Modesto Municipal Code Art. 3 Traffic-Control Devices

(a) The Director of Public Works 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 under the traffic laws of the City to make effective the provisions of said laws.

(b) Whenever the Vehicle Code of the State of California requires for the effectiveness of any provisions thereof that traffic-control devices be installed to give notice to the public of the application of such law, the Director of Public Works 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.

(c) The Director of Public Works may also place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained such additional traffic control devices as he/she may deem necessary to regulate traffic or to guide or warn traffic, but he/she 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 the traffic laws of the City, or as may be determined by ordinance or resolution of the Council.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 3127-C.S., § 1, and Ord. 3363-C.S., § 1, effective 12-9-04)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

No provision of the Vehicle Code of the State of California 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.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., effective 4-24-58)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

The driver of any vehicle shall obey the instruction of any official traffic-control device applicable thereto placed in accordance with the traffic laws of the City unless otherwise directed by a police officer subject to the exceptions granted the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle when responding to emergency calls.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., effective 4-24-58)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

(a) The Director of Public Works shall install 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 Director of Public Works shall ascertain and determine the locations where such signals are deemed by him/her to be necessary for the preservation of the public safety by resort to field observations, traffic counts and other traffic information as may be pertinent.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 3127-C.S., § 1, and Ord. 3363-C.S., § 1, effective 12-9-04)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

The Director of Public Works is hereby authorized to mark or caused to be marked 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 center line of the highway.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 3127-C.S., § 1, and Ord. 3363-C.S., § 1, effective 12-9-04)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

The Director of Public Works is authorized to place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained distinctive roadway markings as described in the Vehicle Code of the State of California 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 marking or signs and markings shall have the same effect as similar markings placed by the State Department of Public Works pursuant to provisions of the Vehicle Code of the State of California.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 3127-C.S., § 1, and Ord. 3363-C.S., § 1, effective 12-9-04)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

The Director of Public Works is hereby authorized to remove or discontinue the operation of any traffic control device not specifically required by state law or this chapter, if he/she determines in any particular case that the conditions which warranted or required the installation no longer exist or obtain.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 3127-C.S., § 1, and Ord. 3363-C.S., § 1, effective 12-9-04)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)

The Director of Public Works shall determine the hours and days during which any traffic control device shall be in operation or in effect, except in those cases where such hours or days are specified in or pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, or by ordinance or resolution of the Council.

(Added by Ord. 234-C.S., amended by Ord. 3127-C.S., § 1, and Ord. 3363-C.S., § 1, effective 12-9-04)

(Ord. No. 3716-C.S., effective 3-12-20)