Chapter 10.16 — TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICES

The city engineer shall have the exclusive power and duty to place and maintain or cause to be placed or maintained official traffic-control devices when and as required under this title to make effective the provisions of this title, and may place and maintain such additional traffic-control devices as it deems necessary to regulate traffic under this title or under state law, or to guide or warn traffic.

(Ord. 486 § 4 (part), 1992; prior code § 13-4)

The city engineer is authorized to:

A.

Install and maintain official traffic signals at such intersections and other locations as it deems necessary for the regulation of traffic;

B.

Establish safety zones at such places as it deems necessary for the protection of pedestrians;

C.

Mark lanes for traffic on street pavements at such places as it deems advisable, consistent with the vehicle code and traffic ordinances and resolutions of the city;

D.

Place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained such additional traffic-control devices as it may deem necessary or proper to regulate traffic or to guide or warn traffic, but it 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 may be set forth in this title or as may be determined by ordinance or resolution of the council.

(Ord. 486 § 4 (part), 1992; prior code § 13-4.1)

No provisions of the vehicle code or of this title 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.

(Ord. 486 § 4 (part), 1992; prior code § 13-4.2)

It shall be unlawful for any person to affix any banner, balloon, streamer, light, reflective material, or other device or material to any utility pole, stop sign, regulatory traffic device, or signal; such items shall be summarily removed and disposed of.

(Ord. 486 § 4 (part), 1992; prior code § 13-4.3)

The operator of any vehicle 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 exception granted the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle when responding to emergency calls.

(Ord. 486 § 4 (part), 1992; prior code § 13-4.4)

A.

The city engineer is directed 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 hazard.

B.

The city engineer shall ascertain and determine the location where such signals are required by field investigation, traffic counts and other traffic information as may be pertinent, and his or her determinations therefrom shall be made in accordance with those traffic engineering and safety standards and instructions set forth in the California Maintenance Manual issued by the California State Department of Transportation.

(Ord. 486 § 4 (part), 1992; prior code § 13-4.5)

The city engineer is authorized to 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 centerline of the highway.

(Ord. 486 § 4 (part), 1992; prior code § 13-4.6)

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

(Ord. 486 § 4 (part), 1992; prior code § 13-4.7)

The city engineer may recommend to the city council the removal, relocation or discontinuance of the operation of any traffic-control device not specifically required by the vehicle code or this title whenever he or she shall determine in any particular case that the conditions which warranted or required the installation no longer exist or obtain.

(Ord. 486 § 4 (part), 1992; prior code § 13-4.8)

The city engineer, in conjunction with the police department and department of public works, shall determine the hours and days during which any traffic-control device shall be in operation or be in effect, except in those cases where such hours or days are specified in this chapter.

(Ord. 486 § 4 (part), 1992; prior code § 13-4.9)