California City Municipal Code Art. 2 Signs and Devices

This article describes the authority of the Traffic Engineer to place signs and devices to regulate traffic.

The Traffic Engineer shall:

(a) Maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, official traffic control devices as required;

(b) Give notice to the public of the application of the laws whenever the Vehicle Code requires traffic control devices be installed;

(c) Install, or cause to be installed, the necessary devices, subject to limitations or restrictions set forth in the law;

(d) Place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, additional traffic control devices as necessary or proper to regulate traffic or to guide or warn traffic;

(e) Make determinations on the basis of traffic engineering principles and traffic investigations and in accordance with such standards, limitations, and rules as set forth in this chapter or as determined by ordinance or resolution;

(f) Remove, relocate, or discontinue the operation of traffic control devices not specifically required by the Vehicle Code or this chapter whenever conditions which warranted or required the installation no longer exist; and

(g) Determine the hours and days during which a traffic control device shall be in operation.

The Traffic Engineer shall:

(a) Install and maintain official traffic signals at intersections and other places where traffic conditions require the flow of traffic be alternately interrupted and released to prevent or relieve traffic congestion or protect life or property from exceptional hazard;

(b) Determine the locations where signals are required by field investigations, traffic counts, and other traffic information in accordance with traffic engineering and safety standards and instructions set forth in the manual issued by the Division of Highways of the Department of Public Works of the State; and

(c) Erect and maintain street name signs visible to the principal flow of traffic.

(d) Place and maintain signs giving notice of one-way streets and alleys. Signs indicating the direction of lawful traffic shall be placed at every intersection where the movement of traffic in the opposite direction is prohibited.

The Traffic Engineer shall:

(a) Mark center lines 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 center line of the highway;

(b) Place and maintain distinctive roadway markings on 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 markings or signs and markings. Such markings or signs and markings shall have the same effect as similar markings placed by the Department of Public Works of the State pursuant to the Vehicle Code.

(c) Place official traffic control devices within or adjacent to intersections indicating the course to be traveled by vehicles turning at such intersections;

(d) Allocate and indicate more than one lane of traffic from which drivers of vehicles may make right or left-hand turns, and the course to be traveled as so indicated may conform to law; and

(e) Determine those intersections at which drivers of vehicles shall not make a right, left, or U-turn and shall place proper signs at such intersections. The making of such turns may be prohibited between certain hours of any day and permitted at other hours, in which event the same shall be plainly indicated on the signs, or such signs may be removed when such turns are permitted.

The Traffic Engineer shall:

(a) Post appropriate signs giving effect to this chapter when the making of right turns against traffic signal stop indications would seriously interfere with the safe and orderly flow of traffic;

(b) Erect and maintain stop signs on each and every street intersecting such through street, or portion so designated, at those entrances to other intersections where a stop is required, and at railroad grade crossings. Stop signs shall be erected or maintained at an entrance to an intersection where such entrance is controlled by an official traffic control signal.

The Traffic Engineer shall:

(a) Establish and maintain crosswalks at intersections and other places by appropriate devices, or markings or lines upon the surface of the roadway where there is particular hazard to pedestrians crossing the roadway; and

(b) Post signs prohibiting vehicular traffic in a pedestrian mall.

The Traffic Engineer shall:

(a) Install appropriate signs or paint upon curb surfaces, no stopping zones, no parking areas, and restricted parking areas;

(b) Erect signs indicating no parking on the side of a street adjacent to school property where such parking would interfere with traffic or create a hazardous situation;

(c) Place signs or markings indicating no parking upon streets where the width of the paved roadway does not exceed twenty feet or upon one side of a street, as indicated by such signs or markings, where the width of the paved roadway does not exceed thirty (30) feet;

(d) Order temporary signs to be erected or posted indicating the operation, parking, or standing of vehicles is prohibited on streets and alleys where an emergency traffic congestion is likely to result from the holding of public or private assemblages, gatherings, or functions, or for other reasons. Such signs shall remain in place only during the existence of such emergency, and the Traffic Engineer shall cause such signs to be removed promptly thereafter.

(e) Determine where standing or parking shall be prohibited upon the left-hand side of a one-way roadway of a highway having two or more separate roadways and shall erect signs giving notice;

(f) Install and maintain parking space markings to indicate parking spaces adjacent to curbings where authorized parking is permitted;

(g) Designate no stopping zones by placing and maintaining appropriate signs indicating stopping of vehicles is prohibited and indicating the hours and day when stopping is prohibited;

(h) Place the following curb markings to indicate parking or standing regulations, and such curb markings shall have the following meanings:

(1) "Red" means no stopping, standing, or parking except as permitted by the Vehicle Code and except a bus may stop in a red zone marked or signed as a bus zone.

(2) "Green" means no standing or parking longer than twenty-four (24) minutes between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. except Sundays and holidays; and

(3) "Blue" means handicapped parking.

(i) Determine the location and establish bus zones opposite curb space for the loading and unloading of buses or common carriers of passengers.

The Traffic Engineer shall:

(a) Post signs along the route of the bicycle lanes indicating the use of such lanes is restricted to bicycle traffic;

(b) Cause visible markings to be placed along the boundaries of the bicycle lanes nearest to the center line of the street; and

(c) Promulgate rules and regulations consistent with the provisions of this chapter necessary for the safe conduct of bicycle traffic on bicycle lanes.

The Traffic Engineer shall:

(a) Designate such streets by appropriate signs as "Truck Routes" for the movement of vehicles exceeding a maximum gross weight limit of three tons; and

(b) Erect and maintain appropriate signs on those streets affected by an ordinance or resolution of the City which designates and describes any street, or portion thereof, as a street, the use of which is prohibited by any commercial vehicle.