(a)
The city manager or his designee shall have the duty to conduct an analysis of traffic accidents and to undertake remedial measures, to conduct investigations of traffic conditions and to cooperate with other city officials in the development of the ways and means to improve traffic conditions and to carry out additional powers and duties imposed under this article and other traffic ordinances.
(b)
Whenever and wherever congestion of traffic, frequency of passing of vehicles or pedestrians or both, the direction of the flow of traffic, the dimensions and conditions of streets and sidewalks and the use of property abutting the streets are such that the city manager or his designee deems it necessary for the free flow and expeditious handling of traffic and the safety of persons and property, the city manager or his designee, in compliance with this article, is authorized as follows:
(1)
To place and maintain traffic-control signs, signals and devices when it is required under this article to make effective the provisions of this article, and may place and maintain such additional traffic-control devices as he or she may deem necessary to regulate traffic under this article or under state law or to guide or to warn traffic.
(2)
To direct intersections at which traffic shall be controlled by electronic traffic-control signals or lights, and shall cause such signals or lights to be installed and maintained at such intersections and supervise the installation and proper timing and maintenance of such traffic-control devices.
(3)
If any traffic-control signs, signals or devices shall be erected or maintained on roads or highways or streets that have been designated by the department of transportation by minutes or resolution as state highways and all signs or signals required under this article for those purposes [sic], and as far as practical, be uniform as to type and location throughout the city and be done so with the approval of the department of transportation.
(4)
It shall be the duty of the city manager or his designee to conduct investigations of traffic conditions and to cooperate with other city officials in the development of ways and means to improve traffic conditions and to carry out the additional powers and duties imposed by this article and other traffic ordinances.
(5)
Whenever and wherever the congestion of traffic, the frequency of passage of vehicles or pedestrians or both, the direction and volume of the flow of traffic, the dimensions and conditions of the streets and sidewalks, and the use of property abutting the streets are such that the city manager or his designee finds it to be necessary for the free flow and the expeditious handling of traffic and the safety of persons and property, the city manager or his designee, in compliance with this article, is authorized as follows:
(A)
To place and maintain traffic-control signs, signals and devices when and as required under this article to make effective the provisions of this article, and may place and maintain such additional traffic-control devices as he may deem necessary to regulate traffic under this article or under state law or to guide or warn traffic.
(B)
To designate intersections at which traffic shall be controlled by electric traffic-control signals or lights, and shall cause such signals or lights to be installed and maintained at such intersections and supervise the installation and proper timing and maintenance of traffic-control devices.
(C)
To conduct studies and investigations of the public streets and highways within the city, and shall study the need of the public for parking vehicles on public streets, the width and length of public streets where parking is desired, the availability of parking space and frequency of parking on the public streets, and the needs of business and commercial establishments to have regulated parking on the public streets and, after making such studies, the city manager or his designee or his designated representative shall determine when parking, stopping or standing motor vehicles should be prohibited on public streets and highways in the city, and shall install appropriate signs or by curb markings, giving notice that parking, stopping or standing is prohibited. The city manager or his designee shall make changes in the parking, stopping or standing prohibitions and regulations from time to time as required by the studies and investigations. The city manager or his designee shall also keep accurate records of all parking designations, prohibitions and sign installations.
(D)
To determine and designate intersections, streets, highways and alleys with exits from commercial or apartment property where particular hazards exist, and to determine whether motor vehicles shall stop at one or more exits from any such commercial or apartment property and to erect a stop sign at every such exit where a stop is required.
(E)
To conduct studies and investigations of the public streets and highways within the city, and shall study the needs of the public for areas on the public streets for the exclusive use of bicycles during certain hours of the day, and the width and length of areas on public streets where bicycle lanes are desired, and, after making such studies, the city manager or his designee shall designate those areas on public streets and highways of the city where areas for the exclusive use of bicycles are required and should be in effect by means of appropriate signs and street markings, giving notice that only bicycles may use an area of a public street or highway during certain hours of the day. The city manager or his designee may change areas designated for the exclusive use of bicycles from time to time as required by studies and investigations. The city manager or his designee shall also keep accurate records of all bicycle lane designations, sign installations and street markings.
(F)
To designate and maintain crosswalks.
(G)
To establish safety zones on any of the streets of the city.
(H)
To mark lanes for traffic and parking stalls on the streets of the city.
(I)
To designate the locations at which the making of right, left or complete turns at any intersection of streets or at median openings on divided streets in the city is prohibited.
(J)
To designate the course to be traveled by vehicles turning at or near certain intersections.
(K)
To designate routes directing traffic near public or private schools, parks and public buildings.
(L)
To determine the location of passenger zones, loading zones and handicapped zones.
(M)
To designate locations on the streets of the city for use as public cab stands.
(N)
To designate locations on the streets of the city for use as bus stops.
(O)
To designate intersections of streets at which drivers operating vehicles approaching intersection on one or more of the intersecting streets must bring such vehicle to a complete stop before proceeding into such intersection.
(P)
To make such changes as changing conditions may require in any designation, determination or regulation the city manager or his designee is authorized to make under this article.
(Q)
To designate one-way streets.
(R)
To install temporary traffic-control devices for special events or studies.
(S)
To designate intersections of streets at which drivers operating vehicles on one or more of the intersecting streets shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian legally crossing the designated roadway and to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching the intersection on another intersecting street so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard.
(T)
To designate streets on which the operation of bicycles shall be prohibited.
(U)
To designate and mark appropriately those traffic lanes on multi-laned streets, drives or driveways to be used by vehicles engaging in left turn movements.
(V)
To determine locations for the prohibition of right turns on red signals at intersections controlled by traffic-control devices, and also the prohibition of left turns on red signals at the intersections which are of two one-way streets and are controlled by traffic-control devices where such left turns would be otherwise permissible by direction of the traffic flow upon the streets.
(W)
The city manager or his designee or his designated representative shall, on the basis of an engineering and traffic survey, designate school traffic zones with appropriate street markings or signs, which street markings or signs shall be placed at the school zones by the city manager or his designee or his designated representative and which street markings or signs shall be in conformity with the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
(X)
The city manager or his designee or his designated representative shall conduct studies and investigations of the public streets and highways within the city and shall study the quantity and frequency of truck travel on the public streets, and the needs of the public to have regulated truck travel on the public streets, and after making such studies, the city manager or his designee or his designated representative shall establish no through truck zones in the city, and shall regulate such prohibition by installing appropriate signs.
(Y)
The city manager or his designee or his designated representative shall make changes in the no through truck zone designations from time to time as required by the studies and investigations. The city manager or his designee or his designated representative shall keep accurate records of all no through truck zone designations and sign installations. The city manager or his designee shall erect appropriate signs to designate the no through truck zones.
(Z)
The city manager or his designee is hereby authorized to remove or cause to be removed any trees, plants or other vegetative matter constituting a violation of this article or to be so trimmed, pruned or removed as to eliminate the prohibited condition.
(AA)
The city manager or his designee is hereby authorized to determine time periods when routine street and utility maintenance may not close a roadway or lane because of peak traffic flow characteristics.
(2002 Code, sec. 12.101)