Lemoore Municipal Code Ch. 2 Traffic-Control Devices and Markings

No provision 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. (1975 Code §9-3.02)

A. Traffic-Control Devices Generally:

1. The City Chief of Police shall have the power and duty to place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained official traffic-control devices when and as required to make effective the provisions of this Title.

2. 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 of such law, the Chief of Police is hereby authorized to install or cause to be installed the necessary devices subject to any limitations or restrictions set forth in the law applicable thereto.

3. The Chief of Police may also place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained such additional traffic-control devices as he may deem necessary or proper 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 Title or as may be determined by ordinance or resolution of the City Council. (1975 Code §9-3.01)

B. Traffic Signals: The City 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; provided, however, that such traffic-control signals shall be installed only in accordance with those traffic engineering and safety standards and instructions set forth in the California Maintenance Manual issued by the Division of Highways of the State Department of Public Works and upon resolution of the City Council. (1975 Code §9-3.04)

The City Chief of Police is hereby authorized to remove, relocate or discontinue the operation of any traffic-control device not specifically required by the Vehicle Code or this Title whenever he shall determine in any particular case that the conditions which warranted or required the installation no longer exist or obtain. (1975 Code §9-3.07)

The City 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 Title. (1975 Code §9-3.08)

The City Chief of Police is authorized to place markers, buttons or signs within or adjacent to intersections and indicating the course to be traveled by vehicles turning at such intersections, and the city chief of police is authorized to locate 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 as prescribed by law or ordinance. (1975 Code §9-4.01)

A. Lane Markings: The city chief of police is hereby authorized to mark 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 or street. (1975 Code §9-3.05)

B. Roadway Markings: The city chief of police 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 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 state department of public works pursuant to the provisions of the Vehicle Code. (1975 Code §9-3.06)

A. Curb Markings Regulating Parking And Standing:

1. The city chief of police is hereby authorized, subject to the provisions and limitations of this title, to place, and when required herein shall place, the following curb markings to indicate parking or standing regulations, and said curb markings shall have meanings as set forth herein:

a. Red shall mean no stopping, standing or parking at any time except as permitted by the Vehicle Code and except that a bus may stop at a red zone marked or signed as a bus zone. (Ord. 9115, 8-20-1991)

b. Yellow shall mean no stopping, standing or parking at any time for any purpose other than loading or unloading of passengers or materials; provided, that the loading or unloading of the passengers shall not consume more than three (3) minutes nor the loading or unloading of materials more than twenty (20) minutes. (Ord. 2002-13, 10-1-2002)

c. White shall mean no stopping, standing or parking for any purpose other than loading or unloading of passengers 1 , or for the purpose of depositing mail in an adjacent mailbox, which shall not exceed three (3) minutes, and such restrictions shall apply between eight o'clock (8:00) A.M. and six o'clock (6:00) P.M. of any day except Sundays and holidays and except as follows:

(1) When such zone is in front of a hotel or in front of a mailbox, the restriction shall apply at all times.

(2) When such zone is in front of a theater, the restriction shall apply at all times, except when such theater is closed.

d. Blue shall mean the space adjacent to the curb so painted is restricted for the exclusive use of any vehicle which displays either a distinguishing license plate or a placard issued pursuant to section 22511.5 of the California Vehicle Code.

2. When the city chief of police, as authorized under this title, has caused curb markings to be placed, no person shall stop, stand or park any vehicle adjacent to any such legible markings in violation of any of the provisions of this subsection A.

B. Parking Space Markings: The city chief of police is authorized to install and maintain parking space markings to indicate parking spaces adjacent to curbings where authorized parking is permitted.

C. Unauthorized Painting Of Curbs: No person, unless authorized by this city, shall paint any street or curb surface; provided, however, that this subsection 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. 9115, 8-20-1991)

A. Establishment Of Crosswalks: The city chief of police shall establish, designate and maintain crosswalks at intersections and other places by appropriate devices, marks or lines upon the surface of the roadway as follows:

Crosswalks shall be established and maintained at all intersections within the central traffic district and at such intersections outside such district, and at other places within or outside said district where the city chief of police determines that there is particular hazard to pedestrians crossing the roadway subject to the limitations contained in subsection B of this section.

B. Restrictions: Other than crosswalks at intersections, no crosswalks shall be established in any block which is less than four hundred feet (400') in length and such crosswalk shall be located as nearly as practicable at midblock.

C. Signs May Be Posted: The city chief of police may place signs at or adjacent to an intersection in respect to any crosswalk directing that pedestrians shall cross in the crosswalk so indicated. (1975 Code §9-9.01)

The operator of any vehicle or train shall obey the instruction of any official traffic control device placed in accordance with this title unless otherwise directed by a police officer or other authorized person subject to the exceptions granted the operator of any authorized emergency vehicle when responding to emergency calls. (1975 Code §9-3.03)

No person, public utility or department in the city shall erect or place any barrier or sign on any street unless of a type approved by the city chief of police or disobey the instructions, remove, tamper with or destroy any barrier or sign lawfully placed on any street by any person, public utility or any department of this city. (1975 Code §9-8.07)

A. Golf cart crossing zones, for use by golf carts at any time other than during darkness, may be established on any street, other than a state highway, which has a posted speed limit of forty five (45) miles per hour or less and which is immediately adjacent to a golf course as follows:

1. The city chief of police finds and determines that the condition pertaining to that street, with the addition of proper signs, markers or lighting, or any combination of those, will permit the establishment of a golf cart crossing with reasonable safety and the signs, markers or lighting specified are in place.

2. The golf cart crossing shall be at an angle or approximately ninety degrees (90°) to the direction of the roadway. (Ord. 9203, 1-21-1992)