirements of an examination for an operator's license, or who has been adjudged by a Probate Division of the Circuit Court in a capacity hearing of being incapacitated.
INTERSECTING HIGHWAY
Any highway which joins another, whether or not it crosses the same.
INTERSECTION
1. 
The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two (2) highways which join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict.
2. 
Where a highway includes two (2) roadways thirty (30) feet or more apart, then every crossing of each roadway of such divided highway by an intersecting highway shall be regarded as a separate intersection. In the event that such intersecting highway also includes two (2) roadways thirty (30) feet or more apart, then every crossing of two (2) roadways of such highway shall be regarded as a separate intersection.
INTERSTATE
The roadway known as Interstate 270 (I-270) and Interstate 64 (I-64).
JUDGMENT
A final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction of any State or of the United States, upon a claim for relief for damages, including damages for care and loss of services, because of bodily injury to or death of any person, or for damages because of injury to or destruction of property, including the loss of use thereof, or upon a claim for relief on any agreement or settlement for such damages arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of any motor vehicle.
LANED ROADWAY
A roadway which is divided into two (2) or more clearly marked lanes for vehicular traffic.
LICENSE
A license issued by a State or government to a person which authorizes a person to operate a motor vehicle in the United States.
LITTER
Any glass, glass bottles, wire, nails, tacks, hedge, cans, garbage, refuse, rubbish of any kind, nature or description or any other waste material or any combination thereof.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Every County, municipal and other local board or body having authority to enact laws relating to traffic under the Constitution and the laws of the State.
MOTORCYCLE
Every motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three (3) wheels in contact with the ground, but excluding a farm tractor.
MOTORIST
See "Driver".
MOTORIZED BICYCLE
Any two-wheeled or three-wheeled device having fully operative pedals capable of propulsion by human power, an automatic transmission and a motor with a cylinder capacity of not more than fifty (50) cubic centimeters, which produces less than three (3) gross brake horsepower, and is capable of propelling the device at a maximum speed of not more than thirty (30) miles per hour on level ground.
MOTORIZED SCOOTER
Any wheeled device having handlebars that are attached to a footboard, is designed to be stood upon by the operator, and is powered by a motor that is capable of propelling the device with or without human propulsion.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Any self-propelled vehicle not operated exclusively upon tracks, except farm tractors and motorized bicycles.
MUNICIPAL COURT
Every division of the Circuit Court having the original jurisdiction to try persons for violations of City ordinances.
MUNICIPALITY
Includes Cities, towns and villages, whether incorporated or not.
NIGHTTIME
Any time other than that designated as daytime.
NON-RESIDENT OF THE CITY
Every person who is not a resident of the City.
NON-RESIDENT OF THE STATE
Every person who is not a resident of the State.
NON-RESIDENT'S OPERATING PRIVILEGE
The privilege conferred upon a non-resident by the laws of this State pertaining to the operation by him/her of a motor vehicle or the use of a motor vehicle owned by him/her in this State.
NON-EMERGENCY TOW
The towing of a motor vehicle or junked motor vehicle that is parked or abandoned in violation of a City ordinance and does not present a real or imminent danger or hazard to the safety of others or a menace to traffic.
NO PASSING ZONE
Any zone determined and indicated by signs or markings where overtaking and passing is deemed unsafe, and under this Article is declared unlawful.
OFFICIAL TIME STANDARD
Whenever certain hours are named herein, they shall mean standard time or daylight saving time as may be in current use in the City.
OFFICIAL TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES
All signs, signals, markings, and devices not inconsistent with this Chapter, placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction, for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic.
ONE-WAY STREET
A street where vehicles are by law required to move only in one (1) direction.
OPERATOR
See "Driver".
OWNER
Includes any person who holds the legal title of a vehicle or, in the event a vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional sale or lease thereof with the right of purchase upon performance of the conditions stated in the agreement, and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, or in the event a mortgagor of a vehicle is entitled to possession, then such conditional vendee or lessee or mortgagor shall be deemed the owner for purposes of this law.
PARK or PARKING
The standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purposes of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading merchandise or passengers.
PARKING LOT
Areas on private or public property providing for parking automobiles or other vehicles and which are regularly used by the public incident to commercial or institutional purposes of the owner or occupant of the property, whether provided for hire or gratuitously.
PASSENGER CURB LOADING ZONES
An area adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the actual loading or unloading of passengers.
PEDESTRIAN
Any person afoot.
POLICE OFFICER
Every officer of the City Police Department, or any officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations in the City.
PRIVATE ROAD OR DRIVEWAY
Every way or place in private ownership and used for vehicular travel by the owner and those having expressed or implied permission from the owner, but not by other persons.
PROOF OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Proof of ability to respond in damages for liability, on account of accidents occurring subsequent to the effective date of said proof, arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of a motor vehicle, in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) because of bodily injury to or death of one (1) person in any one (1) accident, and, subject to said limit for one (1) person, in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) because of bodily injury to or death of two (2) or more persons in any one (1) accident, and in the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one (1) accident.
PUBLIC GARAGE
A licensed place of business where motor vehicles are housed, stored, repaired, reconstructed or repainted for persons other than the owners or operators of such place of business.
RECOGNIZANCE
An obligation requiring the accused to appear at all appropriate times and places or forfeit any bail and subject himself/herself to penalty for failure to appear.
RECREATIONAL EQUIPMENT
Recreational motor vehicles and non-vehicular campers, trailers, pickup shells, boats, boat trailers, horse trailers, or any similar equipment designed, constructed, or modified for recreational or travel use.
RECREATIONAL MOTOR VEHICLE
Any motor vehicle designed, constructed or substantially modified so that it may be used and is used for the purposes of temporary housing quarters, including therein sleeping and eating facilities which are either permanently attached to the motor vehicle or attached to a unit which is securely attached to the motor vehicle. Nothing herein shall prevent any motor vehicle being registered as a commercial motor vehicle if the motor vehicle could otherwise be so registered.
REGISTRATION
Registration certificate or certificates and registration plates issued under the laws of the State pertaining to the registration of motor vehicles.
RELEASE ON PERSONAL RECOGNIZANCE or RELEASE ON OWN RECOGNIZANCE
The release of a defendant without bail, bail bond or sureties upon his/her promise to appear at all appropriate times and places, and which subjects him/her to penalty for failure to appear.
RESIDENCE DISTRICT
The territory continuous to and including a highway not comprising a business district when the property on such highway for a distance of three hundred (300) feet or more is in the main improved with residences or residences and buildings in use for business.
RIGHT-OF-WAY
The entire width of land between the boundary lines of a street or highway, including any roadway.
ROADWAY
That portion of a highway improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder. In the event a highway includes two (2) or more separate roadways, the term "roadway" as used herein shall refer to any such roadway separately, but not to all such roadways collectively.
SAFETY ZONE
The area or space officially set apart, within a roadway for the exclusive use of pedestrians and which is protected or is so marked or indicated by adequate signs as to be plainly visible at all times while set apart as a safety zone.
SCHOOL BUS
Any motor vehicle used solely to transport students to or from school or to transport students to or from any place for educational purposes.
SCHOOL ZONE
All of the street along the property line of the school, plus a three hundred (300) foot extension thereof in both directions.
SIDEWALK
That portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines, intended for use of pedestrians.
SPECIAL MOBILE EQUIPMENT
Every self-propelled vehicle not designed or used primarily for the transportation of persons or property and incidentally operated or moved over the highways, including farm equipment, implements of husbandry, road construction or maintenance machinery, ditch-digging apparatus, stone crushers, air compressors, power shovels, cranes, graders, rollers, well-drillers and wood sawing equipment used for hire, asphalt spreaders, bituminous mixers, bucket loaders, ditchers, leveling graders, finishing machines, motor graders, road rollers, scarifiers, earth-moving carryalls, scrapers, drag lines, rock-drilling and earth-moving equipment. This enumeration shall be deemed partial and shall not operate to exclude other such vehicles which are within the general terms of this Section.
STAND or STANDING
The halting of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than for the purpose of and while actually engaged in receiving or discharging passengers.
STATE
Any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any province of the Dominion of Canada.
STOP
When required, complete cessation of movement.
STOP or STOPPING
When prohibited, any halting, even momentarily, of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a Police Officer or traffic control sign or signal.
STREET or HIGHWAY
The entire width between property lines of every way or place of whatever nature when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular traffic.
TANDEM AXLE
A group of two (2) or more axles, arranged one (1) behind another, the distance between the extremes of which is more than forty (40) inches and not more than ninety-six (96) inches apart.
THROUGH HIGHWAY, ROAD or STREET
Every highway, road or street, or portion thereof on which vehicular traffic is given preferential right-of-way, and at the entrances to which vehicular traffic from intersecting highways, roads or streets is required by law to yield the right-of-way to vehicles on such highways, roads or streets, in obedience to either a stop sign or a yield sign, when such signs are erected as provided in this Chapter.
TRAFFIC
Pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together while using any highway for the purpose of travel.
TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES
All signs, signals, markings and devices placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic.
TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL
Any device, whether manually, electrically or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and to proceed.
TRAILER
Any vehicle without motive power designed for carrying property or passengers on its own structure and for being drawn by a self-propelled vehicle, except those running exclusively on tracks, including a semi-trailer or vehicle of the trailer type so designed and used in conjunction with a self-propelled vehicle that a considerable part of its weight rests upon and is carried by the towing vehicle.
TRUCK
A motor vehicle designed, used, or maintained for the transportation of property.
UNATTENDED MOTOR VEHICLE
Any vehicle whose operator is not in a position to take immediate physical control of the vehicle or is not in adequate mental or physical condition to drive the vehicle if necessary.
U-TURN
A turn by which a vehicle initially travels in one (1) direction, makes a movement resembling the letter "U", and upon completion of such movement, travels in the opposite direction to the direction of travel in which the vehicle was traveling prior to the start of the turning movement.
VEHICLE
Every device in, upon or by which any person or property is, or may be, transported or drawn upon a highway, excepting motorized bicycles and devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks except motorized wheelchairs operated by handicapped persons.
[1]
Cross Reference — Definitions and rules of construction generally, §100.030.