Pismo Beach Municipal Code Ch. 10.04 Traffic Control Regulations

Whenever in this chapter the following terms are used, they shall have the meaning respectively ascribed to them in this section:

"Alley" means every way set apart for public travel except streets, bridle paths and foot paths.

"Crosswalk" means that portion of the roadway included within the prolongation of curb and property lines at street intersections and indicated for pedestrian crossings by lines or other markings on the surface.

"Intersection" means the area embraced within the prolongation of the property lines of two or more streets which join at an angle whether or not one such street crosses the other.

"Reserved space" means that portion of the roadway, adjacent to the curb, not over twenty feet in length which is reserved for some specific purpose as provided in this chapter.

"Roadway" means that portion of a street or highway between the regularly established curb lines.

"Sidewalk" means that portion of a street between the curb lines and the adjacent property lines set aside for pedestrian travel.

"Street or highway" is a way or place, of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular traffic.

"Vehicle" means every device or animal by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a street, excepting devices moved by human power. For the purpose of this chapter, a bicycle shall be deemed a vehicle. (Prior code § 10.04.010)

A. In the exercise of the power to regulate and control traffic upon and the movement and standing of vehicles, bicycles, scooters, and any other device propelled by human power and/or mechanical power upon the streets of the city, the chief of police or designee is authorized to establish zones or spaces in which any of the above-listed devices will not be permitted to stand or park and also zones or places in which any of the above-listed devices will not be permitted to stand or park for specific periods of time. All such zones or places shall be plainly marked by paint and/or posted by signs establishing such prohibition.

B. In the exercise of the power to regulate and control traffic upon and the movement and standing of vehicles, bicycles, scooters, and any other device propelled by human power and/or mechanical power upon the streets of the city, the director of public works or designee is authorized to establish temporary no-parking zones for public and private construction projects, and close parking areas for construction purposes, and issue permits to do the same, whereby any of the above-listed devices will not be permitted to stand or park in such zones or places for specific periods of time. All such zones or places shall be plainly marked by paint and/or posted by signs establishing such prohibition.

(Ord. O-2025-002 § 25, 2025; Ord. O-2021-003, § 15, 2021: Ord. 95-11 § 1, 1995: Ord. 92-21 § 1, 1992: prior code § 10.04.020)

The chief of police is authorized and directed to designate streets in the city as arterial highways or boulevards whenever the public safety may require. The intersection of every

arterial highway or boulevard, established pursuant to this chapter, with every other street, shall be plainly marked with a sign visible to persons traveling along such intersecting streets upon which sign there shall be printed in legible characters the word "Stop." (Prior code § 10.04.030)

The chief of police is authorized and directed to designate streets in the city upon which cars shall be parked parallel with the curb and also streets upon which cars shall be parked at an angle to the curb. (Prior code § 10.04.040)

It is unlawful for any person to park or permit to stand any vehicle within any zone established or marked pursuant to Section 10.04.020, and it is unlawful for any person to drive or permit to be moved or driven any vehicle across any such boulevard or arterial highway or before turning into the line of traffic proceeding in either direction on any such boulevard or arterial highway without first stopping the same; and it is unlawful for any person to park any car contrary to the provisions of Section 10.04.040. (Prior code § 10.04.050)

At the discretion of the council, one-way streets in the city may be designated by resolution from time to time after a public hearing by the city council. (Ord. 90-19 § 2(N), 1990: prior code § 10.04.060)

Officers of the police department, officials of the public works department, and their duly authorized contractors are authorized to direct all traffic by means of visible or audible signals, and it is unlawful for any person to refuse or fail to comply with any lawful order, signal or direction of a traffic or police officer, public works official, or duly authorized contractor thereof. It is unlawful for any person other than a police or traffic officer, public works official, or duly authorized contractor thereof to direct or attempt to direct traffic except under the supervision of the police department or public works department. (Ord. O-2021-003, § 15, 2021: prior code § 10.04.070)

The council shall determine and designate the character of all official warning and directional signals and signs. Subject to such determination, it shall be the duty of the person so authorized to do so, to place and maintain all official warning and direction signs and signals. All signs authorized under this section for a particular purpose shall be uniform. (Prior code § 10.04.080)

It is unlawful for any operator of a vehicle or a pedestrian to disobey the instructions of any mechanical or electrical traffic signal or any traffic sign or marks placed on the street in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. (Prior code § 10.04.090)

No public utility or department in this city shall erect or place any barrier or sign unless of a type first approved by the city engineer. It is unlawful for any operator of a vehicle or a pedestrian to disobey the instructions of any barrier or sign approved, as provided in this section, erected or placed by a public utility or by any department of this city. (Prior code § 10.04.100)

The council may from time to time determine by resolution those streets which shall be marked as provided in the California State Vehicle Code to which reference is made in this section so as to indicate that driving over, or to the left of such marking shall be prohibited, and when any street in the city is so marked, driving over, or to the left of such marking shall be prohibited except as otherwise provided in this chapter. The distinctive roadway marking shall consist of two solid white stripes or of one solid white and one broken stripe, painted on the roadway, each stripe three inches wide, and the two stripes separated by a three-inch black stripe; provided, however, that where one broken white stripe is used, driving over the double line by traffic proceeding on the same side of the street as said broken white stripe shall not be prohibited. (Prior code § 10.04.110)

The council may from time to time determine by resolution the intersections at which, in its opinion there is a particular hazard to pedestrians crossing the roadway and shall thereupon authorize the establishment and maintenance of crosswalks approximately equal in width to the adjacent sidewalk at such intersections. The crosswalks shall be designated at such intersections by appropriate devices, marks or white lines painted on the roadway. (Prior code § 10.04.120)

It is unlawful for any person to place or maintain any device other than an official warning or directional sign or signal erected under competent authority, on or in view of the street, which purports to be, or is an imitation of, or resembles an official warning or direction sign or signal, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic or the actions of operators of vehicles; and any such prohibited device shall be a public nuisance and the police department may remove it, or cause it to be removed without notice. (Prior code § 10.04.130)

It is unlawful for any person to deface, injure, move or interfere with any official warning or directional signal or sign. (Prior code § 10.04.140)

The provisions of this chapter regulating the movement, parking and standing of vehicles shall not apply to authorized emergency vehicles. (Prior code § 10.04.150)

It is unlawful for the operator of a vehicle to drive into any crosswalk which is marked as provided in Section 10.04.120 while there is in such crosswalk on the half of the roadway or street on which such vehicle is traveling any pedestrian engaged in crossing the street or roadway, until such pedestrian shall have passed beyond the path of said vehicle. (Prior code § 10.04.160)

A. No vehicle in a business district shall be turned so as to proceed in the opposite direction except at an intersection.

B. No vehicle in a residential district shall be turned so as to proceed in the opposite direction when any other vehicle is approaching from either direction within two hundred feet except at an intersection. (Prior code § 10.04.170)

A. All of the streets and highways in the city now existing or hereafter created or dedicated are declared to be boulevards for the purposes of this section.

B. Every operator of a vehicle traversing any street intersecting any boulevard shall stop such vehicle at the place where such street meets the nearest property line of the boulevard before entering such boulevard, provided the said property line is clearly signposted or marked as required by this section.

C. The council shall by resolution from time to time designate the places where vehicles shall stop before crossing the intersecting streets or boulevards. (Prior code § 10.04.230)

The council shall require some employee or official of the city to place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained in the street at such places as may by resolution from time to time be designated, appropriate signs or devices or marks to bear the words "SLOW" or "STOP" or the words "BOULEVARD STOP" in such places and with letters thereon of a size legible from a distance of fifty feet along the streets intersecting the boulevard. (Prior code § 10.04.240)

No vehicle shall be driven over any unprotected hose of the fire department when laid on any street or private driveway without the consent of the fire chief or assistant in command. (Prior code § 10.04.250)

It is unlawful to drive or ride a vehicle or bicycle on any sidewalk. (Prior code § 10.04.260)

It is unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to drive between the vehicles comprising a funeral procession. (Prior code § 10.04.290)

Whenever the chief of police shall determine that an emergency traffic congestion is likely to result from holding a public or private assemblage, gathering or function, or for other reasons, he may cause temporary signs to be erected or posted indicating that the operation, parking or standing of vehicles as the case may be is prohibited on said streets during the time that such temporary signs are in place. Such signs shall be erected or posted for a period of not longer than forty-eight hours. (Prior code § 10.04.310)

All real property belonging to, owned by or under the dominion and control of the city, located within the corporate limits of the city, is made subject to certain provisions of the California Vehicle Code set forth in Section 10.04.250; and the operation of any motor vehicle thereon shall be and the same is made subject to the provisions of the Vehicle Code of the state, as specified in Section 10.04.250. (Prior code § 10.04.320)

All provisions of Sections 2800.1, 21050, 21052, 21053, 21054, 21055, 21056, 21058, 21462, 21464(a), 21465, 21466, 21466.5, 21467, 21750, 21753, 21954(a) and (b), 22106, 22107, 22108, 22109, 22110, 22111, 22515, 23103, 23104, 23109(a), (b), (c) and (d), 23110(a) and (b), 23111, 23112(a) and (b), 23113(a) and (b), 40000.1, 42002 and 42005 of the California Vehicle Code are adopted by reference as though set out in this section in full and are made applicable to any and all property described in Section 10.04.240, and where in any of said sections of the California Vehicle Code the words "highway" or words of similar import and intent are used, such words shall be construed as applying to and covering the operation of the California Vehicle Code in, on or about any of the premises described in Section 10.04.240. (Ord. 90-19 § 2(K), 1990; prior code § 10.04.330)

No person shall drive a vehicle upon any of the property described in Section 10.04.240 at a speed in excess of fifteen miles per hour. (Prior code § 10.04.350)

Any person violating any of the provisions of Sections 10.04.240 through 10.04.260 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or imprisonment not exceeding six months or by both such fine and imprisonment. (Ord. 90-19 § 2(L), 1990: prior code § 10.04.360)

A. It is declared that the prima facie speed limit shall be as set forth in the attached speed zone survey, incorporated in the ordinance codified in this section as Exhibit A, on file in the office of the city clerk, when signs are erected giving notice thereof.

B. Appropriate signage indicating traffic speeds is hereby directed to be installed.

C. The city police department is authorized to enforce said speed zones by use of radar detection. (Prior code § 10.04.370)