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Title 10 — VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC

Chapter 10.12 — TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICES

Palo Alto Municipal Code · 2026-09 edition · updated 2026-09-29 · Palo Alto

10.12.100 Barriers and lights where work is being done.

  • For state law authorizing local authorities to place and maintain traffic signs, signals and other traffic-control devices upon streets and highways - See Veh. C.A., § 21351.

10.12.010 Authority to install traffic-control devices.

(a) The city manager 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 ordinances of this city to make effective the provisions of said ordinances.

(b) 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 city manager is 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 city manager may also place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained 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 the traffic ordinances of this city or as may be determined by ordinance or resolution of the legislative body of this city.

(Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.31)

10.12.020 When traffic-control devices required for enforcement.

No provision of the Vehicle Code or of this title 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. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.32)

10.12.030 Reserved.

10.12.040 Installation of traffic signals.

(a) The city manager 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 manager shall ascertain and determine the locations where such signals are required by resort to field observation, traffic counts, and other traffic information as may be pertinent, and his determinations therefrom shall be made in accordance with those traffic engineering and safety standards and instructions set forth in the Traffic Manual or its successor, issued by the Division of Highways of the State Department of Public Works or its successor, and as set forth in policies and warrants for traffic-control devices, adopted by ordinance or resolution of the legislative body of this city.

(c) Whenever the city manager installs and maintains an official traffic signal at any intersection, he shall likewise erect and maintain at such intersection street name signs visible to the principal flow of traffic unless such street name signs have previously been placed and are maintained at any such intersection.

(Ord. 2713 § 1, 1973: Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.34)

10.12.050 Lane markings.

The city manager 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 center line of the highway.

(Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.35)

10.12.060 Distinctive roadway markings.

The city manager 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 marking or signs and markings. Such marking or signs and marking shall have the same effect as similar markings placed by the State Department of Public Works pursuant to provisions of the Vehicle Code.

(Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.36)

10.12.070 Authority to remove, relocate or discontinue.

The city manager is authorized to remove, relocate or discontinue the operation of any traffic-control device not specifically required by state law 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.

(Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.37)

10.12.080 Hours of operation.

The city manager 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.

(Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.38)

10.12.090 Regulation of speed by traffic signals.

The city manager is authorized to regulate the timing of traffic signals so as to permit the movement of traffic in an orderly and safe manner at speeds slightly at variance from the speeds otherwise applicable within the district or at intersections and shall erect appropriate signs giving notice thereof.

(Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.153)

10.12.100 Barriers and lights where work is being done.

(a) Any person by whom or under whose immediate direction or by whose immediate authority as principal or as contractor or employer any portion of a public street may be made dangerous shall:

(1) Erect and, so long as the danger continues, maintain, around the portion of the street or highway so made dangerous, a good and substantial barrier;

(2) Cause to be maintained during every night from sunset to sunrise sufficient lights, torches or flashers plainly visible from a distance of five hundred feet on that portion of the street or crossing so made dangerous.

(Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.39)

Chapter 10.16

TURNING MOVEMENTS*

10.16.040 Authority to prohibit right turns against traffic stop signal.

  • For state law as to power of local authorities to prohibit the making of turning movements at intersections - See Veh. C.A. § 22113.

10.16.010 Authority to place and obedience to turning markers at intersections.

(a) The city manager 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 city manager 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 as prescribed by this code or any other 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. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.41)

10.16.020 Authority to place restricted turn signs.

The city manager is authorized 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. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.42)

10.16.030 Reserved.

10.16.040 Authority to prohibit right turns against traffic stop signal.

The city manager is authorized to determine those intersections within any business or residence district at which drivers of vehicles shall not make a right turn against a red or stop signal and shall erect proper signs giving notice of such prohibition. No driver of a vehicle shall disobey the directions of any such sign.

(Ord. 1714 (part), 1956: prior code § 19.44)

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▸Contents — Palo Alto Municipal Code
Palo Alto Municipal Code
  1. Article VIII — A. Board of Education
  2. Title 1 — GENERAL PROVISIONS
  3. Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
  4. Title 4 — BUSINESS LICENSES AND REGULATIONS
  5. Title 5 — HEALTH AND SANITATION
  6. Title 6 — ANIMALS
  7. Title 8 — TREES AND VEGETATION
  8. Title 9 — PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND SAFETY
  9. ▸Title 10 — VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
    Overview
    1. 10.04 Definitions
    2. 10.08 Enforcement and Obedience to Traffic Regulations
    3. 10.10 Temporary Street Closures
    4. 10.12 Traffic-Control Devices
    5. 10.16 Turning Movements
    6. 10.20 One-Way Streets and Alleys
    7. 10.24 Special Stops Required
    8. 10.28 Miscellaneous Driving Rules
    9. 10.32 Pedestrians
    10. 10.34 Abandoned, Wrecked, Dismantled or Inoperative Vehicles
    11. 10.36 Stopping, Standing and Parking - Generally
    12. 10.40 Stopping, Standing and Parking - Loading and Unloading
    13. 10.44 Stopping, Standing and Parking - Prohibited or Restricted
    14. 10.45 Valet Parking
    15. 10.46 College Terrace Residential Parking Permit Program (RPPP)
    16. 10.47 Large Vehicle Parking
    17. 10.48 Trucks and Truck Routes
    18. 10.50 Residential Preferential Parking Districts
    19. 10.51 Crescent Park No Overnight Parking Program
    20. 10.52 Trains
    21. 10.56 Special Speed Zones
    22. 10.60 Parking Violations
    23. 10.62 Idling of Vehicles
    24. 10.64 Bicycles, Roller Skates and Coasters
    25. Chapter 10.04 — DEFINITIONS
    26. Chapter 10.08 — ENFORCEMENT AND OBEDIENCE TO TRAFFIC REGULATIONS
    27. Chapter 10.10 — TEMPORARY STREET CLOSURES
    28. Chapter 10.12 — TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICES
    29. Chapter 10.20 — ONE-WAY STREETS AND ALLEYS
    30. Chapter 10.24 — SPECIAL STOPS REQUIRED
    31. Chapter 10.28 — MISCELLANEOUS DRIVING RULES
    32. Chapter 10.32 — PEDESTRIANS
    33. Chapter 10.34 — ABANDONED, WRECKED, DISMANTLED OR INOPERATIVE
    34. Chapter 10.36 — STOPPING, STANDING AND PARKING - GENERALLY
    35. Chapter 10.40 — STOPPING, STANDING AND PARKING - LOADING AND U…
    36. Chapter 10.44 — STOPPING, STANDING AND PARKING - PROHIBITED OR
    37. Chapter 10.45 — VALET PARKING
    38. Chapter 10.46 — COLLEGE TERRACE RESIDENTIAL PARKINGPERMIT PROG…
    39. Chapter 10.47 — LARGE VEHICLE PARKING
    40. Chapter 10.48 — TRUCKS AND TRUCK ROUTES
    41. Chapter 10.50 — RESIDENTIAL PREFERENTIAL PARKING DISTRICTS
    42. Chapter 10.51 — CRESCENT PARK NO OVERNIGHT PARKING PROGRAM
    43. Chapter 10.52 — TRAINS
    44. Chapter 10.56 — SPECIAL SPEED ZONES
    45. Chapter 10.62 — IDLING OF VEHICLES
    46. Chapter 10.64 — BICYCLES, ROLLER SKATES AND COASTERS
    47. Chapter 10.70 — RESERVED
  10. Title 11 — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PROCEDURE
  11. Title 12 — PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
  12. Title 13 — IMPROVEMENT PROCEDURE
  13. Title 15 — FIRE PREVENTION
  14. Title 16 — BUILDING REGULATIONS
  15. Title 17 — HAZARDOUS MATERIALS STORAGE
  16. Title 18 — ZONING
  17. Title 19 — MASTER PLAN
  18. Article 7 — AUTHORITY FOR AND SCOPE OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLANS.
  19. Article 8 — PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLAN.
  20. Chapter 19.06 — SPECIFIC PLANS
  21. Chapter 19.10 — COORDINATED AREA PLANS
  22. Title 20 — PRECISE PLANS
  23. Title 21 — SUBDIVISIONS AND OTHER DIVISIONS OF LAND
  24. Title 22 — PARKS

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