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.
[R.O. 2013 § 355.100; Ord. No.
50-A § 10, 11]
A.
Generally.
The proper officials of the City and the State Highway Commission,
or their legal agents, shall be authorized to paint, mark, place,
erect and maintain official signs, signals and markings or traffic-control
devices, as authorized in this Chapter or by State law, on the surface,
suspended over with legal clearance or by the side of the traveled
highway, as informational to the traveling public and as a warning
to all vehicle operators and pedestrians.
B.
Types
Of Devices And Regulations Authorized. The proper officials of the
City, and the State Highway Commission for State and Federal marked
highways, or their legal agents, are hereby authorized:
1.
To designate and establish speed, safety and hazard zones of such
kind, character and number and at such places as deemed warranted
and necessary, and which will be of the greatest benefit to the general
public.
2.
To erect warning and informational signs or markings at a distance
from certain locations which are deemed by them to be dangerous and
hazardous, and such other informational signs deemed beneficial to
the general public or as a warning to the general public.
3.
To designate and mark lanes for traffic and no passing zones, as
they are deemed warranted and beneficial to the general public, consistent
with State law and this Chapter.
4.
To erect or place signs and markings establishing crossovers or crosswalks
or prohibiting or restricting the stopping, standing or parking of
vehicles on any highway where, in their opinion, such stopping, standing
and parking of any vehicle or obstruction would unduly interfere with
the free movement of traffic thereon. Every person shall legally observe
such signs and markings as authorized under this Chapter or by State
law.
5.
To designate, establish, and prescribe rules and regulations for
the operation of bus stops, loading and unloading zones and taxicab
stands, and to locate them in such places and in such manner as they
shall determine to be of the greatest benefit and convenience to the
public. Every such bus stop, loading and unloading zone and taxicab
stand shall be designated by appropriate signs. Every person shall
legally observe the rules so authorized under this Chapter.
6.
To prescribe rules and regulations for the vending, display or sale
of merchandise and other wares or products upon any portion of the
highways, streets and alleys in the City, and when signs and markings
are placed depicting "No Vending" or words to that effect, every person
shall legally observe such signs, markings, rules or regulations.
7.
To designate, post and mark one-way roadways, rotary traffic islands
and City squares for one-way traffic to the right.
8.
To designate certain highways, streets and alleys in the City as
throughways or through streets and highways. All traffic shall come
to a complete stop before entering or crossing such throughways, when
properly signposted and marked.
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 Subsection (A)(3)(b) below.
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.
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 which attempts to direct the movement of traffic,
or which hides from view or interferes with the effectiveness of any
official traffic control device.
No person shall without lawful authority attempt to or in fact
alter, deface, injure, knock down or remove any official traffic control
device 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.
