For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
"Driver"
means the rider or driver of a horse and the operator of a motor or other vehicle.
"Horse"
means all beasts of burden.
"Vehicle"
means horses hitched to vehicles, horses ridden or led, motor vehicles of all kinds, bicycles, tricycles and everything on wheels or runners, except light carriages for the conveyance of children propelled by hand.
(Prior code § 17-1)
No driver or person having charge of a vehicle in a street shall wilfully refuse or neglect to stop the same or place the same when and as directed by a police officer in uniform, or a school crossing guard in uniform, any of these regulations to the contrary notwithstanding.
(Prior code § 17-2)
A. 
Generally. The general penalties provided for by Section 10.04.090 shall apply to violations of this chapter or any regulations made thereunder, except that any person electing to appear before the clerk of court, or mailing the same in lieu of a personal appearance before the Cranston municipal court and admitting the violation charged, shall be punished by a fine as hereinafter respectively set forth:
Offense
Fine
All night parking from 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. to be assessed with or without court costs assessed based upon judicial discretion as set forth in Section 10.28.090
$25.00
Overtime parking from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
$50.00
Parking during an emergency
$85.00
Parking so as to obstruct the flow of traffic
$85.00
Parking in prohibited area (no parking)
$50.00
Parking within eight feet of fire hydrant
$30.00
Parking in loading zone
$30.00
Parking in taxi stand
$30.00
Parking within 25 feet of corner
$30.00
Parking to obstruct driveway
$30.00
Parking on sidewalk
$30.00
Standing in prohibited areas
$25.00
Double parking (more than three feet from curb)
$30.00
Parking in marked bus stop
$30.00
Parking in excess of one foot, but not more than three feet from curb
$30.00
Parking with left wheels to curb
$30.00
Angle parking
$30.00
Parking on marked crosswalk or within intersection
$30.00
Stopping bus away from curb
$30.00
Parking in a tow zone
$85.00
Standing or stopping in prohibited areas
$30.00
Parking in handicapped parking space:
 
First violation
$100.00
Second violation
$175.00
Third and subsequent violations
$325.00
Parking in violation of snow ban
$85.00
Parking in marked fire lane
$85.00
All other standing and parking violations
$50.00
Moving vehicle traffic violations, as follows:
 
RIGL 31-15-13 Divided highways, 17-122
$85.00
RIGL 31-22-4 Overloading of vehicles, 17-167
$85.00
RIGL 31-22-7 Following fire apparatus, 17-169
$85.00
RIGL 31-22-8 Crossing fire hose, 17-170
$85.00
RIGL 31-22-9 Throwing debris on highway—Snow removal, 17-171
$85.00
RIGL 31-25-10 Fastening of load and covering, 17-176
$75.00
RIGL 31-23-51 Earphones and head sets prohibited, 17-195:
 
First offense
$85.00
Second offense
$95.00
Third and subsequent offenses
$140.00
RIGL 31-14-2 Speeding:
 
6—10 MPHs over
$95.00
11—15 MPHs over
$205.00—minimum
16—18 MPHs over
$160.00 to 180.00
RIGL 31-22-23 Tow trucks—Identification required
$275.00
RIGL 31-23-37 Transporting hazardous substances
$105.00
RIGL 3123-38 Television receivers prohibited
$75.00
RIGL 31-25-11 Connections between coupled vehicles
$85.00
RIGL 31-25-12 Flags on tow chains
$85.00
RIGL 31.28-7(1)(d) Misuse of plates
$500.00
All other violations of moving vehicle traffic regulations
$85.00
Commercial vehicles parking in violation of Section 10.32.225, first violation
$150.00
Commercial vehicles parking in violation of Section 10.32.225, second violation
$250.00
Commercial vehicles parking in violation of Section 10.32.225, third and subsequent violations
$500.00
In the event any of the foregoing stated standing and parking fines are not paid, or a plea of not guilty to the citation is not entered prior to the fourteenth (14th) day after date of violation, said fines shall be doubled.
In the event that any of the foregoing stated fines are not paid subsequent to the fourteenth (14th) day and prior to the twenty-eighth (28th) day after date of violations, said fines shall be tripled.
(Prior code § 17-3; Ord. 2009-13, § 1, 2/23/2009; Ord. 2014-12, § 1, 5/27/2014; Ord. 2017-9, § 2, 3/27/2017; Ord. 2023-11, § 1, 4/24/2023)
Whenever a person shall be charged with a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter or other ordinances of the city relating to traffic, the jurisdiction and cognizance of which is in a municipal court, and such person is notified in writing by a police officer to appear on a day and date and hour stated in such notice to answer such charge before the municipal court having jurisdiction thereof, such person instead of personally appearing in court, may in person or by one duly authorized by him or her in writing appear at the police headquarters, admit the truth of such charge and pay to the police department such fines as designated; provided, that such appearance, admission and payment be made at the police headquarters within thirty (30) days of such notification, and failure to appear within such time shall be deemed a waiver of the right to dispose of such charge without personal appearance in the municipal court. The payment of the fine to the police department shall act as a final disposition of such charge and such proceedings shall not be deemed criminal. The notice above provided shall indicate the offense charged and shall also contain such information as will enable the person charged to take advantage of the provisions of this and the following section.
In addition to the above-prescribed method for payment of fines, such person may pay such fine by mail. The fine must be deposited in a depository maintained by the United States post office department for collection of mails not more than thirty (30) days from the date of the offense. The postage cancellation shall be prima facie evidence of the time of deposit. Mail containing payments of fines shall be addressed to the chief of police, Cranston, Rhode Island. Fines so mailed shall be paid in cash, check or by money order. Checks or money orders shall be made payable to the city. A penalty of ten dollars ($10.00) shall be added for attempted payment by check written against insufficient funds. In those cases where payment is by cash, it shall be at the risk of the sender and the records of the clerk of the municipal court shall be conclusive as to receipt and the amount of the same.
Notice of non-moving violations shall be affixed to the motor vehicle causing such violation and such notice shall state the specific violation charged, the schedules or fines for such violation, the time within which the privilege of paying such fine by mail may be exercised and the place to which such fine may be mailed.
The payment of fines by mail shall act as a final disposition of such charge, and such proceedings shall not be deemed criminal.
(Prior code § 17-3.1)
The police department is authorized to receive such fines as provided for in the preceding section directing from any person charged with a violation of any provision of this chapter or other ordinances of the city relating to traffic, and such money so received and collected shall be turned over by the police department to the city treasurer directly. All such charges, records and payments shall be entered forthwith by the police department, and the books of the police department containing records of such violations, their dispositions and money received as fines therefrom shall be audited not less than once every three months by the city auditor. In the event the offender refuses or neglects to dispose of the charges before thirty (30) days, then he or she shall be brought before the municipal court of the city for trial and for such disposition of such case as such court may decide to be meet and proper in which case the provisions of Section 12-14-1 of the General Laws relating to fines and the disposition thereof shall prevail.
(Prior code § 17-3.2)
A. 
Notwithstanding anything herein contained, disposition of a traffic violation charge relating to stopping, standing, parking, or operation or vehicles without personal appearance in the municipal court may not be exercised by any person who in the consecutive period or twelve (12) months next preceding such charge has been three times in the aggregate adjudged guilty by the municipal court of any violation of any regulation relating to stopping, standing, or parking, or operation of vehicles, or has admitted the truth of charges made against him or her under the provisions hereof.
B. 
Further, notwithstanding anything herein contained, no person shall dispose of or answer to a traffic violation charge relating to the operation of a motor vehicle except by a personal appearance in the municipal court in those cases where such a citation is issued for a violation relating to and preceding an accident which results in injury to a person or property damage. In all such cases, a personal appearance must be made before a judge of the municipal court, who upon a plea or finding of guilty may impose any penalty authorized by ordinance or law.
(Prior code § 17-3.3)
A. 
Whenever in this code or in any ordinance or resolution of the city any act is prohibited or is made or declared to be unlawful or an offense, or whenever in such code, ordinance or resolution the doing of any act is required or the failure to do any act is declared to be unlawful or an offense, where no specific penalty is provided therefor, the violation of any such provision of this code or any such ordinance or resolution shall be punished by a fine of not less than one dollar ($1.00) nor more than two hundred dollars ($200.00) or by imprisonment of not less than one day nor more than thirty (30) days unless other penalties therefor, or penalties within other limits, are specially prescribed by statute, to be prosecuted by some office appointed for that purpose, and to be recovered to the use of the city, or of such person or persons, and in such proportions, as said ordinances or regulations shall designate. Each day any violation of this code or of any such ordinance or resolution shall continue shall constitute a separate offense.
B. 
In addition to the penalty hereinabove provided, any condition caused or permitted to exist in violation of any of the provisions of this code or any such ordinance or resolution shall be deemed a public nuisance and may be by the city, abated as provided by law, and each day that such condition continues shall be regarded as a new and separate offense.
C. 
The penalty specified in Section 10.04.090 shall be imposed against any individual company or corporation, willfully causing construction, repair and/or installation without first obtaining permission from the proper authority of the city, for the same.
(Prior code § 17-3.5)
In all cases where the same offense may be made punishable, or shall be created by different clauses or sections of the ordinances of the city, the prosecuting officer may elect under which to proceed; but not more than one recovery shall be had against the same person for the same offense.
(Prior code § 17-3.6)
Officers of the police department are authorized to direct all traffic either in person or by means of visible or audible signal in conformance with the provisions of this chapter; provided, that in the event of a fire or other emergency or to expedite traffic or safeguard pedestrians, officers of the police department may temporarily direct traffic, as conditions may require, notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior code § 17-24)
The city council is authorized to establish and to designate and shall thereafter maintain, or cause to be maintained, by appropriate devices, marks or lines on the surface of the roadway, crosswalks at intersections where in their opinion there is particular danger to pedestrians crossing the roadways, and at such other places as they may deem necessary.
(Prior code § 17-29)
A. 
For the protection of pedestrians, the city council, from time to time, is authorized to locate safety zones, by suitable designations, within the roadways or squares or highways.
B. 
The chief of police is authorized to mark lanes for traffic on street pavements at such places as he or she may deem advisable consistent with the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior code § 17-30)
A. 
The city traffic engineer may designate any highway or separate roadway under its jurisdiction as codified in Title 10 "Vehicles and Traffic" and its subsections for one way traffic and shall erect appropriate signs giving notice thereof.
B. 
Upon a roadway designated and signposted for one way traffic a vehicle shall be driven only in the direction designated.
C. 
The city will provide notice via regular mail to all owners of property located on any highway or roadway that is proposed in an ordinance to be converted:
1. 
From two way traffic to a one way traffic highway or roadway; or
2. 
From a one way traffic to a two way traffic highway or roadway.
D. 
The notice shall be mailed at least ten (10) days before the city council votes on the adoption of any such ordinance.
(Prior code § 17-178; Ord. 2022-6, § 1, 1/24/2022)
The provisions of this title shall apply to the drivers of vehicles upon the highways in the city and shall apply to drivers of all vehicles owned or operated by the United States, this state or any county, city, town, district or any other political subdivision of the state except authorized emergency vehicles.
(Prior code § 17-93)
The driver of any vehicle shall obey the instructions of any official traffic control device applicable thereto placed in accordance with the provisions of this title; unless otherwise directed by a traffic or police officer, subject to the exceptions granted the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle in said chapter.
(Prior code § 17-98)
A. 
Installation and Signs.
1. 
A warning sign shall be erected within a distance between one hundred fifty (150) and three hundred (300) feet in advance of every intersection warning motorists that an automated traffic violation monitoring system is in use at that location. Such sign shall be at least forty-eight (48) inches high and thirty-six (36) inches wide and shall conform with the sign standard specifications set forth in Attachment A to the Rules and Regulations of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation concerning approval;
2. 
Such warning signs shall remain in place so long as there is an operational traffic control signal monitoring device at such intersection;
3. 
No more than ten (10) intersections shall be equipped with operational traffic control signal monitoring device at any one time.
B. 
At least thirty (30) days prior to installation of traffic control signal monitoring devices at any intersections:
1. 
The bureau of traffic safety shall identify, in writing, to the city council, the specific locations proposed;
2. 
Following the installation of traffic control signal monitoring devices, the city council will monitor their performance as follows:
a. 
Every six months, the police department in conjunction with the bureau of traffic safety shall provide to the city council a report containing the following information: (1) the number of citations issued at each particular intersection; (2) the number of those violations paid by mail; (3) the number of those violations found after trial or hearing; (4) the number of violations dismissed after trial or hearing; (5) the number of accidents at each intersection; (6) a description as to the type of accident; (7) an indication regarding whether there were any injuries involved in any accident reported; (8) the cost to maintain the automated traffic violation monitoring system; and (9) the amount of revenue obtained from the automated traffic violation monitoring system.
C. 
Only warning notices and not citations shall be sent during the ten (10) business day period commencing with installation of each traffic control signal monitoring device.
D. 
Security of Records.
1. 
The videotapes and still photographs recorded by traffic control signal monitoring devices shall not be deemed "public records" subject to disclosure pursuant to Rhode Island General Laws Section 38-2-2(4)(i) or Charter Section 15.07.
2. 
All videotapes and still photographs recorded which do not identify a violation shall be destroyed immediately after the police department has determined that there is no violation.
3. 
All videotapes and still photographs recorded which identify a violation shall be destroyed immediately after the matter is resolved through disposition of the citation.
4. 
The manufacturer or vendor shall not release or sell any aggregated data collected, except with prior approval of the city council.
(Ord. 06-56 § 1)
No person shall willfully fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order or directions of any police officer invested by law with authority to direct, control or regulate traffic, including any order or direction pertaining to fire lane parking violation whether in private or public property.
(Prior code § 17-92)
The chief of police is directed to place and maintain or to cause to be placed and maintained on each and every street intersecting any through way designated in Section 10.12.290 and at or near the property line of such "through way", appropriate signs upon the street, and in addition thereto may place and maintain any appropriate devices or marks in the roadway.
(Prior code § 17-39)
No provision of this title 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 is 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.
(Prior code § 17-99)
In any case in which a police officer has reasonable grounds to believe that a person has committed or is committing any violation of the code, he or she may issue a summons to such person substantially in the following form:
(Summons)
City of Cranston
County of Providence
State of Rhode Island
To________________________
You are hereby summoned to appear before a judge of the Municipal Court, located at 869 Park Avenue, in the city of Cranston, in the state of Rhode Island, on the __________ day of __________ 20__________ at __________ o'clock __________.m., to answer to a complaint charging you with an offense of _______________ in violation of __________(Ordinance).
If you fail to appear and answer, a warrant will issue for your arrest.
Dated at __________ the __________ day of __________, 19__________.
________________________
________________________(title)
________________________(Department)
Willful failure to appear in answer to this summons may be punished by a fine of not over seventy-five dollars ($75.00) or imprisonment for not over fifteen (15) days.
(Prior code § 17-219)
No person shall drive or cause to be driven any motor vehicle, the gross weight of which exceeds the posted tonnage, in and upon any street, highway, or bridge. The use of a motor vehicle in violation of the said posted tonnage is prohibited, and the chief of police is directed to cause conspicuous signs to be placed on such street, highway, or bridge giving notice of said prohibition. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be fined two hundred dollars ($200.00).
(Prior code § 17-220)