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)