The following words and phrases, when used in this chapter shall, for the purpose of this chapter, have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section. Whenever any words or phrases used in this chapter are not defined, but are defined in the Vehicle Code of the state and amendments thereto, such definitions shall apply.
"Alley"
means any highway having a roadway not exceeding thirty feet in width which is primarily used for access to the rear or side entrances of abutting property.
"Coach"
means and includes any motor bus, motor coach, trackless trolley or passenger stage used as a common carrier of passengers.
"Curb"
means the lateral boundary of the roadway, whether the curb is marked by curbing construction or not so marked. The word "curb," as herein used, shall not include the line dividing the roadway of a street from parking strips in the center of the street, nor from tracks of rights-of-way of public utility companies.
"Divisional island"
means a raised island located in the roadway and separating opposing or conflicting streams of traffic.
"Holidays"
within the meaning of this chapter, mean the first day of January, the twelfth day of February, the twenty-second day of February, the thirtieth day of May, the fourth day of July, the ninth day of September, all state or Federal primary and general election days, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday following Thanksgiving Day and the twenty-fifth of December. If any holiday shall fall on a Sunday, it will be observed on the following Monday. Holidays falling on a Saturday shall be observed on the preceding Friday, unless this too is a holiday and then one day sooner.
"Loading zone"
means the space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of passengers or materials.
"Parkway"
means that portion of a street other than a roadway or a sidewalk.
"Passenger loading zone"
means the space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of passengers.
"Pedestrian"
means any person afoot.
"Stop"
when required, means complete cessation of movement.
(Prior code § 19-1)
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the operator of any vehicle owned by or used in the service of the United States Government, this state, any County or any City, and it is unlawful for any such operator to violate any of the provisions of this chapter, except as otherwise permitted in this chapter or by the Vehicle Code of the state.
(Prior code § 19-3)
A. 
The provisions of this chapter regulating the operation, parking and standing of vehicles shall not apply to vehicles operated by the Police or Fire Department, any public ambulance or any public utility vehicle or any private ambulance that has qualified as an emergency vehicle, when any vehicle mentioned in this section is operated in the manner specified by the Vehicle Code of the state in response to an emergency call.
B. 
The foregoing exemptions shall not, however, relieve the operator of any such vehicle from obligation to exercise due care for the safety of others or the consequences of his or her wilful disregard of the safety of others.
C. 
The provisions of this chapter regulating the parking or standing of vehicles shall not apply to any vehicle of a City department or public utility while necessarily in use for construction or repair work or any vehicle owned or operated by the United States Post Office Department while in use for the collection, transportation or delivery of United States mail.
(Prior code § 19-4)
A. 
The operator of a vehicle or the person in charge of any animal involved in any accident resulting in damage to any property publicly owned or owned by a public utility, including but not limited to any fire hydrant, lighting post, telephone pole, electric light or power pole, or resulting in damage to any tree, traffic-control device or other property of a like nature located in or along any street, shall, within twenty-four hours after such accident, make a written report of the accident to the Police Department.
B. 
Every such report shall state the time when and the place where the accident took place, the name and address of the person owning and of the person operating or in charge of such vehicle or animal and the license number of every such vehicle, and shall briefly describe the property damage in the accident.
C. 
The operator of any vehicle involved in an accident shall not be subject to the requirements or penalties of this section if and during the time he or she is physically incapable of making a report, but in such event he or she shall make a report as required in subsection A of this section within twenty-four hours after regaining ability to make such report.
(Prior code § 19-5)
A. 
Any regularly employed and salaried officer of the Police Department may remove or cause to be removed:
1. 
Any vehicle that has been parked or left standing upon a street or highway for seventy-two or more consecutive hours;
2. 
Any vehicle which is parked or left standing upon a street or highway between the hours of seven a.m. and seven p.m. when such parking or standing is prohibited by this Code or other ordinance or resolution of this City and signs are posted giving notice of removal;
3. 
Any vehicle which is parked or left standing upon a street or highway where the use of such street or highway or a portion thereof is necessary for the cleaning, repair or construction of the street or highway or for the installation of underground utilities or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is authorized for a purpose other than the normal flow of traffic or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is necessary for the movement of equipment, articles or structures of unusual size, and the parking of such vehicle would prohibit or interfere with such use or movement; provided, that signs giving notice that the vehicle may be removed are erected or placed at least twenty-four hours prior to the removal.
B. 
Vehicles shall be removed from the City streets in accordance with lawful procedures established by the Police Chief.
(Prior code § 19-6)
Whenever the City Traffic Engineer determines that any fence, hedge, shrubbery, tree or other object within any parkway obstructs the view of any traffic upon the roadways or is an undue obstruction to pedestrians attempting to walk within the parkway at locations where no sidewalks exist, he or she shall cause the obstruction to be removed or altered in such a manner as to permanently eliminate the problem.
(Prior code § 19-7)
A. 
On property at any corner formed by intersecting streets, it shall be unlawful to install, set out or maintain, or to allow the installation, setting out or maintenance of, any sign, hedge, shrubbery, natural growth or other obstruction to the view, higher than thirty-six inches above the sidewalk grade or the level of the center of the adjacent intersection, within the triangular area between the property line and a diagonal line joining points on the property lines twenty feet from the point of their intersection, or, in the case of rounded corners, the triangular area between the tangents to the curve and a diagonal line joining points on such tangents twenty feet from the point of their intersection. The tangents referred to are those at the beginning and at the end of the curve at the corner.
B. 
The foregoing paragraph shall not apply to permanent buildings, public utility poles, trees trimmed (to the trunk) to a line at least eight feet above the level of the intersection, saplings or plant species of open growth habits and not planted in the form of a hedge, which are so planted and trimmed as to leave at all seasons a clear and unobstructed crossview, supporting members of appurtenances to permanent buildings existing on January 1, 1968, official warning signs or signals, post signs or to places where the contour of the ground is such that there can be no cross-visibility at the intersection.
(Prior code § 19-8)
No operator of any vehicle shall drive between the vehicles comprising a funeral procession or a parade, provided such vehicles are conspicuously so designated. The directing of all vehicles and traffic on any street over which such funeral procession or parade wishes to pass shall be subject to the orders of the Police Department.
(Prior code § 19-9)
No person shall operate or drive a commercial vehicle in, or across any private driveway approach or sidewalk area or the driveway itself without the consent of the owner or occupant of the property, if a sign or markings are in place indicating that the use of the driveway is prohibited. For the purpose of this section, a commercial vehicle shall mean a vehicle having a rated capacity in excess of one-half ton.
(Prior code § 19-11)
No person, public utility or department of the City shall erect or place any barrier or sign on any street unless of a type approved by the City Traffic Engineer. No person shall disobey the instructions or remove, tamper with or destroy any barrier or sign lawfully placed on any street by any person or public utility or by any department of this City.
(Prior code § 19-12)
A. 
Whenever any ordinance of the City Council designates and describes any street or portion thereof as a street, the use of which is prohibited by any vehicle exceeding a specified maximum gross weight limit, the City Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to designate the street by an appropriate sign.
B. 
The provisions of this section shall not apply to passenger buses under the jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Commission of the state or to any vehicle owned by a public utility while necessarily in use in the construction, installation or repair of any public utility.
C. 
When appropriate signs are posted, no person shall drive a vehicle having a gross weight greater than the posted gross weight limit; except, that nothing in this section shall prohibit the operator of any vehicle exceeding a specified maximum gross weight from having ingress and egress by direct route to and from restricted streets when necessary for the purpose of making pickups or deliveries of goods, wares and merchandise from or to any building or structure located on such restricted streets or for the purpose of delivering materials to be used in the actual and bona fide repair, alteration, remodeling or construction of any building or structure upon such restricted streets for which a building permit has previously been obtained therefor; provided, that the driver uses to the greatest extent possible Imperial Highway, which is the only designated truck route in the city, to arrive at or depart from his or her destination.
(Ord. 91-702 § 1, 1991)
Motor-driven vehicles may be permitted in public parks or on public trails if: (i) an area has been designated by the City Council for motor vehicles and has appropriate signing defining the boundaries of the area to be used by motor-driven vehicles; or (ii) a motor-driven vehicle is permitted pursuant to Chapter 12.20 or any other provision of this Code.
(Prior code § 19-16.2; Ord. 94-743 § 2, 1994)