A.
Establishment. There is hereby established a Traffic
Committee which is to be appointed by the Mayor and directly responsible
to him. Said Committee shall consist of five persons, one of whom
shall be a member of the police force, one of whom shall be a member
of the Traffic Section and one of whom shall be a member of the Common
Council, and two shall be individuals representing the general public.
The term of the office of each member of the Committee shall be two
years and shall coincide with the term of the Common Council. The
Chairman of the Committee shall be designated by the Mayor.
[Amended 3-12-2007]
B.
Powers and duties.
(1)
Pursuant to § 1603 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law, the Traffic Committee is hereby authorized to adopt regulations in accordance with and implementing the provisions of this chapter and the Vehicle and Traffic Law with respect to specific intersections, streets or parts thereof. Such regulations shall be made, and where pertinent, with reference to the appropriate schedule established by § 257-5 below. The Traffic Committee is also hereby authorized to act by regulation on any matter delegated to it by the Common Council in keeping with the provisions of this chapter and the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
(2)
The Traffic Committee shall coordinate traffic activities,
carry on educational activities in traffic matters, supervise the
preparation and publication of traffic reports, receive complaints
having to do with traffic matters, review proposals for the installation
of traffic control devices and the establishment of traffic control
measures and work with the Traffic Section and other city officials
and agencies in developing ways and means for improving traffic conditions
and the administration and enforcement of traffic regulations.
C.
Attestation of regulations. All regulations of the
Traffic Committee shall, prior to going into effect, be signed by
the Mayor and attested to by the City Clerk. Copies of all such regulations,
as signed, shall be kept on file in the office of the City Clerk.
For the purpose of maintaining a record of all
regulations adopted by the Traffic Committee or Common Council pursuant
to this chapter, there is hereby established a System of Schedules
Book, on file in the Traffic Section, in which shall be entered all
such regulations upon their adoption. All regulations shall be adopted
with reference to the appropriate schedule as indicated by various
sections of this chapter.
[Amended 11-8-2004 by Res. No. 424-2004]
There is hereby established and organized a
Traffic Section in the Police Department of the City of Oswego effective
January 1, 2005.
A.
The Traffic Section shall install and maintain traffic
control devices, when and as required under the provisions of this
chapter, to make effective the provisions of this chapter and regulations
adopted pursuant thereto and may install and maintain such additional
traffic control devices as the Traffic Committee may deem necessary
to regulate, warn or guide traffic under the Vehicle and Traffic Law
of the State of New York, subject to the provisions of §§ 1682
and 1684 of that law.
B.
The Traffic Section shall work closely with the Traffic
Committee on matters of traffic policies, traffic studies and implementation
of traffic plans and regulations.
C.
The Traffic Section shall impound vehicles under Article X of this chapter and dispose of all unclaimed vehicles under the rules and regulations as set forth by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
D.
The head of the Traffic Section shall have the authority
to order the installation and maintenance of traffic control devices
when and as required to regulate, warn or guide traffic at construction
sites in the City of Oswego.
E.
The head of the Traffic Section shall have the authority
to order the installation and maintenance of traffic control devices
when and as required to regulate, warn or guide traffic around emergency
situations for a period not to exceed 48 hours.
It shall be the duty of the Police Department
to:
A.
Enforce this chapter and regulations of the city and
provisions of state law applicable to the use and operation of motor
vehicles.
B.
Cooperate with officers and agencies of the city in
the administration of traffic laws and in developing ways and means
to improve traffic conditions.
C.
Investigate traffic accidents and make a full and
complete report thereof and to arrest and to assist in the prosecution
of those persons charged with violations of law causing or contributing
to such accidents.
D.
Maintain a suitable system of filing traffic accident
reports.
(1)
Accident reports or cards referring to them shall
be filed in the Police Department. Such reports shall be available
for the use and information of the Traffic Section and may be examined
by any person having an interest therein or by such person's attorney
or agent. The Police Department shall also, upon request, certify
copies of reports of accidents for the fee prescribed in § 67-a
of the Public Officers Law.
(2)
The Police Department shall receive and properly file
all accident reports made to it under state law or under any ordinance
of this city.
E.
Work with the Traffic Section in conducting studies
of accidents and determine remedial measures to be recommended to
the Traffic Committee whenever the accidents at any particular location
become numerous.
F.
Maintain drivers files.
(1)
The Police Department shall maintain a suitable record
of all traffic accidents, warnings, arrests, convictions and complaints
reported for each driver, which shall be filed alphabetically under
the name of the driver concerned.
(2)
Said Department shall study the cases of all the drivers
charged with frequent or serious violations of the traffic laws or
involved in frequent traffic accidents or any serious accident and
shall attempt to discover the reasons therefor and shall take whatever
steps are lawful and reasonable to prevent such occurrences in the
future.
(3)
Annually prepare a traffic report, which shall be
filed with the Mayor. Such report shall contain information on traffic
matters in this city as follows:
A.
Whenever any person is found, by a police officer,
committing any traffic infraction, other than speeding, contrary to
the provisions of this chapter, such officer shall take the name,
address and operator’s license number of such person and the
registration number of the motor vehicle involved and issue him, on
a uniform traffic ticket, with notice to answer to the charge against
him at a specified time and day, within 15 days, in City Court.
[Amended 11-8-2004 by Res. No. 424-2004]
B.
Whenever any person is found, by a police officer,
committing the traffic infraction of speeding, causing or contributing
to an accident resulting in injury or in violation of the provisions
of the Vehicle and Traffic Law of the State of New York or some other
ordinance of the city pertaining to traffic, which is expressly declared
by such law or ordinance to be a misdemeanor, such officer shall issue
a notice to answer the charge to such person for his appearance in
City Court at a designated time and day within fifteen days or shall
arrest such person, as the exigencies of the case may require.
[Amended 11-8-2004 by Res. No. 424-2004]
C.
Whenever any vehicle without an operator is found,
by a police officer or parking attendant, stopped, standing in such
a manner as to constitute a traffic infraction, such officer or parking
attendant shall take any information displayed on the vehicle which
may tend to identify its user and, if a motor vehicle or motorcycle,
the registration number thereon and affix conspicuously to such vehicle
a notice, in writing, for the driver to answer the charge to such
person for his appearance in City Court at a designated time and day
within 15 days to answer the charge(s) against him or to pay such
fines within the specified time to the Traffic Violations Bureau.
[Amended 3-28-1994; 11-8-2004 by Res. No. 424-2004]
D.
Whenever any officer or parking attendant shall have
issued or affixed any notice of traffic infraction as above provided,
such officer or parking attendant shall, within a reasonable time
or upon completion of his tour of duty, deposit such stubs or copies
required with the Traffic Violations Bureau and the required copies
and signed information for the City Court with the desk officer on
duty at that time in the Police Station.
[Amended 3-28-1994]
A.
Officers of the Police Department are hereby authorized
to direct all traffic by voice, hand or signal in conformance with
traffic laws; provided, however, that in the event of a fire or other
emergency or to expedite traffic or to safeguard pedestrians, officers
of the Police Department may direct traffic as conditions may require
notwithstanding the provisions of the traffic laws.
B.
Officers of the Fire Department, when at the scene
of a fire, may direct or assist the police in directing traffic thereat
or in the immediate vicinity.
[Amended 11-8-2004 by Res. No. 424-2004]
The Mayor may, in his discretion, during times
of major disaster or other special conditions and in the interest
of public safety, order the Police Department to temporarily direct,
control, divert, exclude and regulate traffic on the streets and prohibit
and regulate parking through the Police Department by means of posting
temporary signs or signals or through the use of local television
and radio stations and local newspapers. Temporary regulations shall
not remain in effect for more than 10 days without the approval of
the Traffic Committee.
