The Traffic Engineer shall have the authority to determine the
installation and proper timing and maintenance of traffic control
devices, to conduct engineering analyses of accidents and to devise
remedial measures, to conduct engineering investigation of traffic
conditions and to cooperate with other City officials, agencies, departments
and advisory commissions in the development of ways and means to improve
traffic conditions and to carry out the additional powers and duties
imposed by ordinances of this City.
A.
The Traffic Engineer shall direct the placement and maintenance of
traffic control devices when and as required under the traffic ordinances
of this City, to make effective the provisions of said ordinances,
and may place and maintain such additional traffic control devices
as he may deem necessary to regulate traffic under the traffic ordinances
of this City or under state law or to guide or warn traffic.
B.
All traffic control devices shall conform to the Manual of Uniform
Traffic Control Devices and specifications approved by the New York
State Department of Transportation and any resolution adopted by the
City Council. All traffic control devices so erected and not inconsistent
with the provisions of state law or this chapter shall be official
traffic control devices.
The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized:
A.
To designate and maintain crosswalks, by appropriate devices, marks
or lines upon the surface of the roadway, at intersections where there
is danger to pedestrians crossing the roadway and at such other places
as he may deem necessary.
B.
To establish safety zones of such kind and character and at such
places as he may deem necessary for the protection of pedestrians.
C.
To mark lanes for traffic on street pavements at such places as he
may deem advisable, consistent with the traffic ordinances of this
City.
A.
The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to determine those intersections
at which drivers of vehicles shall not make a right turn, left turn
or U-turn and shall place proper signs at such intersections.
B.
The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to place markers, buttons
or signs within or adjacent to intersections indicating the course
to be traveled by vehicles turning at such intersections.
The Traffic Engineer shall have authority, as provided in this
section, to establish a temporary zone of quiet upon any street where
a person is seriously ill, if requested by a written statement of
at least one registered physician certifying to its necessity. A temporary
zone of quiet shall embrace all territory within a radius of 200 feet
of the building occupied by the person named in the request. A temporary
zone of quiet and any other zone of quiet declared by any ordinance
of this City shall be designated by the Traffic Engineer by placing
a sign or marking bearing the words "Quiet Zone" at a conspicuous
place in the street.
A.
The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to determine the location
of passenger zones and freight-loading zones and shall place and maintain
appropriate signs indicating the location of such zones and stating
the hours during which the provisions of this section are applicable.
B.
The Traffic Engineer shall not hereafter designate or mark any such
zone upon special request of any person unless such person applies
for approval of such zone and for two signs to indicate the ends of
each such zone. The Traffic Engineer may, by general regulation, impose
conditions upon the use of such signs and for reimbursement of the
City for the value thereof in the event of their loss or damage and
their return in the event of misuse or upon expiration of a permit.
Every such permit shall expire at the end of one year.
The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to issue to any owner
of a vehicle used to transport merchandise or materials a special
permit, renewable annually, and to state therein the terms and conditions
thereof, allowing the driver of such vehicle the privilege of loading
and unloading while the vehicle is backed against the curb if such
privilege is reasonably necessary in the conduct of the owner's business
and will not significantly interfere with safe and smooth flow of
traffic.
The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized and required to establish
bus stops and stands for other passenger common-carrier motor vehicles
on such public streets in such places and in such number as he shall
determine to be of the greatest benefit and convenience to the public,
and every such bus stop or other stand shall be designated by appropriate
signs, subject to approval of the City Council by ordinance.
A.
The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to erect signs indicating
no parking upon that side of any street adjacent to any school or
church property when such parking would interfere with traffic or
create a hazardous situation.
B.
The Traffic Engineer shall determine upon what streets angle parking
shall be permitted and shall mark or erect signs on such streets.
C.
The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to erect signs indicating
no parking upon any street when the width of the roadway does not
exceed 20 feet or upon one side of a street, as indicated by such
signs, when the width of the roadway exceeds 20 feet but does not
exceed 30 feet.
D.
The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to prohibit standing or
parking at places where the stopping or parking of vehicles would
create an especially hazardous condition or would cause unusual delay
to traffic and to erect appropriate no-standing or no-parking signs.
A.
Whenever any ordinance of this City designates and describes a through
street, it shall be the duty of the Traffic Engineer to place and
maintain a stop sign on each street intersecting such through street
or that portion thereof described and designated as such by any ordinance
of this City.
B.
The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to determine and designate
intersections where a particular hazard exists, other than upon through
streets, and to determine whether vehicles shall stop at one or more
entrances to any such intersection and shall erect a stop sign at
every such place where a stop is required; or, in the event that the
Traffic Engineer determines that reduced speed rather than a stop
is adequate for safe operation at any such intersection, he shall
determine such safe speed by engineering investigation and shall erect
signs upon the approaches to such intersection giving notice of such
speed.
C.
Every stop sign shall be located as near as practical to the property
line of the street at the entrance to which the stop must be made
or at the nearest line of the crosswalk thereat or, if none, at a
limit line to be indicated by the Traffic Engineer.
Whenever, by any ordinance of this City, a one-way street is
described or any time-limit parking is imposed, it shall be the duty
of the Traffic Engineer to erect appropriate signs giving notice thereof,
and no such regulations shall be effective until said signs are erected.
A.
The Traffic Engineer is hereby empowered to make regulations necessary
to make effective the provisions of the traffic ordinances of this
City and to make and enforce temporary regulations to cover emergencies
or special conditions.
B.
The Traffic Engineer may promulgate temporary experimental rules
regulating traffic. No such rule shall become effective until it has
been published in an official newspaper of the City and filed in the
office of the City Clerk, and such rule shall not remain in effect
for more than 90 days.
C.
The Traffic Engineer shall not have the power to move, change or
relocate any of the existing traffic lights in the City without the
consent of the City Council by ordinance.
In addition to the powers given to the Traffic Engineer in the
preceding sections of this article, and anything herein contained
to the contrary notwithstanding, and in the exercise of the powers
conferred upon the City Council by the Vehicle and Traffic Law, the
Traffic Engineer is hereby designated as the municipal officer authorized
and empowered to designate by regulation safety zones, parking spaces
and bus stands in the public streets of the City of Yonkers and to
limit or prohibit parking in such zones, spaces and stands when marked
and indicated by suitable signs. The Traffic Engineer is designated
as the municipal officer authorized and empowered to designate highways
in which vehicles shall pass in one direction only or from which heavy
trucks shall be excluded. Highways so designated shall be marked at
all intersections by conspicuous signs which shall be visible during
the hours in which such designation is to be observed. In any case
where a traffic regulation is made by the Traffic Engineer in order
to exercise any of the foregoing powers, such regulation must, before
it takes effect, be published at least once in each week for two successive
weeks in the official newspapers of the City. Any regulation, rule
or designation made by the Traffic Engineer under the power given
or delegated to that officer by the provisions of this section shall,
upon its taking effect, supersede the provisions of any existing ordinance
which became effective prior to May 9, 1939, that may conflict with
or pertain in any way to the subject matter of such regulation, rule
or designation.
A.
Traffic regulations in certain areas.
(1)
In accordance with § 1640-a of the Vehicle and Traffic
Law of the State of New York, upon written request of the owner or
the person in general charge of the operation and control of parking
areas and driveways of a hospital or parking areas of a shopping center
or the parking area and private streets or roadways of a private apartment
house complex or the parking areas and driveways of a fire station
or private condominium complex or upon request of the Fire Commissioner
or Police Commissioner and after consultation with the Traffic Engineer,
the City Council may issue a directive regulating traffic in the specified
area, maintaining a list of each of said areas by location, and may
in said directive:
(a)
Order stop signs, flashing signals or yield signs erected at
specified entrance or exit locations to any such area or designate
any intersection in such area as a stop intersection or as a yield
intersection and order like signs or signals at one or more entrances
to such intersection.
(b)
Regulate traffic in any such area, including regulation by means
of traffic control signals.
(c)
Notwithstanding the provisions of § 1643 of the Vehicle
and Traffic Law of the State of New York to the contrary, establish
maximum speed limits in any such area at not less than 15 miles per
hour.
(d)
Prohibit or regulate the turning of vehicles or specified types
of vehicles at intersections or other designated locations in any
such area.
(e)
Regulate the crossing of any roadway in any such area by pedestrians.
(f)
Designate any separate roadway in any such area for one-way
traffic.
(g)
Prohibit, regulate, restrict or limit the stopping, standing
or parking of vehicles in specified areas of any such area.
(h)
Designate safety zones in any such area.
(i)
Provide for the removal and storage of vehicles parked or abandoned
in any such area during snowstorms, floods, fires or other public
emergencies or found unattended in any such area where they constitute
an obstruction to traffic or where stopping, standing or parking is
prohibited and provide for the payment of reasonable charges for such
removal and storage by the owner or operator of any such vehicle.
(j)
Adopt such additional reasonable rules and regulations with
respect to traffic and parking in any such area as local conditions
may require for the safety and convenience of the public or of the
users of any such area.
B.
Regulations on highways and private roads.
(1)
In accordance with § 1640 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law
of the State of New York, the City Council may, by resolution, ordinance,
local law, order, rule or regulation, designate highways, including
private roads open to public motor vehicle traffic, as subject to
this chapter. Once so designated, the Traffic Engineer shall issue
orders and regulations for said highway or private street which may
include therein any regulation authorized in § 1640 of the
Vehicle and Traffic Law or any other applicable statute.
(2)
The Traffic Engineer shall maintain a current list of all highways
and private streets designated by the City Council per this section.
C.
In accordance with §§ 1640 and 1640-a of the Vehicle
and Traffic Law of the State of New York, uniformed officers of the
Fire Department of the City of Yonkers are hereby authorized and empowered
to direct traffic where such direction is necessary to ensure safe
entry and exit of vehicles and apparatus into and out of fire stations.
[Added 5-11-1993 by G.O. No. 3-1993]
