Placentia Municipal Code Ch. 13.24 Traffic-Control Devices

The public works director 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.

Whenever the Vehicle Code of the state 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 public works director 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.

The public works director may place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained such additional trafficcontrol 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 this chapter or as may be determined by resolution of the city council. The establishment of speed limits, stop signs and restricted parking must be determined by resolution of the city council.

(Prior code § 17-27; Ord. 71-O-120 § 2, 1971)

All traffic signs, markers, signals and devices which have been erected by the city prior to August 18, 1959, are adopted as official traffic signs, markers, signals and devices of the city. All of them are deemed to have been erected pursuant to the authority contained in this title, and a violation of the same shall be a violation of this title.

(Prior code § 17-28)

No provision of the Vehicle Code of the state 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 provision of the traffic law.

(Prior code § 17-29)

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

(Prior code § 17-30)

The public works director 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.

(Prior code § 17-31)

The public works director shall 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 and property from exceptional hazard.

The public works director shall ascertain and determine the locations where such signals are required by resorting to field observation, traffic counts and other traffic information as may be pertinent and his or her determinations therefrom shall be made in accordance with those traffic engineering and safety standards and instructions set forth in the "Manual on Uniform Traffic-Control Devices," published by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C., and in the Planning Manual of Instructions, Part 8, "Traffic," issued by the Division of Highways of the Department of Public Works of the state.

Whenever the public works director 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.

(Prior code § 17-32)

The public works director 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.

(Prior code § 17-33)

The public works director is authorized to mark centerlines and lane lines upon the surface of any 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.

(Prior code § 17-34)

The public works director is authorized to place and maintain distinctive roadway markings as described in the Vehicle Code of the state on those streets or parts of street 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 department of public works of the state pursuant to provisions of the Vehicle Code of the state.

(Prior code § 17-35)

The public works director is authorized to remove, relocate or discontinue the operation of any traffic-control device not specifically required by state law or this title, wherever he or she determines in any particular case that the conditions which warranted or required the installation no longer exist or pertain.

(Prior code § 17-36)