Salinas Municipal Code § 20-17 Obedience to official traffic-control devices

* For state law as to traffic signs, signals and markings, see Veh. Code, § 21405.

(a) The city traffic engineer shall place and maintain official traffic-control devices at such locations as are designated by any ordinance or resolution of the city.

(b) Whenever the Vehicle Code requires, for the effectiveness of any provision thereof, that official traffic-control devices be installed to give notice to the public of the application of such law, the city traffic engineer shall install the necessary devices subject to any limitations or restrictions set forth in the law applicable thereto.

(c) The city traffic engineer shall place and maintain such additional traffic control devices, at locations designated by any ordinance or resolution of the city, as he may deem urgently 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 any ordinance or resolution of the city.

(d) The city traffic engineer or his designate may place or cause to be placed temporary traffic regulations other than as authorized by ordinance or resolution when control of traffic is necessary to allow construction, repair or maintenance of the city street system or in any urgency situation. Any such traffic regulations shall take effect when the signings, markings or other appropriate control devices are in place.

(Ord. No. 938 (NCS), § 38; Ord. No. 1808 (NCS), § 1.)

* For state law authorizing local authorities to regulate traffic by means of signaling devices, see Veh. Code, § 21100. See also, Veh. Code, § 21351. As to advertising and signs generally, see Ch. 3 of this Code.

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

(Ord. No. 938 (NCS), § 40.)

* For state law as to obedience to traffic signals, see Veh. Code, § 21462.

The city traffic engineer shall install, properly time, and maintain official traffic-control signals at such intersections and other places as are designated by any ordinance or resolution of the city.

(Ord. No. 938 (NCS), § 41.)

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 any ordinance or resolution of the city.

(Ord. No. 938 (NCS), § 45.)

The city traffic engineer shall remove, relocate, or discontinue the operation of any official traffic-control device not specifically required by state law, this chapter or any ordinance or resolution of the city whenever he shall determine in any particular case that the conditions which warranted or required the installation no longer exist.

(Ord. No. 938 (NCS), § 44.)

No provision of the Vehicle Code 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.

(Ord. No. 938 (NCS), § 39.)

(a) The city traffic engineer shall mark centerlines and lane lines upon the surface of the roadway to indicate the course to be traveled by vehicles.

(b) The city traffic engineer shall place signs temporarily designating lanes to be used by traffic moving in a particular direction, regardless of the centerline of the highway, whenever he finds that such action will prevent or relieve traffic congestion or protect life or property from exceptional hazard. When signs designating off-center traffic lanes have been placed, no person shall disobey the instructions given thereby.

(Ord. No. 938 (NCS), § 42.)

The city traffic engineer shall place and maintain distinctive roadway markings as described in the Vehicle Code on those streets or parts of streets where he determines that 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. No. 938 (NCS), § 43.)

* For state law as to power of local authorities to place distinctive roadway markings, see Veh. C., §§ 21459, 21460.

(a) The city traffic engineer is hereby 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 traffic engineer 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 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. No. 938 (NCS), § 46.)

* For state law as to power of local authorities to place signs, etc., indicating turns at intersections, see Veh. C., § 22101.

(a) Whenever this chapter, any ordinance or resolution designates any intersection at which drivers of vehicles shall not make a right, or left, or U turn, the city traffic engineer shall place and maintain proper signs giving notice thereof, and no such regulations shall be effective unless such signs are in place. When the making of any such turns is prohibited between certain hours of any day and permitted at other hours, the same shall be plainly indicated on the signs, or they may be removed when such turns are permitted.

(b) Whenever authorized signs are erected indicating that no right or left or U turn is permitted, no driver of a vehicle shall disobey the directions of any such sign.

(Ord. No. 938 (NCS), § 47.)

* For state law as to power of local authorities to prohibit the making of turning movements at intersections, see Veh. C., § 22113.

Whenever any ordinance or resolution designates any one-way street or alley, the city traffic engineer shall place and maintain signs giving notice thereof, and no such regulations shall be effective unless such signs are in place. Signs indicating the direction of lawful traffic movement shall be placed at every intersection where movement of traffic in the opposite direction is prohibited, and traffic shall move only in the direction indicated.

(Ord. No. 938 (NCS), § 48.)

* For state law as to power of local authorities to designate one-way streets, see Veh. C., § 21101.

(a) Whenever any ordinance or resolution designates and describes any street or portion thereof as a through street, or any intersection at which vehicles are required to stop at one or more entrances thereto, or any railroad grade crossing at which vehicles are required to stop, the city traffic engineer shall erect and maintain stop signs as follows: A stop sign shall be erected on each and every street intersecting such through street or portion thereof so designated, and at those entrances of other intersections where a stop is required, and at any railroad grade crossing so designated. Every such sign shall conform with, and shall be placed as provided in, Sections 21352, 21354 and 21355 of the Vehicle Code.

(b) When signs are erected giving notice thereof, drivers of vehicles shall stop at the entrance or entrances to those intersections designated and described in such ordinance or resolution of the city.

(Ord. No. 938 (NCS), § 49.)

Whenever any ordinance or resolution designates any location for "yield right-of-way" signs the city traffic engineer shall place and maintain such signs. Every such sign shall conform with, and shall be placed as provided in, Section 21402 of the Vehicle Code.

(Ord. No. 938 (NCS), § 51.)