Lakewood Municipal Code Part 2 Enforcement and Obedience to Traffic Regulations

[Amended by Ord. 76-5]

The City Administrator of the City shall supervise the enforcement of the terms and provisions of this chapter through the law enforcement agency. Said Director in addition shall be in charge of the administration of all matters, including studies and reports, constituting the subject matter of this chapter.

It shall be the duty of the Chief of Police and all those law enforcement officers designated by the Chief of Police, as well as the law enforcement agency and all officers thereof to enforce the terms and provisions of this chapter and any regulations adopted by the City Council as well as all the terms and provisions of the State Vehicle Code applicable to vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian safety, to make arrests for traffic violations, to investigate traffic accidents and to cooperate with other City officers in the administration of the traffic laws and in developing ways and means to improve traffic conditions, and to carry out those duties specifically imposed by this chapter and the ordinance of the City.

As long as the City of Lakewood has by contract or other provision arranged for the enforcement of its traffic laws, rules and regulations and the State Vehicle Code by the Sheriff of Los Angeles County, the Sheriff and his authorized officers and deputies shall constitute the law enforcement agency of the City of Lakewood.

The Chief of Police and his deputies, and the officers of the law enforcement agency are hereby authorized to direct all traffic by voice, hand, audible or other signal in conformance with traffic laws, except that in the event of fire or other emergency, or to expedite traffic laws, except that in the event of fire or other emergency, or to expedite traffic, or to safeguard pedestrians, said officers or members of the Fire Department may direct traffic as conditions may require, notwithstanding the provisions to the contrary contained in this chapter or the Vehicle Code.

[Amended by Ord. 76-5]

No person other than the aforementioned officers or members of the Fire Department or a person authorized by the Chief of Police or Sheriff, or a 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 push-button signal erected by order of the Director of Community Safety.

No person shall fail or refuse to comply with or perform any act forbidden by any lawful order, signal or direction of any of the aforementioned officers or a person authorized by the Chief of Police or Sheriff or law.

It is a misdemeanor for any person driving any vehicle, bicycle or other conveyance upon any street, or any pedestrian, to do any act forbidden, or fail to perform any act required as applicable to any such person under the terms and provisions of this chapter.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 21050 of the Vehicle Code, or as hereafter amended every person riding or driving an animal upon a highway has all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this chapter and the Vehicle Code except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 21200 of the Vehicle Code, or as hereafter amended, every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway has all the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this chapter and the Vehicle Code, except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.

No person shall interfere with or obstruct in any way the Chief of Police or his designated officers or deputies or any officer of the law enforcement agency of this City in the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter or the Vehicle Code of the State of California. The removal, obliteration or concealment of any chalk mark or other distinguishing mark made by any such officer or other employee of the City in connection with the enforcement of the parking regulations of this chapter shall, if done for the purpose of evading the provisions of this chapter, constitute such interference or obstruction.

It is the intention of the City Council to provide reasonable traffic and parking rules and regulations. All intersections, safety zones, crosswalks, no parking and limited parking zones, loading zones, stop signs, boulevard stop signs, traffic control signs and signals, including speed limit signs, slow signs, danger signs, caution signs, warning signs, and all other traffic control signs and devices posted or painted or in place within the City of Lakewood on the date of the adoption of this section where authorized by county ordinance or action prior to the annexation or incorporation of said territory within the City, and not changed by subsequent action of the City Council, or where authorized by action of the City Council under provisions of law applicable within the City prior to the adoption of this section, shall so continue and shall be in force pursuant to this chapter as part of the traffic regulations of the City of Lakewood until superseded by lawful action of the City taken in accordance with the terms and provisions of this chapter or the Vehicle Code of the State of California.

Where authorized by the terms and provisions of the Vehicle Code, the City Council may in accordance therewith and subject to the terms and provisions thereof, as well as subject to the terms and provisions of this chapter, adopt regulations pertaining to the operations, driving, standing and parking of vehicles, and pedestrian traffic upon roads, streets, highways, alleys, sidewalks and other public places of this City where necessary in order to protect the public health, safety and welfare and where pursuant to a traffic or other study determining the necessity therefor. Any regulation or posting or signing adopted pursuant thereto shall conform to all requirements of the Vehicle Code of the State of California. Such regulations shall in addition be subject to the following:

A. Any provision of this chapter, of this Code, or any ordinance or resolution of this City regulating traffic or delegating the regulation of traffic upon State Highways in any way for which approval of the Department of Public Works of the State of California is required by State law, shall cease to be operative six months after receipt of the City Council of written notice of withdrawal of approval of the Department of Public Works.

B. Whenever this Code or this chapter or any ordinance or resolution of this City delegates authority to a City officer, or authorizes action by the City Council to regulate traffic upon a State Highway in any way which by State law requires the prior approval of the Department of Public Works, no such officer shall exercise such authority nor shall such action by the City Council be effective with respect to any State Highway without the prior approval in writing of the Department of Public Works when and to the extent required by the Vehicle Code.

No person shall ride or drive any animal, or operate any vehicle or bicycle over any new pavement in any street where there is erected a barrier, or at, or near which there is a person or sign warning of such prohibition, or a sign indicating that said street is closed.

The City Council of the City of Lakewood hereby finds and determines that the following are privately owned and maintained roads which are generally held open for use of the public for purposes of vehicular traffic and which so connect with highways that the public cannot determine that said privately owned and maintained roads are not highways, to wit:

A. The following privately owned and maintained roads located in the Lakewood Center shopping area between Candlewood and Del Amo Boulevard:

1. Pepperwood Avenue.

2. Hazelbrook Avenue.

3. Graywood Avenue.

4. Faculty Avenue.

5. Silva Street.

6. "D" Street.

7. "C" Street.

8. "B" Street.

9. "A" Street.

10. Daneland Street between Pepperwood and Faculty Avenues.

11. Hardwick Street between Clark Avenue and Lakewood Boulevard.

12. Lakewood Boulevard west service road between Del Amo and Candlewood.

13. Del Amo Boulevard north service road from Lakewood Boulevard west service road to the alley west of Lakewood Boulevard.

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 21107.5 of the Vehicle Code, the City Council of the City of Lakewood hereby declares that the provisions of this chapter and the Vehicle Code of the State of California shall apply to the aforementioned privately owned and maintained streets unless there is posted on such road a notice of such size, shape and color as to be readily legible during the daylight hours from a distance of one hundred (100) feet to the effect that the road is privately owned and maintained and that it is not subject to public traffic, regulation and control. The City Council further finds and determines, that so long as said streets are not so posted, that it shall provide traffic law enforcement on said streets and that said streets shall be subject to all the provisions of this Code and the Vehicle Code of the State of California and except as herein provided the City of Lakewood shall not be deemed to assume any responsibility or liability for the maintenance or care of said privately owned and maintained streets.