Brawley Municipal Code Art. I In General

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 in this section, but are now defined in the Vehicle Code of this state, such definitions are incorporated herein and shall be deemed to apply to such words and phrases used herein as though set forth in this section in full.

1. Central traffic district. All streets and portions of streets described as follows: Main Street from Third Street to Tenth Street, North Plaza Street, South Plaza Street, South Fifth Street from South Plaza Street to "G" Street, "G" Street from Fifth Street to Tenth Street, North Fifth Street from North Plaza Street to "E" Street, "E" Street from Fifth Street to Eighth Street, Eighth Street from "G" Street to "E" Street. Sixth Street from "G" Street to "E" Street, Ninth Street from "G" Street to "E" Street.

2. Holidays. New Year's Day (January 1), Washington's Birthday (February 22), Memorial Day (May 30), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas (December 25).

3. Loading zone. The space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of passengers or materials.

4. Official traffic-control devices. All signs, signals, markings and devices not inconsistent with this chapter placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic.

5. Official traffic signals. Any device, whether manually, electrically or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and proceed and which is erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction.

6. Park. To stand or leave standing any vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading of passengers or materials.

7. Parkway. That portion of a street other than a roadway or a sidewalk.

8. Passenger loading zone. The space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of passengers.

9. Pedestrian. Any person afoot.

10. Police officer. Every officer of the police department of this city.

11. Stop. When required means complete cessation of movement.

12. Stop or stand. When prohibited means any stopping or standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or official traffic-control device.

13. Traffic. Pedestrians, bicycles, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances either singly or together while using any street for purposes of travel.

14. Yield right-of-way sign. A yield right-of-way sign posted on any street or highway at or near the intersection of another street or highway shall mean that the driver of any vehicle proceeding along such approaching street and highway shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles which have entered the intersection from the through highway or which are approaching so closely on the through highway as to constitute an immediate hazard.

(Ord. Nos. 373, §§ 1, 3 to 12, 14 to 16; 378, § 1; Ord. No. 595, § 1; Ord. No. 584, § 1.)

3. For state law definitions contained in Vehicle Code, see Veh. C., §§ 31 to 90.1.

It is a misdemeanor for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required in this chapter.

(Ord. No. 373, § 51.)

4. For state law as to required obedience to traffic laws, see Veh. C., § 450.

No person shall wilfully fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order of a police officer or fire department official when directing traffic.

(Ord. No. 373, § 52.)

5. For state law as to obedience to police, see Veh. C., § 451.

No person other than any officer of the police department or a person deputized by the chief of police or person authorized by law shall direct or attempt to direct traffic by voice, hand or other signal, except, that persons may operate, when authorized to do so, any mechanical push-button signal erected by order of the city traffic engineer.

(Ord. No. 373, § 53.)

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the driver of any vehicle owned by or used in the service of the United States government, this state, any county or city, and it shall be unlawful for any such driver to violate any of the provisions of this chapter except as otherwise permitted in this chapter or by state statute.

(Ord. No. 373, §54.)

6. For state law as to applicability of traffic laws to operators in course of public employment, see Veh. C. A., §453.

(a) The provisions of this chapter regulating the operation, parking and standing of vehicles shall not apply to any vehicle of the police or fire department, any public ambulance or any public utility vehicle or any private ambulance, which public utility vehicle or private ambulance has qualified as an authorized emergency vehicle, when any vehicle mentioned in this section is operated in the manner specified in the state Vehicle Code in response to an emergency call.

(b) The foregoing exemptions shall not, however, protect the driver of any such vehicle from the consequences of his 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 by the United States while in use for the collection, transportation or delivery of United States mail.

(Ord. No. 373, §55.)

7. For state law as to exemptions to authorized emergency vehicles, see Veh. C. A., §454.

(a) The driver 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, ornamental lighting post, telephone pole, electric light or power pole, or resulting in damage to any ornamental shade 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 such accident to the police department of this city.

(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 driving or in charge of such vehicle or animal, the license number of every such vehicle and shall briefly describe the property damaged in such accident.

(c) A driver involved in an accident shall not be subject to the requirements or penalties of this section if and during the time such driver is physically incapable of making a report, but in such event such driver shall make a report as required in subdivision (a) of this section within twenty-four hours after regaining ability to make such report.

(Ord. No. 373, §56.)

The driver of a vehicle emerging from an alley, driveway or building shall stop such vehicle immediately prior to driving onto a sidewalk or into the sidewalk area extending across any alleyway.

(Ord. No. 373, §92.)

8. For state law as to vehicles emerging from private roads or driveways, see Veh. C. A., §553.

No driver of a vehicle shall drive between vehicles comprising a funeral procession while they are in motion and when the vehicles in such processions are conspicuously so designated.

(Ord. No. 373, §101.)

9. For state law as to power of local authorities to regulate processions, see Veh. C. A., §459.

Any person riding upon any bicycle, motorcycle, coaster, roller skates or any toy vehicle shall not attach the same or himself to any moving vehicle upon any roadway.

(Ord. No. 373, §102.)

1. For state law as to unlawful riding on portions of vehicles not designed or intended for passengers, see Veh. C. A., §506.5.

The driver of a vehicle shall not drive within any sidewalk area or any parkway except at a permanent or temporary driveway.

(Ord. No. 373, §103.)

2. For state law as to stopping, standing or parking on sidewalks, see Veh. C. A., §586. See also, Veh. C. A., §560.1. As to driving bicycles and motorcycles on sidewalks, see §6.13 of this Code.

No person shall ride or drive any animal or any vehicle over or across any newly made pavement or freshly painted marking on any street when a barrier or sign is in place warning persons not to drive over or across such pavement or marking or when a sign is in place stating that the street or any portion thereof is closed.

(Ord. No. 373, §104.)

No person shall operate any engine, train or train of cars, or permit the same to remain standing, so as to block the movement of traffic upon any street for a period of time longer than five minutes.

(Ord. No. 373, §170.)

No person shall operate any engine, train or train of cars approaching any street at a speed in excess of thirty-five miles per hour, other than approaching Main Street. In approaching Main Street, no person shall operate any engine, train or train of cars at a speed in excess of twenty-five miles per hour.

(Ord. No. 373, §171.)

Whenever any provision of this Code or other ordinance or resolution of this city designates any one-way street or alley, the city traffic engineer shall place and maintain signs giving notice thereof, and no such regulations shall be effective unless such signs are in place. Signs indicating the direction of lawful traffic movement shall be placed at every intersection where movement of traffic in the opposite direction is prohibited.

(Ord. No. 373, §80.)

In accordance with the preceding section and when properly signposted, traffic shall move only in the direction indicated upon the following streets and alleys:

(a) First alley north of Main Street between North Fifth Street and North Tenth Street.

(b) First alley south of Main Street between South Fifth Street and South Tenth Street.

(c) South Plaza Street from Main Street.

Entrance west of Plaza Park to Main Street.

Entrance east of Plaza Park, directing traffic easterly.

(d) North Plaza Street from Main Street.

Entrance east of Plaza Park to Main Street.

Entrance west of Plaza Park, directing traffic westerly.

(e) Alley between Main Street and E Street from Western Avenue to First Street directing traffic easterly.

(f) In the alley between Main Street and G Street between First and Second Streets, traffic shall move westerly only.

(g) Traffic shall move in a northerly and southerly direction on North Rio Vista Avenue between Trail Street and Jones Street.

(h) The alley between Main Street and G Street, between Plaza South and South Eighth Street, shall move easterly only.

(i) The alley between Main Street and E Street, between Plaza North and North Eighth Street, shall move westerly.

(Ord. No. 718, § 1; Ord. No. 373; Ord. No. 430, § 1; Ord. No. 793, § 1; Ord. No. 86-11, § 1; Ord. No. 92-12, § 1.)

(Ord. No. 2016-01, § 1, 1-5-2016)