[Ord. No. 5283 §2, 11-12-2012]
All traffic control signs, signals and devices shall conform
to the manual and specifications approved by the State Highways and
Transportation Commission or resolution adopted by the City Council
of the City. All signs or signals required hereunder for a particular
purpose shall so far as practicable be uniform as to type and location
throughout the City. All traffic control devices so erected and not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Title shall be official traffic
control devices. The timing of any traffic control signal shall conform
to regulations promulgated by the Department of Transportation as
required by Section 304.289, RSMo.
The driver of any vehicle shall obey the instructions of any
official traffic control device applicable thereto placed in accordance
with the provisions of this Title, unless otherwise directed by a
traffic or Police Officer, subject to the exceptions granted the driver
of an authorized emergency vehicle in this Title.
[Ord. No. 5762, 1-24-2022]
A.
Any
person operating a motorcycle, bicycle, or electric bicycle, who violates
the provisions of Section 304.281 or Section 304.301, RSMo., by entering
or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic control signal
against a red light shall have an affirmative defense to that charge
if the person establishes all of the following conditions:
1.
The motorcycle, bicycle, or electric bicycle has been brought to
a complete stop;
2.
The traffic control signal continues to show a red light for an unreasonable
time;
3.
The traffic control is apparently malfunctioning or, if programmed
or engineered to change to a green light only after detecting the
approach of a motor vehicle, the signal has apparently failed to detect
the arrival of the motorcycle; and
4.
No motor vehicle or person is approaching on the street or highway
to be crossed or entered or is so far away from the intersection that
it does not constitute an immediate hazard.
B.
The
affirmative defense of this Section applies only to a violation for
entering or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic control
signal against a red light and does not provide a defense to any other
civil or criminal action.
No provision of this Title for which official traffic control
devices are required shall be enforced against an alleged violator
if at the time and place of the alleged violation an official device
is not in proper position and sufficiently legible to be seen by an
ordinarily observant person. Whenever a particular Section does not
state that official traffic control devices are required, such Section
shall be effective even though no devices are erected or in place.
A.
Whenever
official traffic control devices are placed in position approximately
conforming to the requirements of this Title, such devices shall be
presumed to have been so placed by the official act or direction of
lawful authority, unless the contrary shall be established by competent
evidence.
B.
Any
official traffic control device placed pursuant to the provisions
of this Title and purporting to conform to the lawful requirements
pertaining to such devices shall be presumed to comply with the requirements
of this Title, unless the contrary shall be established by competent
evidence.
A.
Whenever
traffic is controlled by traffic control signals exhibiting different
colored lights or colored lighted arrows, successively one (1) at
a time or in combination, only the colors green, red and yellow shall
be used except for special pedestrian signals carrying a word legend,
and said lights shall indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and
pedestrians as follows:
1.
Green indication.
a.
Vehicular traffic facing a circular green signal may proceed straight
through or turn right or left unless a sign at such place prohibits
either such turn. But vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning
right or left, shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and
to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk
at the time such signal is exhibited.
b.
Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal, shown alone or in
combination with another indication, may cautiously enter the intersection
only to make the movement indicated by such arrow or such other movement
as is permitted by other indications shown at the same time. Such
vehicular traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully
within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the
intersection.
2.
Steady yellow indication.
a.
Vehicular traffic facing a steady yellow signal is thereby warned
that the related green movement is being terminated or that a red
indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter.
3.
Steady red indication.
a.
Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal alone shall stop before
entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if
none, then before entering the intersection and shall remain standing
until a green indication is shown except as provided in paragraph
(b) of this Subsection.
b.
The driver of a vehicle which is stopped as close as practicable
at the entrance to the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection
or, if none, then at the entrance to the intersection in obedience
to a red signal may cautiously enter the intersection to make a right
turn but shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic
proceeding as directed by the signal at the intersection, except that
the State Highways and Transportation Commission with reference to
an intersection involving a State highway, and local authorities with
reference to an intersection involving other highways under their
jurisdiction, may prohibit any such right turn against a red signal
at any intersection where safety conditions so require, said prohibition
shall be effective when a sign is erected at such intersection giving
notice thereof.
4.
In the event an official traffic control signal is erected and maintained
at a place other than an intersection, the provisions of this Section
shall be applicable except as to those provisions which by their nature
can have no application. Any stop required shall be made at a sign
or marking on the pavement indicating where the stop shall be made,
but in the absence of any such sign or marking, the stop shall be
made at the signal.
A.
Whenever
special pedestrian control signals exhibiting the words "Walk" or "Don't Walk" or appropriate symbols are in place,
such signals shall indicate as follows:
1.
"WALK": Pedestrians facing such signal may proceed
across the roadway in the direction of the signal and shall be given
the right-of-way by the drivers of all vehicles.
2.
"WAIT" or "DON'T WALK": No pedestrian
shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of such signal,
but any pedestrian who has partially completed his/her crossing on
the walk signal shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety zone while the
wait signal is showing.
A.
Whenever
an illuminated flashing red or yellow signal is used in a traffic
sign or signal, it shall require obedience by vehicular traffic as
follows:
1.
Flashing red (stop signal). When a red lens is illuminated
with rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles shall stop before
entering the nearest crosswalk at an intersection or at a limit line
when marked or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and
the right to proceed shall be subject to the rules applicable after
making a stop at a stop sign.
2.
Flashing yellow (caution signal). When a yellow
lens is illuminated with rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles
may proceed through the intersection or past such signal only with
caution.
[R.O. 2008 §16-388; Ord. No. 977 §1(9.8), 1-5-1981]
No person operating a vehicle on the roadway shall move from
his/her lane into any other lane of traffic moving in the same direction
where appropriate signs on the roadway indicate a no-lane-changing
zone and such signs are in place and clearly visible to any ordinarily
observant person.
[1]
State Law Reference — Lane direction control signals,
§300.170, RSMo.
When a traffic control device or signal is not operating through
mechanical failure or for other reasons, all traffic shall come to
a complete stop before operating onto or through the intersection.
No person shall place, maintain or display upon or in view of
any highway an unauthorized sign, signal, marking or device which
purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic
control device or railroad sign or signal, or which attempts to direct
the movement of traffic, or which hides from view or interferes with
the effectiveness of any official traffic control device or any railroad
sign or signal.
[R.O. 2008 §16-397; Ord. No. 977 §1(9.13), 1-5-1981]
A.
No
person shall, without lawful authority, attempt to or in fact alter,
deface, injure, knock down or remove any official traffic control
device or signal or any part thereof.
B.
It
shall be unlawful for any person to hide or obscure any official traffic
control device or signal by the erection of any object or by allowing
bushes, hedges, trees or other vegetation to grow and obscure the
same.
C.
Unobstructed
vision for traffic safety shall be maintained by the owner or occupant
on all corner lots regardless of the zone classification with reference
to any vehicle, trailer, sign, fence, ornament, hedge, shrub, tree,
display or any other obstruction, but not including buildings. No
such obstruction to view between three (3) and eight (8) feet above
the gutter line shall be placed or maintained within a triangular
area at the street corner, which area is bounded by:
1.
The street property lines of the corner lot and a line connecting
points twenty-five (25) feet distant from the intersection of the
property lines of such lot; or
2.
The curb lines of an intersection and a line connecting points thirty-five
(35) feet distant from the corner of the curb lines out to a specified
point, whichever is the lesser.
D.
Every
such object or vegetation is hereby declared a public nuisance and
the authority having jurisdiction over the public way is hereby empowered
to remove the same or cause to be removed without notice.
[1]
State Law Reference — Provisions similar to paragraph
(A), §300.180, RSMo.
Whenever authorized signs are erected indicating any street
or part thereof as a play street, no person shall drive a vehicle
upon any such street or portion thereof except drivers of vehicles
having business or whose residences are within such closed area, and
then any said driver shall exercise the greatest care in driving upon
any such street or portion thereof.
[R.O. 2008 §16-387; Ord. No. 977 §1(9.6), 1-5-1981]
It shall be unlawful for the operator of a vehicle traveling
in a particular traffic lane on a roadway divided and marked into
lanes to disobey a sign, signal, arrow or marker along the roadway
which directs vehicles traveling in such lane to move in a particular
lane or direction or not to move into a different lane or in a different
direction.
[R.O. 2008 §16-395; Ord. No. 674 §1, 4-22-1974; Ord. No. 2109 §1, 2-12-2001]
Except as authorized by the City Traffic Engineer, no person
or persons shall erect, construct, place or maintain any speed bumps,
ridges, depressions, fences, gates, chains, bars, pipes, horses or
any other type of obstruction in or on any street or roadway within
the boundaries of the City.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 315.140, Violation of Public
Safety At Intersections and the Automated Photo Enforcement of Traffic
Control Signal Regulations, adopted and amended R.O. 2008 §16-398;
Ord. No. 4024 §1, 6-12-2006; Ord. No. 4078 §1, 9-23-2007;
Ord. No. 5016 §1, 1-14-2008; Ord. No. 5283 §1, 11-12-2012,
and which immediately followed this section, was repealed 5-27-2014
by §1 of Ord. No. 5373. Ordinance No. 5373 also requires the
prosecutor to dismiss all unresolved prosecutions for violation of
Section 315.140, including any related charges for failure to appear.
