The City Traffic Engineer shall place and maintain traffic control
signs, signals, and devices when and as required under the traffic
ordinances of the City to make effective the provisions of said ordinances,
and may place and maintain such additional traffic control devices
as he/she may deem necessary to regulate traffic under the traffic
ordinances of the City or under State law or to guide or warn traffic.
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 Board of Aldermen
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 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.
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 when vehicular traffic shall not
enter the intersection.
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" 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.
When lane direction control signals are placed over the individual
lanes of a street or highway, vehicular traffic may travel in any
lane over which a green signal is shown, but shall not enter or travel
in any lane over which a red signal is shown.
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 signal 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 signal.
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 inscription, shield or insignia thereon, or
any other part thereof.
The City Traffic Engineer shall have authority to declare any
street or part thereof a play street and to place appropriate signs
or devices in the roadway indicating and helping to protect the same.
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.
A.
The City
Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized:
1.
To designate
and maintain, by appropriate devices, marks, or lines upon the surface
of the roadway, crosswalks at intersections where in his/her opinion
there is particular danger to pedestrians crossing the roadway, and
at such other places as he/she may deem necessary.
2.
To establish
safety zones of such kind and character and at such places as he/she
may deem necessary for the protection of pedestrians.
A.
The City
Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to mark traffic lanes upon the
roadway of any street or highway where a regular alignment of traffic
is necessary.
B.
Where
such traffic lanes have been marked, it shall be unlawful for the
operator of any vehicle to fail or refuse to keep such vehicle within
the boundaries of any such lane except when lawfully passing another
vehicle or preparatory to making a lawful turning movement.
[CC 1991 §23-38; Ord. No. 815 §2(2), 9-13-1989]
It shall be the duty of the Police Chief to provide the authorities
of every school within the City with stop signs for each crosswalk
located at such school, which signs shall be placed thereat by the
authorities of such school between the hours of 7:30 A.M. to 9:00
A.M., 11:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. and 3:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. or at such
other hours which the Police Chief may agree to, on days when school
is in session; provided however, that no stop signs shall be so placed
by the school authorities before 7:30 A.M. or after 4:30 P.M. on such
days. When such signs are in place, every driver of a vehicle shall
stop at the sign or at the near side of such crosswalk.
