Chapter 10.16 — CONTROL DEVICES

State Law reference— Power of local authority to place and maintain such traffic signs, signals and other traffic control devices upon streets and highways as may be required, authorized, or necessary to properly indicate and carry out the provisions of state law or local traffic ordinances or to warn or guide traffic, Vehicle Code § 21351.

(a)

The city engineer shall have the power and duty to place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained official traffic control devices when and as required to make effective the provisions of this title.

(b)

Whenever the State Vehicle Code requires for the effectiveness of any provision thereof that traffic control devices be installed to give notice to the public of the application of such law, the city engineer is authorized to install or cause to be installed the necessary devices subject to any limitations or restrictions set forth in the law applicable thereto.

(c)

The city engineer may also place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained such additional traffic control devices as he may deem necessary or proper to regulate traffic or to guide or warn traffic; but he shall make such determination only upon the basis of traffic engineering principles and traffic investigations and in accordance with such standards, limitations, and rules as set forth in this title or as may be determined by ordinance or resolution of the council with the advice and consent of the planning commission.

(Code 1969, § 10.16.010; Ord. No. 256, § 4, 1967; Ord. No. 746, § 4(part), 1999)

No provision of the State Vehicle Code or of chapters 10.04 through 10.64 for which signs are required shall be enforced against an alleged violator unless appropriate legible signs are in place giving notice of such provisions of the traffic laws.

(Code 1969, § 10.16.020; Ord. No. 256, § 4.1, 1967)

The operator of any vehicle or train shall obey the instructions of any official traffic control device placed in accordance with this chapter unless otherwise directed by a police officer or other authorized person

subject to the exceptions granted to the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle when responding to emergency calls.

(Code 1969, § 10.16.030; Ord. No. 256, § 4.2, 1967)

(a)

The city engineer is directed to determine and report to the planning commission those intersections and other places where traffic conditions are such as to require that the flow of traffic be alternately interrupted and released in order to prevent or relieve traffic congestion or to protect life or property from exceptional hazard.

(b)

The city engineer shall ascertain and determine the locations where such signals are required by field investigation, traffic counts and other traffic information as may be pertinent and his determinations shall be made in accordance with those traffic engineering and safety standards commonly accepted in the traffic engineering field.

(Code 1969, § 10.16.040; Ord. No. 256, § 4.3, 1967; Ord. No. 746, § 4(part), 1999)

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 may place signs temporarily designating lanes to be used by traffic moving in a particular direction, regardless of the centerline of the highway.

(Code 1969, § 10.16.050; Ord. No. 256, § 4.4, 1967)

The city engineer is authorized to place and maintain distinctive roadway markings as described in the State Vehicle Code on those streets or parts of streets where the volume of traffic or the vertical or other curvature of the roadway renders it hazardous to drive on the left side of such marking or signs and markings. Such marking or signs and marking shall have the same effect as similar markings placed by the state department of public works pursuant to provisions of the State Vehicle Code.

(Code 1969, § 10.16.060; Ord. No. 256, § 4.5, 1967)

The city engineer is authorized to remove, relocate or discontinue the operation of any traffic control device not specifically required by the State Vehicle Code or this title whenever he determines in any particular case that the conditions which warranted or required the installation no longer exist or obtain with the advice and consent of the planning commission.

(Code 1969, § 10.16.070; Ord. No. 256, § 4.6, 1967; Ord. No. 746, § 4(part), 1999)

No person, unless authorized by this city, shall paint any street or curb surface; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to the painting of numbers on a curb surface by any person who has complied with the provisions of any city resolution or ordinance pertaining thereto.

(Code 1969, § 10.16.080; Ord. No. 256, § 4.7, 1967)