Chapter 10.04 — TRAFFIC REGULATIONS

State Law reference— For statutory provisions on local authority to place traffic-control devices. see Vehicle Code § 21351 et seq. and § 21450 et seq.; for provisions on local parking curb markings, see Vehicle Code § 21458; for provisions on local parking regulations, see Vehicle Code §§ 22506 et seq.; for provisions on stopping, standing and parking generally, see Vehicle Code § 22500 et seq.

The city council may by resolution authorize any action authorized or permitted by this chapter.

(Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

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:

A.

"Curb" means the lateral boundary of the roadway, whether such curb be marked by curbing construction or not so marked. "Curb," as used in this chapter, shall not include the line dividing the roadway of a street from parking strips in the center of a street, nor from tracts or rights-of-way of public utility companies.

B.

"Park" means 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.

(Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

A.

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

B.

Whenever the 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 to such law, the city council 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 council shall also place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained such additional traffic- control devices as the council may deem necessary or proper to regulate traffic or to guide or warn traffic.

(Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

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 the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle responding to emergency calls.

(Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

The city council is authorized to have removed, relocated, or discontinued the operation of any traffic- control device not specifically required by the Vehicle Code or this chapter whenever the council shall so determine.

(Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

The city council is authorized to install and maintain official traffic signals at 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 hazards determined by the council.

(Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

The city council is authorized to have marked 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.

(Ord. 349 §3.3, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

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 resolution or ordinance of this city pertaining thereto.

(Ord. 349 §3.5, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

A.

Whenever any ordinance or resolution of this city designates and describes any street or portion thereof as a through street, or any intersection at which vehicles are required to stop at one or more entrances thereto, or any railroad grade crossing at which vehicles are required to stop, the city council shall have erected and maintained stop signs as follows:

A stop sign shall be erected on each and every street intersecting such through street or portion thereof so designated, and at those entrances of other intersections where a stop is required, and at any railroad grade crossing so designated. Every such sign shall conform with, and shall be placed as provided in, the Vehicle Code.

B.

Those streets and parts of streets established by resolution of the city council are declared to be through streets for the purposes of this section.

C.

The provisions of this section shall also apply to one or more entrances to the intersections as such entrances and intersections are established by resolution of the city council.

(Ord. 349 §§4, 4.1, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

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 alley way or driveway.

(Ord. 349 §4.2, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

A.

The provisions of this chapter prohibiting the stopping, standing, or parking of a vehicle shall apply at all times or at those times specified in this chapter, except when it is necessary to stop a vehicle to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or official traffic-control device.

B.

The provisions of this chapter imposing a time limit on standing or parking shall not relieve any person from the duty to observe other and more restrictive provisions of the Vehicle Code or the ordinances of this city prohibiting or limiting the standing or parking of vehicles in specified places or at specified times.

(Ord. 349 §5, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

A.

Whenever the city administrator shall determine that an emergency traffic congestion is likely to result from the holding of public or private assemblages, gatherings, or functions, or for other reasons, the city administrator has the power and authority to order temporary signs to be erected or posted indicating that the operation, parking or standing of vehicles is prohibited on such streets and alleys as the city administrator shall direct during the time such temporary signs are in place. Such signs shall remain in place only during the existence of such emergency, and the city administrator shall cause such signs to be removed promptly thereafter.

B.

When signs authorized by the provisions of this section are in place giving notice thereof, no person shall operate, park or stand any vehicle contrary to the direction and provisions of such signs.

(Ord. 416 §1, 1978; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

upon arterial and collector streets.

No person or entity shall be permitted to park any motor vehicle, boat and/or trailer for purposes of displaying same for sale upon any street within the city of Exeter which has been designated as an arterial or collector street under the circulation element of the general plan of the city of Exeter. The city shall post notices of this prohibition at appropriate and conspicuous places along all such arterial and collector streets within the city limits. Any violation of the provisions of this section shall constitute an infraction, punishable as described in Section 1.12.030 of this Code.

(Ord. 615 §1, 2004; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle within any parkway.

(Ord. 349 §5.1, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

A.

The city council is authorized to maintain, by appropriate signs or by paint upon the curb surface, all no stopping zones, no parking areas, and restricted parking areas, as defined and described in this chapter.

B.

When the curb markings or signs are in place, no operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand, or park such vehicle adjacent to any such legible curb marking or sign in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 349 §5.7, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

Green curb marking means no standing or parking for a period of time longer than twenty minutes at any time.

(Ord. 349 §6, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

When authorized signs, parking meters, or curb markings have been determined by the city council to be necessary and are in place giving notice thereof, no operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand, or park the vehicle between the hours of nine a.m. and six p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays for a period of time longer than one hour.

(Ord. 349 §6.1, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

When authorized signs, parking meters, or curb markings have been determined by the city council to be necessary and are in place giving notice thereof, no operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand, or park the vehicle between the hours of nine a.m. and six p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays for a period of time longer than two hours.

(Ord. 349 §6.2, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

A.

The city council is authorized to install and maintain parking space markings to indicate parking spaces adjacent to curbs where authorized parking is permitted, including areas for angle parking.

B.

When such parking space markings are placed on the highway and streets subject to other and more restrictive limitations, no vehicle shall be stopped, left standing, or parked other than within a single space unless the size or shape of such vehicle makes compliance impossible.

(Ord. 349 §6.3, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

A.

The city council shall designate established no stopping zones by placing and maintaining appropriate signs indicating that stopping of vehicles is prohibited.

B.

During the hours and on the days designated on the signs, it is unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to stop the vehicle on any of the streets or parts of streets established by resolution of the council as no stopping zones.

(Ord. 349 §6.4, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

A.

The city council is authorized to determine and to have marked loading zones and passenger loading zones as follows:

At any place in the business district;

Elsewhere in front of the entrance to any place of business or in front of any hall or place used for the purpose of public assembly.

B.

In no event shall more than one-half of the total curb length in any block be reserved for loading zone purposes.

C.

Loading zones shall be indicated by yellow paint upon the top of all curbs within such zones.

D.

Passenger loading zones shall be indicated by white paint upon the top of all curbs in said zones.

(Ord. 349 §7, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

The city council is authorized, subject to the provisions and limitations of this chapter, to place, and when required in this chapter shall place, the following curb markings to indicate parking or standing regulations, and the curb markings shall have the meanings as set forth in this section:

A.

"Red" means no stopping, standing, or parking at any time except as permitted by the Vehicle Code, and except that a bus may stop in a red zone marked or signed by a bus zone.

B.

"Yellow" means no stopping, standing, or parking at any time between seven a.m. and six p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays for any purposes other than the loading or unloading of passengers or materials; provided, that the loading or unloading of passengers shall not consume more than three minutes nor the loading or unloading of materials more than twenty minutes.

C.

"White" means no stopping, standing, or parking for any purpose other than loading or unloading of passengers, or for the purpose of depositing mail in an adjacent mail box, which shall not exceed three minutes and such restrictions shall apply between seven a.m. and six p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays and except as follows:

When such zone is in front of a hotel or in front of a mailbox, the restrictions shall apply at all times;

When such zone is in front of the theater, the restrictions shall apply at all times except when such theater is closed.

D.

When the city council as authorized under this chapter has caused curb markings to be placed, no person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle adjacent to any such legible curb marking in violation of any of the provisions of this section.

(Ord. 349 §7.1, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

Permission granted in this chapter to stop or stand a vehicle for purposes of loading or unloading of materials shall apply only to commercial vehicles and shall not extend beyond the time necessary therefor, and in no event for more than twenty minutes.

(Ord. 349 §7.2, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle in any yellow loading zone for any purpose other than loading or unloading passengers or materials for such time as is permitted in Section 10.04.220.

(Ord. 349 §7.3, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle in any passenger loading zone for any purpose other than the loading or unloading of passengers for such time as is specified in Section 10.04.220 of this chapter.

(Ord. 349 §7.4, 1976; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

No person shall construct or cause to be constructed, repair or cause to be repaired, grease or cause to be greased, dismantle or cause to be dismantled, any vehicle or any part thereof upon any public street in this city. Temporary emergency repairs may be made upon a public street.

(Ord. 416 §2, 1978; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)

Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of an infraction. Any person who shall be convicted of the violation of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of an infraction and shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding fifty dollars for the first offense, one hundred dollars for the second offense within six months and two hundred fifty dollars for the third offense within one year.

(Ord. 349 §8, 1976; Ord. 416 §3, 1978; Ord. No. 696, §1, 4-27-2021)