The chief of police shall have placed and maintained traffic-control signs, signals and devices when and where required under the traffic ordinances of this city to make effective the provisions of said ordinance, and may cause to be placed and maintained such additional traffic signs, signals, and devices as he may deem necessary to regulate traffic, under the traffic ordinances of the city or under state law, or to guide or warn traffic.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 4A; 2004 Code, sec. 12.401)
All traffic-control devices including signs, signals and markings (pavement and/or curb) installed or used for the purpose of directing and controlling traffic within the city shall conform with the manual and specifications adopted by the state transportation commission as provided in V.T.C.A., Transportation Code, section 544.001. All signs, signals and markings erected or used by the city must conform to the manual and specifications adopted under V.T.C.A., Transportation Code, section 544.001. All existing traffic-control devices and those erected in the future by the city being consistent with the manual and specifications, state law and this section shall be official traffic-control devices.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 4B; 2004 Code, sec. 12.402; Ordinance adopting 2021 Code)
The driver of any vehicle shall obey the instructions of any official traffic-control device applicable thereto placed in accordance with the traffic ordinances of this city, unless otherwise directed by a police officer, subject to the exemptions granted to the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle in this chapter.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 4C; 2004 Code, sec. 12.403)
No provision of this chapter for which signs are required shall be enforced against an alleged violator if at the time and place of the alleged violation an official sign was not in proper position and sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinarily observant person. Whenever a particular section does not state that signs are required, such section shall be effective even though no signs are erected or in place.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 4D; 2004 Code, sec. 12.404)
Whenever traffic is controlled by traffic-control signals exhibiting the word “Go,” “Caution,” or “Stop,” or exhibiting different colors successively one at a time or with arrows, the following colors only shall be used and said terms and lights shall indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as follows:
(1) 
Green (indication) or “Go” or both.
(A) 
Vehicular traffic facing the circular green signal, except when prohibited under sections of this chapter otherwise appropriate and in conflict herewith, 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 within the intersection or on 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.
(C) 
Pedestrians facing any green signal may proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk.
(2) 
Yellow (indication) or “Caution”.
(A) 
When shown following the green or “Go” signal, vehicular traffic facing the signal is thereby warned that the red or “Stop” signal will be exhibited immediately thereafter and such vehicular traffic shall not enter or be crossing the intersection when the red or “Stop” signal is exhibited.
(B) 
When shown following the red or “Stop” signal, vehicular traffic shall not enter the intersection until the green or “Go” signal is exhibited.
(C) 
No pedestrian facing a yellow signal shall enter the roadway until the green or “Go” signal is shown unless authorized to do so by a pedestrian “Walk” signal.
(3) 
Red (indication) or “Stop”.
(A) 
Vehicular traffic facing such signal shall stop before entering the nearest crosswalk at an intersection or at a stop line where marked, and may then turn right or, if the intersecting streets are both one-way streets and left turns are permissible, may turn left, after standing until the intersection may be entered safely, yielding the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection, and provided no signs are posted at the intersection prohibiting such turn. Traffic not so turning shall remain standing until an indication to proceed is shown.
(B) 
Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian control signal, no pedestrian shall enter the roadway when facing a red signal.
(4) 
Signals at place other than intersection.
In the event an official 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 a sign or marking on the pavement indicating “stop,” the stop shall be made at the signal.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 4E; 2004 Code, sec. 12.405)
Whenever flashing red or yellow signals are used, they shall require obedience by vehicular traffic as follows:
(1) 
Flashing red (stop signal).
When a red lens is illuminated by rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles shall stop before entering the nearest crosswalk at an intersection or at a limit line when marked 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 signals only with caution. (However, this does not apply at railroad crossings.)
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 4F; 2004 Code, sec. 12.406)
(a) 
No person shall place, maintain, or display upon or in view of any highway any unauthorized sign, signal, marking or device which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic-control device or signal, or which hides from view or interferes with the effectiveness of any official traffic-control device, and no person shall place or maintain nor shall any public authority permit upon any highway any traffic signal or sign bearing thereon any commercial advertising. This shall not be deemed to prohibit the erection upon private property adjacent to highways, of signs giving useful directional information and of a type that cannot be mistaken for official signs.
(b) 
No person shall without lawful authority place, maintain or display upon or in view of any public sidewalk, curb, or street, any sign, signal, marking or device which indicates reserved parking space or is designed to reserve parking space upon the street for the adjoining owners or for customers of the adjoining owners.
(c) 
No person shall without the proper authority place, maintain, or display upon or in view of any public sidewalk, curb or street any sign, signal or device or marking which tends to reserve parking for the adjoining property owners or their customers, where curbs are moved in upon property adjoining the street sufficiently to permit head-in or angle parking.
(d) 
Every such prohibited sign, signal, marking or device is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and the chief of police is hereby empowered to remove the same or cause it to be removed without notice.
(e) 
No person shall without lawful authority, by verbal statement or by gesture, attempt to reserve parking space upon a street for an adjoining owner or for the customers of an adjoining owner.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 4G; 2004 Code, sec. 12.407)
No person shall without proper authority attempt to or in fact alter, deface, injure, knock down or remove any official traffic-control device or any shield, insignia or inscription thereon, or any part thereof.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 4H; 2004 Code, sec. 12.408)
The chief of police is hereby authorized:
(1) 
To designate and maintain, by appropriate devices, marks or lines upon the surface of the roadway, crosswalks at such places as he may deem necessary where, in his opinion, there is particular danger to pedestrians crossing the roadway.
(2) 
To establish safety zones of such character and at such places as he may deem necessary for the protection of pedestrians.
(3) 
To mark lanes for traffic or street pavement at such places as he may deem advisable, consistent with the traffic-control ordinances of this city.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 4I; 2004 Code, sec. 12.409)
All traffic-control signs, signals, devices and markings heretofore placed or erected by the police department and now in use for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic are hereby affirmed, ratified, and declared to be official traffic-control devices, provided, however, said traffic-control devices are not inconsistent with the provisions of state law or this chapter.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 4J; 2004 Code, sec. 12.410)
In any prosecution for any violation of this chapter, it shall not be necessary for the prosecution to prove the installation, or authority therefor, of any traffic-control device or signal, but any person charged with a violation of this chapter shall have the right to prove the same was not so installed or authorized as a defense.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 21; 2004 Code, art. 12.2100)