The chief of police is empowered to make regulations necessary to make effective the sections of this chapter and the provisions of other city traffic ordinances and to make and enforce temporary or experimental regulations to cover emergencies or special conditions. No such temporary or experimental regulation shall remain in effect for more than 90 days.
(1966 Code, sec. 29-3; 2001 Code, sec. 102-31)
The city Traffic Engineering Division shall place and maintain traffic control signs, signals, and devices when and as required under this chapter and the city traffic ordinances to make effective this chapter and the provisions of such ordinances and may place and maintain such additional traffic control devices as may be deemed necessary to regulate traffic under this chapter, the city traffic ordinances or under state law or to guide or warn traffic.
(1966 Code, sec. 29-70; 2001 Code, sec. 102-33)
There shall be a charge of the higher of an amount established by separate ordinance or the maximum amount allowable in accordance with state law for each copy of the investigating officer’s report of investigation made at the scene of an automobile accident. Such charge is to be paid in cash to the chief of police and shall be deposited in the city’s general fund.
(1966 Code, sec. 29-17(b); 2001 Code, sec. 102-35)
No procession or parade, excepting the forces of the United States Army or Navy, the military forces of this state, and the forces of the Police and Fire Departments, shall occupy, march, or proceed along any street except in accordance with a permit issued by the traffic engineer and such other regulations as are set forth in this chapter which may apply.
(1966 Code, sec. 29-19; 2001 Code, sec. 102-36)
Upon the issuance of a moving permit, the house mover shall cause notice to be given to the Traffic Engineering Department, telephone or light companies, chief of the Fire Department, or others whose property may be affected by such removal. The house mover shall set forth in all notices the route that will be taken, the time started, and the approximate time of completion.
(1966 Code, sec. 29-20; 2001 Code, sec. 102-37)
The city Traffic Engineering Division is authorized to:
(1) 
Designate and maintain, by appropriate devices, marks or lines upon the surface of the roadway, crosswalks at intersections where, in his opinion, there is particular danger to pedestrians crossing the roadway and at such other places as may be deemed necessary.
(2) 
Establish safety zones of such kind and character and at such places as may be deemed necessary for the protection of pedestrians.
(1966 Code, sec. 29-216; 2001 Code, sec. 102-38)
(a) 
The city Traffic Engineering Division is authorized to mark traffic lanes upon the roadway of any street or highway where a regular alignment of traffic is necessary. Overhead traffic lane signs are approved for the proper control of lane assignments. When such lanes are properly signed and marked, it is a violation of this chapter for any vehicle traveling straight through or turning left or right contrary to properly signed and marked lanes.
(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.
(1966 Code, sec. 29-217; 2001 Code, sec. 102-39)
(a) 
Wherever the director of aviation, traffic and transportation shall find a tree, shrub, hedge or other natural growth of any sort or description located and growing within the boundaries of any public street in the city which interferes with the vision of automobile drivers or the drivers of other types of vehicles driving upon such streets, therefore constituting a traffic hazard, the director of aviation, traffic and transportation is therefore authorized to cause the traffic hazard to be abated by trimming or removing any such obstruction.
(b) 
The director of aviation, traffic and transportation is authorized to give written notice to the owner of any abutting property and afford such owner the opportunity to do the work of removing such hazard to traffic within a ten-day period of receipt of the notice, but shall not be compelled to await the owner’s action when he shall find that the public safety requires the immediate abatement of such hazard.
(c) 
If any hazard is not removed after notice to the adjoining property owner, the director of aviation, traffic and transportation is authorized and directed to request the Parks and Recreation Department to furnish the workers and equipment to do whatever is necessary in the premises to remove such hazard, such work to be done immediately.
(d) 
If any interested person is dissatisfied with the action of the director of aviation, traffic and transportation, the person may, within the ten-day period of notice described in this section, file an appeal with the city Traffic Safety Commission for a full and complete hearing by such commission, and the interested property owner may in his discretion appeal the matter to the city council, whose judgment thereon shall be final.
(e) 
For the direction of the director of aviation, traffic and transportation, the minimum height of 12 feet of clearance of all hedges, shrubbery or tree limbs over any city street is determined to be the minimum height for any overhanging shrubbery or growth.
(f) 
On any corner lot or parkway adjacent thereto, a fence, wall, structure, sign, hedge, tree or obstruction of any nature erected, planted or maintained so as to interfere with sight lines at elevations between two feet and eight feet above the top of the adjacent roadway curb or, if there is no curb, from the average street grade, within a triangular area formed by the intersection of the adjacent curblines or, if none exists, the normal curblines and a point on each curbline 45 feet from the intersection shall be prima facie evidence that such fence, wall, structure, sign, hedge, tree or obstruction of any nature constitutes an obstruction to vision as regards to public traffic on the streets. The triangular area of visibility as provided for in this subsection is further described and depicted by the drawing following this subsection. Any such fence, wall, structure, sign, hedge, tree or obstruction of any nature erected, planted or maintained in violation of this subsection shall be removed upon written notice from the director of aviation, traffic and transportation, served upon the owner, agent or occupant of the premises where such obstruction has been erected, planted or maintained. If the obstruction is not removed within ten days after notice, it may be removed by the city at the expense of the property owner. The owner, agent or occupant shall be subject to a fine of not more than $200.00, and each day that such owner, agent or occupant suffers the obstruction to remain shall be deemed a separate offense. Any building or structure built in conformance with the city building codes or requirements which fall within this triangular area shall be exempt from this subsection.
(1966 Code, sec. 29-215; 2001 Code, sec. 102-40)
(a) 
A police officer is authorized to remove or cause the removal of a motor vehicle from a public place to a place designated by the chief of police when the motor vehicle is involved in an accident or stopped by a police officer for an alleged violation of a city or state traffic law or other law applicable to the operation of a motor vehicle on the roadway and the motor vehicle’s owner or operator fails to show:
(1) 
Evidence of financial responsibility as required under Texas Transportation Code sec. 601.001 et seq., as amended; or
(2) 
A valid driver’s license appropriate for the type of vehicle operated by the operator of the motor vehicle. A suspended license is not considered to be valid.
(b) 
Prior to impoundment of the motor vehicle for failure to show evidence of financial responsibility, the police officer shall verify the status of financial responsibility by utilizing or obtaining the utilization of a verification program established pursuant to the Texas Transportation Code sec. 601.451 et seq.
(c) 
Prior to impoundment of the motor vehicle for failure to show a valid driver’s license appropriate for the type of vehicle operated by the operator of the motor vehicle, the police officer shall verify the status of licensure by utilizing or obtaining the utilization of a database of valid motor vehicle licenses.
(d) 
For purposes of this section, the term “public place” means a place to which the public or a substantial group of the public has access, other than a privately owned parking area that is intended to provide parking for the residence of the operator of the vehicle.