[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of
the City of Cohoes 3-25-2003 by L.L. No. 3-2003.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Abandoned vehicles — See Ch. 263.
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 266.
Commercial vehicles — See Ch. 269.
Motor-driven vehicles — See Ch. 271.
Storage of vehicles — See Ch. 274.
[1]
Editor's Note: This local law also repealed
former Ch. 82, Traffic Commission, adopted 7-14-1964 by Ord. No. 52-1964,
as amended.
There shall be a City Traffic Commission to
consist of five members to be appointed by the Mayor. The following
shall be the members of the Commission: The Chief of Police, the Commissioner
of General Services, the Fire Chief, and the City Planner. These members
of the Commission may send a designee to one or more meetings; said
designee to be within their respective departments and approved in
advance by the Mayor. The fifth member of the Commission shall be
the Chairperson. The Chairperson shall be a licensed professional
engineer who shall have at least ten years' experience in traffic
engineering.
Other than the Chairperson, the members of the
Commission shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall
be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance
of their duties. The Chairperson shall receive such compensation as
set by the Board of Managers and approved by the Common Council.
Technical and other services for such Commission
shall be performed by City officers, including police officers, or
employees without additional compensation, upon approval of the Mayor.
The Commission shall possess exclusive power
and authority to, by rule or regulation:
A.
Regulate, direct, restrict and otherwise to control
the movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, but not inconsistent
with the provisions of the Vehicle and Traffic Law in relation thereto.
B.
Limit the carrying capacity of vehicles used in the
business of carrying passengers for hire, except omnibuses operated
pursuant to certificates of public convenience and necessity issued
by the Commissioner of Transportation.
C.
Determine the location of parking garages, parking
lots, and parking meters. The location of parking garages and parking
lots is subject to the approval of the City Planning Commission.
D.
Determine the design, type, size, method of erection,
installation, removal, maintenance, operation arid location of any
and all signs, signals, markings, and similar devices for guiding,
directing or otherwise regulating and controlling such traffic.
E.
Make rules and regulations for the conduct of vehicular
and pedestrian traffic in the use of the public streets, squares and
avenues as the Commission may deem necessary.
F.
Designate through streets and order stop signs, flashing
signals or yield signs erected at specified entrances thereto, or
designate any intersection as a stop intersection or a yield intersection,
and order like signs or signals erected at one or more entrances to
such intersection.
G.
Prohibit or regulate the turning of motor vehicles
or specified types of motor vehicles at intersections or other designated
locations.
H.
Regulate the crossing of any roadway by pedestrians.
I.
Designate any street or any separate roadway thereof
for one-way traffic.
J.
Exclude trucks, commercial vehicles, tractors, tractor-trailer
combinations and trucks in excess of any designated weight from designated
highways.
K.
Prohibit, restrict or limit the stopping or standing
or parking of vehicles.
L.
Determine those streets or portions which shall be
marked to indicate where overtaking or passing or driving to the left
of said street would be especially hazardous in accordance with standards
established by the NYS Department of Transportation.
M.
Designate safety zones.
N.
Provide for the installation, operation, maintenance,
policing and supervision of parking meters; establish time limits
at such meters; designate hours of operation of such meters; and fix
and determine and require the payment of fees applicable to parking
where such meters are in operation.
O.
Establish a system of truck routes upon which all
trucks, tractors or tractor-trailer combinations having a total gross
weight of 10,000 pounds are permitted to travel and operate and exclude
such vehicles and combinations from all streets except those which
constitute such truck route system. Any system of truck routes shall
provide suitable connection with all state routes entering or leaving
the City. Set limits on hours of operation of or exclude trucks, commercial
vehicles, tractors, or tractor-trailer combinations in excess of any
designated weight, length, height, or eight feet in width on particular
City streets or segments of streets. Such exclusion shall not be construed
to prevent the delivery or pickup of merchandise or other property
along streets from which such vehicles are otherwise excluded.
P.
Regulate traffic by means of traffic control signals.
Q.
To give recommendations to the Chief of Police or
the Commissioner of General Services regarding the issuance of licenses
or permits for processions, assemblages, or parades, whenever such
a proposed procession, assemblage, or parade would block the movement
of traffic on arty street or streets for a period in excess of 15
minutes. Regulate or prohibit speed contests, races, or exhibitions
of speed.
R.
Prohibit or regulate the operation and the stopping,
standing or parking of vehicles in public parks, cemeteries, property
owned or leased by the City of Cohoes, or in designated areas reserved
for public business at or adjacent to a government facility.
S.
Make special provisions with relation to stopping,
standing, or parking of vehicles registered pursuant to § 404-a
of the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law or those possessing a special vehicle
identification parking permit issued in accordance with § 1203-a
of the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law.
U.
Cause to be determined for all bridges and elevated
structures the capacity in tons which the bridge or structure will
safely carry. At bridges and structures of insufficient strength to
carry permissible legal loads, the Commission shall cause signs to
be erected to inform persons of the safe capacity.
V.
Cause signs to be erected to inform persons of the
legal overhead for all bridges and elevated structures on streets
under its jurisdiction. The legal clearance shall be one foot less
than the measured clearance. The measured clearance shall be the minimum
height to the bridge or structure measured vertically from the traveled
portion of the street. On bridges or structures having 14 feet or
more of measured clearance, no such signs shall be required.
W.
Establish maximum speed limits at which vehicles may
proceed within said City of Cohoes, within designated areas within
said City and along certain streets within said City. No such speed
limit applicable throughout the City shall be established at less
than 30 miles per hour. No such speed limit applicable to a designated
area or certain street shall be established at less than 25 miles
per hour, unless in a school or hazard zone, or other exception pursuant
to law.
X.
Establish maximum speed limits which may be maintained
without structural damage on bridges and elevated structures in the
City and, if such maximum speed is lower than the maximum speed limit
otherwise applicable, then such maximum speed as fixed for bridges
and elevated structures shall be the legal maximum speed at which
vehicles may travel on such bridges and structures.
Y.
Approve or disapprove applications for curb cut-outs
and driveways. Approval by the Commission shall be necessary before
a building permit for such work may be issued.
[Added 1-24-2006 by Ord. No. 2-2006;
amended 9-27-2017 by Ord. No. 6-2017]
Such rules and regulations shall be filed with
the City Clerk upon adoption and shall become effective when published
in the City's official newspaper. The Commission shall keep a permanent
record of all traffic regulations and an official street index with
corresponding traffic and parking regulations on all City streets.
Such records and index shall be on file with the City Clerk and available
for public inspection. Nothing in this section shall require the publishing
in the official newspaper of regulations in existence at the time
of adoption of this chapter.
The Commission shall promulgate its rules of
procedure for meetings, and shall comply with the Open Meetings Law,
set forth at Article 7 of the NYS Public Officers Law.
Any violation of this chapter or the regulations
adopted pursuant to this chapter shall be punished in accordance with
applicable state law, or if no state law applies then shall be deemed
a violation and punished by a fine up to $250 or up to 15 days in
jail, or both.
