The mayor and City council shall have authority to place and maintain a stop sign or yield right-of-way sign on every street, highway or road intersecting a through street or intersecting that portion thereof described and designated as such by any ordinance of the City, unless traffic at any such intersection is being controlled by traffic control signals; provided, that at the intersection of two such through streets or at the intersection of a through street and a heavy traffic street not so designated, stop or yield right-of-way signs shall be erected at the approaches of either of such streets as may be determined by the mayor and City council upon the basis of a traffic study.
[Amended by Ord. No. 81-41]
A. 
Every sign erected pursuant to section 12-48 or any amendment thereof shall bear the words "Stop" or "Yield Right-of-Way," as the case may be, in letters of sufficient height and design so as to make them conspicuous to the driver of an approaching vehicle. Every stop sign and yield right-of-way sign shall be located as near as practicable at the nearest line of the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, at the nearest line of the roadway.
B. 
When stop signs are erected as herein authorized at or near the entrance to any intersection, every driver of a vehicle shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or in the event there is no crosswalk, shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, at a point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway, before entering the intersection, except when directed to proceed by a police officer or traffic control signal.
C. 
When yield right-of-way signs are erected as herein authorized at or near the entrance to any intersection, every driver of a vehicle approaching such intersection shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles which have entered the intersection from such through highway, street or road or which are approaching so closely on such through highway, street or road as to constitute an immediate hazard, but may then proceed.
D. 
Any person violating any of the terms or provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, fined not more than seven hundred fifty dollars or imprisoned in the City jail for not more than six months.
Whenever traffic is controlled by traffic control signals exhibiting the words "Go," "Caution" or "Stop" or exhibiting different colored lights successively one at a time, or with arrows, the following colors only shall be used, and such terms and lights shall indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as follows:
A. 
Green alone or "Go":
(1) 
Vehicular traffic facing the signal may proceed straight through or turn right or left, unless a sign at such place prohibits either such turn, but vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time such signal is exhibited.
(2) 
Pedestrians facing the signal may proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk.
B. 
Yellow alone or "Caution," when shown following the green or "Go" signal:
(1) 
Vehicular traffic facing the signal is thereby warned that the red or "Stop" signal will be exhibited immediately thereafter, and such vehicular traffic shall not enter or be crossing the intersection when the red or "Stop" signal is exhibited.
(2) 
Pedestrians facing such signal are thereby advised that there is insufficient time to cross the roadway, and any pedestrian then starting to cross shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles.
C. 
Red alone or "Stop":
(1) 
Vehicular traffic facing the signal shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or if none, before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until green or "Go" is shown alone, except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(2) 
Except when a sign is in place prohibiting a turn, vehicular traffic stopped in the lane nearest the right-hand side of the highway may, after giving the signal required by law indicating a right-hand turn, cautiously enter the intersection for the purpose of making a turn to the right and shall turn so as not to interfere with other traffic or endanger pedestrians within a crosswalk.
(3) 
No pedestrian facing the signal shall enter the roadway.
D. 
Red with green arrow:
(1) 
Vehicular traffic facing such signal may cautiously enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by such arrow but shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within a crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.
(2) 
No pedestrian facing such signal shall enter the roadway unless he can do so safely and without interfering with any vehicular traffic.
E. 
Signals at places other than intersections. In the event an official traffic control signal is erected and maintained at a place other than an intersection, the provisions of this section shall be applicable, except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application.
F. 
Place to stop. Any stop required shall be made at a sign or marking on the pavement indicating where the stop shall be made, but in the absence of any such sign or marking, the stop shall be made at the signal.
Whenever special pedestrian control signals exhibiting the words "Walk" or "Wait" or "Don't Walk" are in place, such signals shall indicate as follows:
A. 
"Walk." Pedestrians facing such signal may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal and shall be given the right-of-way by the drivers of all vehicles.
B. 
"Wait" or "Don't Walk." No pedestrians shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of such signal, but any pedestrian who has partially completed his crossing on the walk signal shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety island while the wait signal is showing.
Whenever an illuminated flashing red or yellow signal is used in a traffic sign or signal, it shall require obedience by vehicular traffic as follows:
A. 
Flashing red (stop signal). When a red lens is illuminated with rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles shall stop before entering the nearest crosswalk at an intersection or at a limit line when marked, or if none, before entering the intersection, and the right to proceed shall be subject to the rules applicable after making a stop at a stop sign.
B. 
Flashing yellow (caution signal). When a yellow lens is illuminated with rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles may proceed through the intersection or past such signal only with caution.
A. 
No person shall place, maintain or display upon or in view of any highway any unauthorized sign, signal, marking or device which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic control device or railroad sign or signal, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic, or which hides from view or interferes with the effectiveness of any official traffic control device or any railroad sign or signal.
B. 
No person shall place or maintain, nor shall any public authority permit, upon any highway any traffic sign or signal bearing thereon any commercial advertising.
C. 
This section shall not be deemed to prohibit the erection upon private property adjacent to a highway of signs giving useful directional information and of a type that cannot be mistaken for official signs.
D. 
Every such prohibited sign, signal or marking is hereby declared to be a public nuisance, and the authority having jurisdiction over the highway is hereby empowered to remove the same or cause it to be removed without notice.
No person shall, without lawful authority, attempt to or in fact alter, deface, injure, knock down or remove any official traffic control device or any railroad sign or signal or any inscription, shield or insignia thereon, or any other part thereof.