San Juan Capistrano Municipal Code Art. 7 Traffic Control Devices

(a) Chapter authorization. The Traffic Engineer 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 by the provisions of this chapter to make effective such provisions.

(b) Vehicle Code authorization. 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 Traffic Engineer is hereby 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) Other. The Traffic Engineer may also place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, such additional traffic control devices as he may deem necessary or proper to regulate traffic or to guide or warn traffic; provided, however, 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 ordinance or resolution of the Council.

(§§ 8-1.01 through 8-1.03, Art. 8-1, Ch. 8, Ord. 295)

The provisions of the Vehicle Code or of this chapter for which signs are required shall not be enforced against an alleged violator unless appropriate legible signs are in place giving notice of such provisions of the traffic laws.

(Art. 8-2, Ch. 8, Ord. 295)

The operator of every vehicle shall obey the instructions of any official traffic control device placed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, unless otherwise directed by a peace officer or other authorized person, subject, however, to the exceptions granted to the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle when responding to an emergency call.

(Art. 8-3, Ch. 8, Ord. 295)

(a) Authority to install and maintain. The 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) Determination of locations. The Traffic Engineer shall ascertain and determine the locations where such signals are required by field investigations, traffic counts, and other traffic information as may be pertinent, and his determinations therefrom shall be made in accordance with the traffic engineering and safety standards and instructions set forth in the California Traffic Manual issued by the Department of Transportation of the State.

(c) Street name signs. Whenever the Traffic Engineer shall install and maintain an official traffic signal at any intersection, he shall likewise erect and maintain at such intersection street name signs clearly visible to traffic approaching from all directions, unless such street name signs have previously been placed and are maintained at such intersection.

(§§ 8-4.01 through 8-4.03, Art. 8-4, Ch. 8, Ord. 295)

The Traffic Engineer is hereby 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.

(Art. 8-5, Ch. 8, Ord. 295)

The Traffic Engineer is hereby 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 markings or signs and markings. Such markings or signs and markings shall have the same effect as similar markings placed by the Department of Public Works of the State pursuant to the provisions of the Vehicle Code.

(Art. 8-6, Ch. 8, Ord. 295)

Whenever it is determined upon the basis of an engineering and traffic study that mandatory stop control and right-of-way assignment is necessary, the Council may designate any City street, or portion thereof, as a through street and may direct the Traffic Engineer to erect stop signs at the entrances thereto. The Council may designate an intersection at which vehicles are required to stop and may direct the Traffic Engineer to erect stop signs at one or more entrances thereto.

(Art. 8-9, Ch. 8, Ord. 295)

The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to place yield signs at those intersections where it is determined by an engineering study that right-of-way control and signs are necessary.

(Art. 8-10, Ch. 8, Ord. 295)

The Traffic Engineer shall determine the hours and days during which any traffic control device shall be in operation or effect, except in those cases where such hours or days are set forth in this chapter.

(Art. 8-8, Ch. 8, Ord. 295)

The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to remove, relocate, or discontinue the operation of any traffic control device not specifically required by the Vehicle Code or the provisions of this chapter whenever he shall determine in any particular case that the conditions which warranted or required the installation no longer exist or remain.

(Art. 8-7, Ch. 8, Ord. 295)