Chapter 12.16 — TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES

A.

EXCLUSIVE POWER. The city traffic engineer 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 the traffic ordinances of this city to make effective the provisions of said ordinances.

B.

DEVICES FOR STATE CODE. Whenever the Vehicle Code of this state requires for the effectiveness of any provision thereof that traffic control device be installed to give notice to the public of the application of such law the city traffic engineer is hereby authorized to install the necessary devices subject to the limitations or restrictions set forth in the law applicable thereto.

C.

ADDITIONAL DEVICES. The city traffic engineer may also place and maintain 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 ordinances or resolution of the legislative body of this city.

(Ord. 197 N.S. § 60, 1956)

No provision to the vehicle code or of this title for which signs are required shall be enforced against 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. 197 N.S. § 61, 1956)

The driver of any vehicle shall obey the instructions of any official traffic control device applicable thereto placed in accordance with the traffic ordinances of this 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.

(Ord. 197 N.S. § 62, 1956)

A.

WHERE REQUIRED. The city traffic engineer 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.

B.

DETERMINING LOCATIONS. The city traffic engineer 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 determination therefrom shall be made 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.

C.

STREET NAME SIGNS. Whenever the city traffic engineer 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 said intersection.

(Ord. 197 N.S. § 63, 1956)

The city traffic engineer is 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.

(Ord. 197 N.S. § 64, 1956)

Whenever the State Department of Public Works determines by resolution and designates a distinctive roadway marking which shall indicate no driving over such marking, the city traffic engineer is authorized to designate by such

markings 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 markings shall have the same effect as similar markings placed by the State Department of Public Works pursuant to provisions of the vehicle code.

(Ord. 197 N.S. § 65, 1956)

The city traffic engineer 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 determines in any particular case that the conditions which warranted or required the installation no longer exist or obtain.

(Ord. 197 N.S. § 66, 1956)

The city traffic engineer 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. 197 N.S. § 67, 1956)

No person shall operate a vehicle contrary to the directions or provisions of any barrier or sign erected pursuant to any ordinance of the city of El Paso de Robles: (1) by any public utility or (2) by any city department; or (3) by any other person pursuant to law or contract of this city, nor shall any unauthorized person move, or alter, the position of any such barrier or sign.

(Ord. 197 N.S. § 173, 1956)