Except as provided in this chapter, the Los Angeles County Vehicles and Traffic Code (the County Traffic Ordinance) as adopted, amended and in effect on February 13, 1981, is adopted as the Traffic Code of the City.
(Prior code § 10-1.1; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 22-1730 § 1)
Three copies of the County Traffic Ordinance have been deposited in the office of the City Clerk of the City, and they shall be at all times maintained by the Clerk for use and examination by the public.
(Prior code § 10-1.2; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 22-1730 § 1)
Whenever the following terms are used in the County Traffic Ordinance or this chapter, each term shall be deemed and construed to have the meaning provided in this section:
"Board" or "Board of Supervisors"
means the Norwalk City Council.
"Clerk of the Board of Supervisors"
means the Norwalk City Clerk.
"Commissioner" or "Road Commissioner"
means the Norwalk City Engineer.
"County" or "County of Los Angeles"
means the City of Norwalk, except where either such term is used in conjunction with the adoption, repeal or amendment of an ordinance of the County of Los Angeles or in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Jail.
"Road Department"
means the Norwalk Department of Public Services.
"Traffic Advisory Board"
means the Norwalk Public Safety Commission.
(Prior code § 10-1.3; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 22-1730 § 1)
The following chapters and sections of the County Traffic Ordinance are deleted:
A. 
Chapter 15.16, entitled "HIGHWAY SAFETY COMMISSION";
B. 
Sections 15.24.030 and 15.24.040, regarding private roads;
C. 
Sections 15.32.060 and 15.32.070, regarding speed limits;
D. 
Chapter 15.44, entitled "HOUSING AUTHORITY TRAFFIC REGULATIONS";
E. 
Section 15.48.060, regarding vehicle weight limits;
F. 
Chapter 15.60, entitled "TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURES";
G. 
Sections 15.64.060 and 15.64.070, regarding parking restrictions in West Hollywood;
H. 
Sections 15.64.420, 15.64.430 and 15.64.440, regarding taxicab stands;
I. 
Chapter 15.88, entitled "PARADES";
J. 
Chapter 15.96, entitled "OPERATION OF VEHICLES ON COUNTY GROUNDS";
K. 
Chapter 15.100, entitled "MT. WILSON TRAIL."
(Prior code § 10-1.4; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 22-1730 § 1)
The following sections of the County Vehicles and Traffic Code, as adopted by the City, are amended as follows:
A. 
Section 15.12.030 is amended to read as follows:
15.12.030 MINIMUM PENALTY. In any case where a jail sentence is not imposed, is less than two days, or is suspended in whole or in part, a fine shall be imposed for a violation of this ordinance in not less than the following amounts:
a. 
In any case, Five dollars.
b. 
When necessary to issue a notice to the violator, Five dollars.
c. 
When necessary to issue a warrant to bring the violator into court, Ten dollars.
B. 
Section 15.52.010 is amended to read as follows:
15.52.010 BETWEEN INTERSECTIONS. The City Engineer shall mark crosswalks at those locations at which the City Council has determined and found that conditions of vehicular and pedestrian traffic are such that a traffic hazard exists without such a crosswalk and that the warrants for such crosswalk have been met. The City Clerk shall maintain a list of such crosswalks.
C. 
In Section 15.64.050, the term "6,000 pounds" is amended to read: "10,000 pounds."
D. 
In Section 15.48.170, the term "Two dollars" is amended to read: "Five dollars."
E. 
Section 15.48.040 is amended to read as follows:
15.48.040 SPECIFICATIONS-SIGNS. The signs provided for by this ordinance shall be of a nature, size and location determined by the City Council.
F. 
Section 15.80.030 is amended to read as follows:
15.80.030. This ordinance is not the exclusive regulation of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles within the City of Norwalk. It shall supplement such other regulatory provisions enacted by the City, County, State or other legal entity or agency having jurisdiction.
G. 
Section 15.24.020 is amended to read as follows:
15.24.020 Residence or business district roads—Designated. Roads described in Section
15.24.010 include:
A. 
Roads within Norwalk Manor Condominiums.
B. 
Roads within Benton Bay Condominiums.
C. 
Tolly Street.
H. 
Section 15.64.130 is amended to read as follows:
15.64.130 Alleys—Parking limits.
A. 
An operator shall not park or stop in any alley for any purpose other than the active loading or unloading of passengers or materials, or both. Such operator shall not stop for the active loading or unloading of passengers for more than three minutes or for the active loading or unloading of materials for more than 20 minutes at any time in any alley.
B. 
Certain alleys may be excepted from said parking restrictions but, where permitted, parking shall be restricted to one side of any alley so designated. Each exception shall be recommended by the City Engineer and authorized by Resolution of the City Council, pursuant to the filing with the City Engineer of a petition describing the alley for which the exception is sought and bearing the signatures of no fewer than 75% of the owners of property adjacent to both sides of the alley. Exceptions shall be made only in cases where parking of vehicles in the alley will not unduly interfere with access to garages opening to the alley or with traffic through the alley. The City Engineer shall place signs indicating the side of the alley where parking is permitted, for each alley designated pursuant to this subsection.
I. 
Section 15.68.020 is amended to read as follows:
15.68.020 Private property—Operating vehicle without permission prohibited. A person shall not park or operate any type of motor vehicle upon the private property of another, except a highway or private street, without first obtaining the written permission of the person in lawful possession of the property or, if the property is unoccupied, of the owner.
J. 
Section 15.64.160 is deleted.
K. 
Section 15.64.200 is deleted.
(Prior code § 10-1.5; Ord. 1552 § 2, 2004; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 22-1730 § 1)
Sections 15.12.010 through 15.12.030, inclusive, of the County Traffic Ordinance are adopted by the City and incorporated into the Traffic Code of the City of Norwalk, to read as follows:
15.12.010 Violation—Penalty—Additional offenses. Any person violating or failing to comply with any of the provisions of this Division 1 shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punishable for the first offense by a fine of not to exceed $50.00, or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not exceeding five days; for a second violation within a period of one year, by a fine of not to exceed $100.00, or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not exceeding 10 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment; for a third and each additional offense committed within one year, by a fine of not exceeding $500.00, or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period of not to exceed six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
15.12.020 Reckless driving—Penalty for violation. Whenever reckless driving of a vehicle prohibited by Section 15.28.010 proximately causes bodily injury to any person, the person so driving such vehicle shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment in the County Jail for not less than 30 days nor more than six months or by a fine of not less than $100.00 nor more than $500.00, or by both.
15.12.030 Minimum Penalties. In any case where a jail sentence is not imposed, where the jail sentence is less than two days, or if the jail sentence is suspended in whole or in part, a fine shall be imposed for a violation of this Division 1 in not less than the following amounts:
A. 
In any case, $1.00;
B. 
When it is necessary to issue a notice to the violator, $2.00;
C. 
If it is necessary to issue a warrant to bring the violator into court, $10.00.
(Prior code § 10-1.6; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 22-1730 § 1)
It is the intention of the City to provide reasonable traffic and parking rules, regulations and laws. All intersections, safety zones, crosswalks, roadway or curb parking markings, loading markings, standing regulation markings, stop signs, boulevard stop signs, speed limit signs, slow signs, danger signs, caution signs, warning signs, traffic signals, and all other traffic control signs and devices, parking limit signs and roadway markings relative to traffic direction and control, and also relative to parking, now painted or marked or posted or in place or designated or authorized by existing County ordinances, or by the County Highway Safety Commission, or by the County Sheriff or by the State Highway Patrol, or by other agencies to whom such authority was delegated by the State or County, shall so continue as if established or designated by the City Council, and shall be enforced pursuant to this chapter as part of the traffic regulations of the City until the City Council adopts rules or regulations or laws to the contrary. No person shall drive, stand or park a vehicle in violation of traffic regulations. The foregoing shall remain enforceable as long as they conform with the provisions of the Vehicle Code of the State of California or until changed by the City Council. Future designations relative to the foregoing shall be done pursuant to authorization given or granted by the City Council to any person, agency or organization.
(Prior code § 10-1.7; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 22-1730 § 1)
The enforcement of the rules, regulations and laws of this chapter shall be by the California State Highway Patrol, the County Sheriff's Department and the law enforcement agency of the City.
(Prior code § 10-1.8; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 22-1730 § 1)
Whenever the City Council considers a resolution pertaining to traffic and related matters regulated by this chapter, appropriate notice of such consideration shall be provided to any property owners and tenants who would reasonably be affected by such resolution.
(Prior code § 10-1.9; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 22-1730 § 1)
It shall be the responsibility of the City Engineer to accomplish traffic engineering which includes, but is not limited to, the following:
A. 
Determine the necessity for and cause the installation, proper timing and maintenance of traffic control devices and signals;
B. 
Conduct engineering analyses of traffic accidents and devise remedial measures;
C. 
Conduct engineering and traffic investigations of traffic conditions;
D. 
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 Code.
The City Engineer may designate a subordinate who shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as are provided in this chapter to be exercised or performed by the City Engineer with regard to traffic engineering.
(Prior code § 10-1.10; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 22-1730 § 1)
A. 
The City Engineer is authorized to mark centerlines and lane lines upon the surface of the roadway to indicate the course to be traveled by vehicles; and he or she may place upon the roadways signs temporarily designating lanes to be used by traffic moving in a particular direction, regardless of the centerline of the highway, when such signs will facilitate traffic movement.
B. 
When such signs have been so placed, no person shall disobey the given instructions.
(Prior code § 10-1.12; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 22-1730 § 1)
The City Engineer is authorized to determine those intersections at which drivers of vehicles shall not make a right, left or U-turn, and shall place proper signs at such intersections. The making of such turns may be prohibited between certain hours of any day and permitted at other hours, in which event the same shall be plainly indicated on the signs, or the signs may be removed when such turns are permitted.
(Prior code § 10-1.13; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 22-1730 § 1)