The words and phrases used in this chapter, unless the same shall be clearly contrary to, or inconsistent with the context of this chapter or of the section in which used, or of the State law, shall be construed as follows:
Arterial street.
Any U.S. or State-numbered route, controlled-access highway, or other major radial or circumferential street or highway designated by proper City officials as part of a major arterial system or highway.
Authorized emergency vehicle.
Vehicles of the Fire Department, police vehicles and such ambulances and emergency vehicles of municipal departments or public service corporation as are designated or authorized by the Chief of Police.
Bicycle.
Every device propelled by human power upon which any person may ride, having two tandem wheels either of which is more than fourteen inches (14ʺ) in diameter.
Commercial vehicle.
A motor vehicle or other vehicle, designed for the carrying of freight or merchandise.
Controlled-access highway.
Every highway, street or roadway in respect to which owners or occupants of abutting lands and other persons have no legal right of access to or from the same except at such points only and in such manner as may be determined by the public authority having jurisdiction over such highway, street or roadway.
Crosswalk.
That part of a roadway at an intersection included within the connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway measured from the curbs, or in the absence of curbs from the edge of the traversable roadway.
Curb.
The boundary of that portion of the street open to the public for the use of vehicles.
Double parking.
The standing of a vehicle upon a street alongside of and parallel to another vehicle which is parked at the curb.
Driver.
Every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle.
Horse.
Any draft animal or beast of burden.
Intersection.
A. 
The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways which join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict.
B. 
Where a highway includes two roadways thirty feet (30') or more apart, then every crossing of each roadway of such divided highway by an intersection highway shall be regarded as a separate intersection. In the event such intersecting highway also includes two roadways thirty feet (30') or more apart, then every crossing of two roadways of such highway shall be regarded as a separate intersection.
Laned roadway.
A roadway which is divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for vehicular traffic.
Motor-driven cycle.
Every motorcycle, including every motor scooter, with a motor which produces not to exceed five horsepower, and every bicycle with motor attached.
Motor vehicle.
Every vehicle which is self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails.
Motorcycle.
Every motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, but excluding a tractor.
Official traffic-control device.
All signs, signals, markings and devices not inconsistent with this chapter placed or erected by authority of the City Council or official having jurisdiction, for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic.
Operator.
Any person who operates or drives a motor vehicle, motor-driven cycle or motorcycle.
Owner.
Any person owning or renting a motor vehicle or other vehicle, or having the exclusive use thereof under a lease or otherwise, for a period of greater than 30 days.
Park.
When prohibited, means the standing of a vehicle whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading.
Pedestrian.
Any person afoot.
Police officer.
Every officer of the Municipal Police Department or any officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations.
Private road or driveway.
Every way or place in private ownership and used for vehicular travel by the owner and those having express implied permission from the owner, but not by other persons.
Property line.
An imaginary line extending from a corner of a building or property adjoining any one of the corners of a street intersection to the similar corner of the building or property on the opposite side of the street.
Public highway.
Any highway, road, street, avenue, alley, driveway, boulevard, or other place built, supported, maintained, controlled or used by the public, or by the City, for the use of the public as a highway, or for the transportation of persons or freight, or as a place of travel or communication to or from different localities within the City.
Railroad.
A carrier of persons or property upon cars operated upon stationary rails.
Railroad sign or signal.
Any sign, signal or device erected by authority of a public body or official or by a railroad and intended to give notice of the presence of railroad tracks or the approach of a railroad train.
Railroad train.
An engine, with or without cars coupled thereto, operated upon rails.
Right-of-way.
The privilege of the immediate use of the roadway.
Roadway.
That portion of a highway improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder. In the event a highway includes two or more separate roadways, the term "roadway" as used herein shall refer to any such roadway separately but not to all such roadways collectively.
Safety zone.
The area or space officially set apart within a roadway for the exclusive use of pedestrians and which is protected or is so marked or indicated by adequate signs as to be plainly visible at all times while set apart as a safety zone.
School bus.
Every motor vehicle owned by a public or governmental agency and operated for the transportation of children to or from school or privately owned and operated for compensation for the transportation of children to or from school.
Sidewalk.
That portion of a street between the curb line, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines, intended for use of pedestrians.
Stand or standing.
Means the halting of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than for the purpose of and while actually engaged in receiving or discharging passengers.
Stop.
When required, means complete cessation of movement.
Stop or stopping.
When prohibited, means any halting even momentarily of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the direction of a police officer or traffic-control sign or signal.
Streets.
The entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel.
Through highway.
Every highway or portion thereof on which vehicular traffic is given preferential right-of-way, and at the entrances of which vehicular traffic from intersecting highways is required by law to yield right-of-way to vehicles on such through highways in obedience to either a stop sign or a yield sign, when such signs are erected or may be erected as provided in this chapter.
Traffic-control signal.
Any device, whether manually, electrically or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and to proceed.
Trailer.
Every vehicle with or without motive power, other than a pole trailer, designed for carrying property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle and so constructed that no part of its weight rests upon the towing vehicle.
Vehicle.
Every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, excepting devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.
Words.
In the present tense, shall include the future tense; and in the masculine shall include the feminine and neuter genders; and in the singular shall include the plural; and in the plural shall include the singular.
(R.O. 1947 § 262; amd. Ord. 1760, 10-5-2015)
All members of the Police Department are hereby authorized and empowered to direct, control, restrict and regulate, in the interest of public safety, health and convenience, the movement of pedestrians, vehicles and traffic of every kind within the City, and may when necessary, divert or exclude all such traffic from any public highway within the City.
(R.O. 1947 § 263)
A. 
Prohibiting Travel: The City Engineer is hereby authorized and empowered subject to supervision and control by the Mayor or Council, in the course of constructing, reconstructing, repair, maintenance or cleaning of any street, avenue, alley or other public way or any part thereof, to enclose or block off and prohibit travel, vehicular or pedestrian traffic on any such street, avenue, alley or public way, or portion thereof, on or in which any such work may be in progress.
B. 
Interference Prohibited: It is hereby declared to be a misdemeanor and punishable as such for any person to interfere with any such work on or in or enter upon or travel by vehicle or otherwise upon or across any such street, avenue, alley or other public way or portion thereof where such work is in progress or to remove or interfere with any bars, boards, horses or other barriers placed by authority of the City Engineer on or across any such street, avenue, alley or other public way wherein such work is in progress, except in case of emergency and by permission of the City Engineer, or his or her assistant in charge of such work.
(Ord. 542 § 1)
It shall be unlawful for any railway company, train dispatchers, conductor, engineer, superintendent, firefighter, switchmen, trainmen, trainmaster, or other person having in his or her charge or under his or her control any railway locomotive, car or train of cars, to suffer or permit any railway locomotive, car or train of cars to stand or be on the streets within the limits of the City, known as Meridian Road, Fifth Avenue West North, Fourth Avenue West North, Second Avenue West North, First Avenue West North, Main Street, Third Avenue East North, and Fourth Avenue East North, of a longer period than five minutes a day at any one time, and it is hereby made the duty of the person mentioned this section to so regulate the movements of the locomotives, cars, and trains in his or her charge or under his or her control, that no team, conveyance or pedestrian shall be required to wait at either of such crossings for a longer period than five minutes at any one time.
(R.O. 1947 § 837; amd. Ord. 1085 § I)
No person shall drive a motor vehicle on any street or alley within the City who is not in possession of a motor vehicle driver's license for the current year, issued to him or her in conformity with the laws of this State. No person shall drive a motor vehicle on any street or alley within the City when his or her privilege so to do is suspended or revoked.
(R.O. 1947 § 269; amd. Ord. 745 § 1)
It shall be the duty of any driver of a motor vehicle to report immediately to the Police Department, any accident, collision or mishap he or she may sustain, resulting in injury to person or property, or any with which he or she might be connected, and it shall be the duty of every person operating or driving any vehicle on the streets of the City and coming into contact with any pedestrian, vehicle or other object on such highway, to stop and render such aid and assistance as may be required, and in the case of injury to any person or damage to any vehicle or property or any occupant thereof, to furnish the driver of the other vehicle, or any occupant of such vehicle or any witness to the accident, or in case of an injured pedestrian or witness, the license number of his or her vehicle, the true name and address of the owner, and the name and address and license number of the driver, and the name and address of each occupant of such vehicle and it shall likewise be the duty of any witness of any such accident to furnish to the driver or any occupant of such vehicle or to any person concerned in such accident, upon request, his or her name and address and it shall be unlawful and a misdemeanor for either party to a collision, whether resulting from a mistake of judgment or arising from accident, to move away from the place of such collision without complying with this section.
(Ord. 549 § 1)
It shall be unlawful for any person to "tune up" or "race" the engine of any motor vehicle on any public highway in the City. The object of this provision is to prohibit loud or distressing noises.
(R.O. 1947 § 377)
No person shall leave a motor vehicle standing in any public highway with the engine running, unless such motor vehicle be attended by a person proficient in the operation of such motor vehicle.
(R.O. 1947 § 376)
A. 
No person shall, without authority of the person in charge, climb upon or into any motor vehicle, whether the same is in motion or at rest, or hurl stones or any other missile at the same or occupants thereof, nor shall, while such motor vehicle is at rest and unattended, sound the horn or other signaling device or attempt to manipulate any of the levers, starting device, brakes or machinery thereof, or set such vehicle in motion, or otherwise damage or interfere with the same.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to ride on the rear of any vehicle without permission from the driver thereof, and when riding, no part of such person's body shall protrude beyond the limits of the vehicle.
C. 
It shall also be unlawful for any person to alight upon the public highways from any moving vehicles, or to in any manner catch onto or otherwise attach him or herself, or any object or vehicle, to any moving vehicle.
D. 
It shall also be unlawful for the driver, or person in charge of any moving vehicle, to knowingly permit any person to alight upon the public highways from such vehicle while in motion, or to knowingly permit any person to, in any manner, catch onto or otherwise attach him or herself to any object or vehicle to such moving vehicle.
(R.O. 1947 §§ 366—370)
A. 
Every motor vehicle which shall be driven upon the streets, highways, alleys or other public ways in the City shall display such number of license plates, windshield sticker or distinctive insignia or identification markers, or any combination of the same, as are now required by the State of motor vehicles driven upon the public streets or highways of such State, by existing laws or by such laws as may hereafter be amended, modified or enacted.
B. 
No person shall drive any motor vehicle upon the streets, highways, alleys or other public ways in the City after the date required by State law, which does not display the number plates or identification markers, or the like, as then required by the State law to be possessed or displayed, as provided in this section.
(Ord. 612 § 2)
Any person, who through accident, may cause to be thrown or be placed in or upon any public highway any glass, nails or other material likely to injure animals or any vehicle, shall remove same immediately.
(R.O. 1947 § 381)
It shall be unlawful for the owner of property abutting upon any street intersection in this City, or other person occupying or having the management and control of such property, to permit bushes, shrubs, evergreen trees or hedges to exceed a height of thirty six inches (36ʺ) from the ground, within a triangular area formed by the intersection of the center lines of the adjoining streets and a straight line connecting points on such center lines eighty feet (80') from such property line with such intersection, or to permit limbs or other trees to extend over the sidewalk or property line within such area at a height of less than eight feet (8') from the ground; it is also unlawful for the owner or occupant or person in charge of any property abutting on any street in the City to permit bushes, shrubs, trees or hedges to extend over the public sidewalk or public walkway adjacent to such property at a height of less than eight feet (8') from the surface level of such sidewalk or public walkway.
(Ord. 659 § 1; amd. Ord. 940A § 1)
A. 
Notification; Removal: Any person violating the provisions of Section 17-13 of this article shall be notified in writing by the Chief of Police of such violations and be given 15 days' time from and after the date of such notice to remove any such obstruction.
B. 
Removal by City: In addition to the penalties provided for in this section, if the obstruction is not removed within such period, the Chief of Police may cause the same to be removed at the expense of the City, and the City may thereupon charge the cost of such removal against the owner of such property, to be secured by a lien on the property as in the case of other assessments.
C. 
Fine: If the obstruction is not removed with such period, such person shall, upon conviction of violating the provisions of Section 17-13 of this article, be fined as provided in Section 1-9 of this Code.
(Ord. 659 § 2-4)