Imperial Municipal Code Ch. 13 Motor Vehicles and Traffic

(For state law as to uniformity of state traffic laws and applicability to municipalities, see Veh. C., S. 21. As to power of localities to regulate traffic generally, see Veh. C., S. 2100 et seq. As to special gas tax street improvement fund, see S. 2-4 of this Code. As to consumption of alcoholic beverages while occupying motor vehicles, see S. 16-12. As to streets and sidewalks generally, see Ch. 19)

Article I. In General

13-1 Definitions 13-2 Authority of police and fire department officials. 13-3 Obedience to police and fire department officials. 13-4 Persons other than officials not to direct traffic. 13-5 Public employees to obey traffic regulations. 13-6 Exemptions from chapter. 13-7 Report of damage to certain property. 13-8 Driving other than upon streets or alleys prohibited. 13-8.1 Obstruction of City Right of Way. 13-9 Trucks and vehicles with hazardous materials prohibited from parking in residential areas. 13-10 Driving through funeral processions. 13-11 Clinging to moving vehicles. 13-12 Driving on sidewalk or parkway area. 13-13 Trains not to block streets. 13-17 When traffic control devices required for enforcement purposes. 13-18 Obedience to traffic control devices. 13-51 Declared public nuisance. 13-52 Enforcement of article.

13-65 Cost recovery. 13-66 Revocation of route. 13-67 Appeals process. 13-70 Membership and Duration of Commission. 13-71 Compensation of Members.

Article X. Weight limit; Truck routes

13-78 Weight limit; truck route. 13-79 Oversized vehicles.

13-15 Compliance with chapter.

Article II. Traffic Control Devices.

13-21 Hours of operation.

Article III. Turning Movements

13-24 Obedience to no-turn signs.

Article IV. Special Stops Required

13-26 Through streets designated. 13-27 Stop intersections designated. 13-28 Emerging from alley, private driveway or public parking lot.

Article V. Stopping, standing and Parking

Division 1. Generally

13-29 Applicability of article. 13-30 Within parkways and front yards. 13-31 Parking in excess of one hundred twenty hours. 13-32 Parking for certain purposes prohibited. 13-33 Parking adjacent to schools. 13-34 Parking prohibited on narrow streets. 13-35 Prohibited in certain locations – general. 13-35.1 Prohibited in certain locations – specified streets. 13-36 Emergency parking signs. 13-37 Restricted parking for street sweeping. 13-38 Parking space markings. 13-39 Standing in alley. 13-40 Prohibited during certain hours on certain streets. 13-40.1 Permitting Angle Parking.

Division 2. Loading and Unloading

13-41 Authority to establish loading zones. 13-42 Curb markings. 13-43 Effect of permission to load or unload. 13-44 Standing for loading or unloading only. 13-45 Standing in passenger loading zone.

Article VI Pedestrians.

13-46 Establishment, maintenance, etc., or crosswalks. 13-47 Crossing roadway at right angles.

Article VII. Abandoned Vehicles

This section repealed by Ordinance No. 653

13-55 Conduct of hearing generally; authority of city council.

Article VIII. Interstate Truck Terminal Designation

Article IX. Traffic Commission and Enumeration of its Duties and Powers

Article XI. Unlawful Parking of Trailers, Mobile homes, Recreational Vehicles, Truck and Buses; Exceptions; Permits

13-84 Unlawful Parking of Trailers, Mobile homes, Recreational Vehicles, Trucks and Buses; Exceptions; Permits.

Article I. In General.

shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

Holidays. The first day of January, the twelfth day of February, the twenty-
second day of February, the thirtieth day of May, the fourth day of July, the first
Monday in September, the ninth day of September, the twelfth day of October, the
eleventh day of November, the twenty-fifth day of December and Thanksgiving
Day.

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

Official time standard. Whenever certain hours are names herein, they shall mean
standard time or daylight saving time as may be in current use in this city.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Pedestrian. Any person afoot.

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

Stop. When required means complete cessation of movement.

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.

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

Whenever any words or phrases used in this chapter are not defined herein, but
are 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 herein in full. (Ord. 330)

a) It shall be the duty of the officers of the police department or such officers as are assigned by the chief of police to enforce all street traffic laws of this city and all of the state vehicle laws applicable to street traffic in this city.

b) Officers of the police department or such officer as are assigned by the chief
of police are hereby authorized to direct all traffic by voice, hand or signal in
conformance with traffic laws; provided, that in the event of fire or other
emergency or to expedite traffic or to safeguard pedestrians, office of the
police department may direct traffic as conditions may require,
notwithstanding the provisions of the traffic laws.

c) Officers of the fire department, when at the scene of a fire, may direct or assist
the police in directing traffic thereat or in the immediate vicinity. (Ord. 330)

refuse to comply with any lawful order of a police officer or fire department officials when directing traffic. (Ord. 330)

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 and as herein provided any mechanical pushbutton signal erected by order of the chief of police. (Ord. 330)

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. 330)

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 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 willful 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 repaid work or any vehicle owned by the
United States for the collection, transportation or delivery of United States
mail. (Ord. 330)

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 a 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 any 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 the driver shall make a report
as required in subsection (a) of this section within twenty-four hours after
regaining ability to make such report. (Ord. 330)

person to ride or drive any horse or other animal or any bicycle, automobile or other motor driven vehicle, over or across any property in the city where such person is not the owner of in lawful charge or possession of such property, or has not otherwise obtained the permission of such owner or person in charge or possession thereof, except where such property is a public street or alley, or is dedicated for use as a street or alley. (Ord. 100 & 397)

13-8.1 Obstruction of City Right of Way. It shall be unlawful to place or permit obstructions on or to any City Right of Way, including, but not limited to, streets, alleys,

sidewalks and parkways. This section does not prohibit the otherwise lawful use of such rights of ways by vehicles. (Ord. 707)

13-9 (a) Trucks and vehicles with hazardous materials prohibited from parking in residential areas.

1) The parking of commercial trucks or any vehicle with hazardous material
is prohibited from parking at any time on the streets within all residential areas of
the City of Imperial. The parking of all “Oversized Vehicles” is prohibited at any
time on the streets within all residential areas of the City of Imperial. “Oversized
Vehicle” means any vehicle, as that word is defined in the California Vehicle
Code, or a combination of connected vehicles, which exceeds twenty-five feet in
length, and/or six and a half feet in width and/or eight feet in height, exclusive of
such projecting lights or devices as are expressly allowed pursuant to the
California Vehicle Code as it now exists or hereafter may be amended. “Oversize
Vehicle” shall not mean or include a pickup truck, which is less than twenty-five
feet in length and 8 feet in height.

2) For the purposes of this Section, a residential area shall be as described in
Chapter 24, Zoning, of the City Code of the City of Imperial.

3) For the purposes of this Section hazardous materials are as defined by the
United States Department of Transportation Code 49 CFR “Hazardous Materials
Transportation.”

4) For the purposes of this Section, notices shall be posted at all major
entrances to the City.

5) For the purposes of this Section, it is presumed that a commercial vehicle
is a vehicle hire, compensation, or profit of designated, used or maintained
primarily for the transportation of goods.

6. The provisions of the Section shall not apply to vehicles owned or operated by the City or its contractors, garbage and trash trucks licensed by the City, passenger buses under the jurisdiction of the public utilities commission while parked at authorized and posted bus stops, school buses, moving vans, any vehicle owned by a public entity while necessary in construction, installation or repair of any public utility, vehicles servicing persons or firms located within the area and recreational vehicles.

   (b) Restricted Vehicle Parking in Designated Areas.

   1. Vehicle Parking – Restricted. It is unlawful for any person, firm, or

   corporation to park, or cause to be parked, or left standing, any unattended vehicle

of a gross weight exceeding six thousand (6,000) pounds, at any time on the following described routes:

(i) East and West sides of Imperial Avenue from SR 86 to Belford

Road.

(ii) North and South sides of Barioni Boulevard from B Street to E

Street.

(iii) North and South sides of 15th Street from Imperial Avenue to N

Street.

(iv) North and South sides of Joshua Tree Street from La Brucherie

Road to Smokewood Trail.

(v) East and West sides of Cross Road from Aten Road to Treshill

Road.

(vi) East and West sides of D Street from Barioni Boulevard to 5th

Street.

(vii) North and South sides of 4th Street from B Street to C Street.

(viii) North and South side of Ralph Road from SR 86 to Railroad

tracks.

(ix) North and South sides of Neckel Road from SR 86 to P

Street/Clark Road.

(x) East and West sides of Rodeo Drive from 15th Street to Ralph

Road.

(xi) North and South sides of Barioni Boulevard from SR 86 to B

Street and the South side of Barioni Boulevard/Worthington Road from B Street to Austin Road.

(xii) East and West sides of South M Street from 4th Street to Barioni

Boulevard.

(xiii) East and West sides of South J Street from 2nd Street to Barioni

Boulevard.

(xiv) East and West sides of North K Street from Barioni Boulevard to

12th Street.

(2) This section shall not apply to commercial vehicle when loading or unloading passengers or merchandise or when it is necessary to stop a vehicle to avoid conflict with other traffic or compliance with the direction of law enforcement officers or an official traffic control device.

(For state law authorizing City to restrict weight of vehicles using certain streets,
see Veh. C., s. 35701 to 35705. As to authority to prohibit particular vehicles
from using certain streets, see Veh. C., s. 21101c) (Ord 698)

vehicles comprising a funeral procession while they are in motion and when the vehicles in such processions are conspicuously so designated. (Ord. 330)

coaster, roller skates or any toy vehicle shall attach the same or himself to any moving vehicle upon any roadway. (Ord. 330)

within any sidewalk area or any parkway except at a permanent or temporary driveway. (Ord. 330)

permit the same to remain standing so as to block the use of any street for period of time longer than five minutes. (Ord. 330)

animal or any vehicle over or across any newly made pavement or freshly painted marking in 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. 330)

13-15 Compliance with chapter. It is a misdemeanor for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required in this chapter. (Ord. 330)

Article II. Traffic Control Devices.

(For state law as to power of city to regulate traffic by means of traffic control devices, see Veh. C. S. 21100)

a) The chief of police shall have the exclusive power and duty to place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained official traffic control devices

when and as required under this chapter to make effective the provisions of this chapter.

b) Whenever the Vehicle Code of this state 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 chief of police is hereby authorized
to install the necessary devices subject to any limitations or restrictions set
forth in the law applicable thereto.

c) The chief of police may also place and main such additional traffic control
devices as he may deem necessary 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 may be set forth in this chapter or as may be
determined by ordinance or resolution of the city council. (Ord. 330)

13-17 When traffic control devices required for enforcement purposes. No provisions of the Vehicle Code or of this chapter for which signs are required shall be enforced against an alleged violator unless appropriate signs are in place and sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinarily observant person, giving notice of such provisions of the traffic laws. (Ord. 330)

13-18 Obedience to traffic control devices. The driver of any vehicle shall obey the instructions of any official traffic control device applicable thereto placed in accordance with this chapter unless otherwise directed by a police officer subject to the exceptions granted the driver or an authorized emergency vehicle when responding to emergency calls. (Ord. 330)

The chief of police is hereby 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. (Ord. 330)

authorized to remove, relocate or discontinue the operation of any traffic control device not specifically required by state law or this chapter whenever he shall determine in any particular case that the conditions which warranted or required the installation no longer exist or obtain. (Ord. 330)

13-21. Hours of operation. The chief of police 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. 330)

Article III. Turning Movements

a) The chief of police is authorized to place markers, buttons or signs within or adjacent to intersections indicating the course to be traveled by vehicles turning at such intersections, and the chief of police is authorized to 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 or be other than prescribed by law or ordinance.

b) When authorized markers, buttons or other indications are placed within an intersection indicating the course to be traveled by vehicles turning thereat, no driver of a vehicle shall disobey the directions of such indications. (Ord. 330)

to 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 they may be removed when such turns are permitted. (Ord. 330)

13-24 Obedience to no-turn signs. Whenever authorized signs are erected indicating that no right or left or U turn is permitted, no driver of a vehicle shall disobey the directions of any such sign. (Ord. 330)

Article IV. Special Stops Required

13-25 Erection of stops signs. Whenever this chapter or any other 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 chief of police shall erect and maintain 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 section 471 of the Vehicle Code. (Ord. 330)

13-25 Through streets designated. Those streets and parts of streets described in this section are hereby declared to be through streets. When signs are erected giving notice thereof, drivers of vehicles shall stop at the entrance to those streets described as follows:

F Street, between Fifteenth Street and Main Street.

Fourth Street, between B Street and Imperial Avenue.

Fourth Street, between C Street and H Street, inclusive.

Imperial Avenue.

Main Street.

Tenth Street, between F Street and Imperial Avenue.

U.S. Highway 99. (Ord. 330, 336, 339)

13-26 Stop intersections designated. When signs are erected giving notice thereof, drivers of vehicles shall stop at the entrance to those intersections described as follows:

Fourth and F Streets.

Ninth and H Streets.

Second and L Streets.

Seventh and D Streets.

Tenth and D Streets.

Tenth and E Streets. (Ord. 330)

13-28 Emerging from alley, private driveway or public parking lot. The driver of a vehicle emerging from any alley, driveway, building or private parking area, or from any parking lot operated by the city for public use, shall stop such vehicle immediately prior to driving onto a sidewalk or into the sidewalk area extending across any alley way, and, in the case of public parking lots, the chief of police is hereby authorized to establish the safest manner of ingress to, egress from and use thereof, and to place and maintain appropriate signs directing such ingress, egress and use; and when such signs are placed, no driver shall disobey the directions set forth thereon. (Ord. 330, 395)

Article V. Stopping, Standing and Parking.

(For state law relative to local regulation of parking, see Veh. C., S 22506 to 22509)