Solvang Municipal Code Ch. 1 Administration and Enforcement

The following words and phrases where used in this title shall, for the purpose of this title, have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this chapter. Whenever any words or phrases used in this title are not defined, but are defined in the State Vehicle Code, such definitions shall apply:

Central Traffic District.

The central traffic district consists of all streets and portions of streets described as follows:

Alisal Road from Maple Avenue to a point 350 feet southerly of Elverhoy Way.

Atterdag Road from Eucalyptus Drive to termination southerly of Copenhagen Drive.

Copenhagen Drive between Alisal Road and Fifth Street.

Elm Street from Atterdag Road to Fourth Place.

Fir Avenue between First Place and Atterdag Road.

Mission Drive (State Sign Route 246) from Pine Street to a point 1,000 feet westerly of Fifth Street.

Oak Street between Alisal Road and Fifth Street.

Parkway between Alisal Road and Mission Drive.

First Place from Fir Avenue to Mission Drive.

First Street from Mission Drive to Elverhoy Way.

Second Place from Elm Street to Fir Avenue.

Fourth Place from Mission Drive to Copenhagen Drive.

Fourth Place from Elm Street to Mission Drive.

Fifth Street from Elm Street to Oak Street.

Un-Named Alleys.

a.

Alley southerly of Copenhagen Drive between Alisal Road and Atterdag Road.

b.

Alley between Alisal Road and First Street from alley southerly of Copenhagen Drive. Elverhoy Way to alley between First and Second Street from Elverhoy Way to alley southerly of Copenhagen Drive.

c.

Alley from Oak Street to alley southerly of Copenhagen Drive.

Coach.

A bus, motor coach, trackless trolley, or passenger stage used as a common carrier of passengers.

Curb.

The lateral boundary of the roadway whether such curb be marked by curbing construction, or not so marked. The word "curb" as used in this title shall not include the line dividing the roadway of a street from parking strips in the center of a street, nor from tracks or rights-of-way of public utility companies.

Divisional Island.

A raised island located in the roadway and separating opposing or conflicting streams of traffic.

Holidays.

January 1 (New Year's Day), the third Monday of February (Presidents' Day), the last Monday of May (Memorial Day), July 4 (Independence Day), the first Monday in September (Labor Day), September 9 (Admission Day), the second Monday of October (Columbus Day), the fourth Monday of October (Veterans Day), the fourth Thursday of November (Thanksgiving Day), and December 25 (Christmas Day). If January 1, February 12, July 4, September 9 or December 25 falls on a Sunday, the Monday following is a holiday.

Loading Zone.

The space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading and unloading of passengers or materials.

Official Time Standard.

Whenever certain hours are named in this title they shall mean standard time or daylight-saving time as may be in current use in this city.

Parking Meter.

A mechanical device installed within or upon the curb or sidewalk area, or any off-street parking lots owned or controlled by the city immediately adjacent to a parking space, for the purpose of controlling the period of time of occupancy of such parking meter space by any vehicle.

Parkway.

That portion of a street other than a roadway or a sidewalk.

Passenger Loading Zone.

The space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading and unloading of passengers.

Pedestrian.

Any person afoot.

Police Officer.

Includes ever officer of the police department of this city or any officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations, as modified by section 7-1-2 of this chapter.

Stop.

When required, means complete cessation of movement.

Vehicle Code.

The Vehicle Code of the state of California.

(Ord. 86-27, 1986)

Officers of the police department and such officers as are assigned by the chief of police are authorized to direct all traffic by voice, hand, audible or other signal in conformance with traffic laws; except, that in event of a fire or other emergency or to expedite traffic or to safeguard pedestrians, officers of the police department or members of the fire department may direct traffic as conditions may require, notwithstanding the provisions to the contrary contained in this chapter or the Vehicle Code.

For purposes of this title, the "chief of police," "police department" and "police officer" shall mean and include the sheriff of Santa Barbara County, the sheriff's department of Santa Barbara County and officers thereof, respectively, as long as city police functions are done and performed by them.

(Ord. 86-27, 1986)

A. Enforce Traffic Regulations. The police department shall enforce the street traffic regulations of this city and all of the state vehicle laws applicable to street traffic in this city, to make arrests for traffic violations, to investigate traffic laws and in developing ways and means to improve traffic conditions, and to carry out those duties specially imposed upon such division by this chapter and the traffic ordinances of this city.

B. Accidents.

1. Studies. Whenever the accidents at any particular location become numerous, the police department shall cooperate with the city traffic engineer in conducting studies of such accidents and determining remedial measures.

2. Accident Reports—Filing. The police department shall maintain a suitable system of filing traffic accident reports. Accident reports or cards referring to them shall be filed alphabetically by location. Such reports shall be available for the use and information of the city traffic engineer.

C. Annual Traffic Report. The police department shall annually prepare a traffic report which shall be filed with the city council. Such a report shall contain information of traffic matters in this city as follows:

1. The number of traffic accidents, the number of persons killed, the number of persons injured and other pertinent traffic accident data;

2. The number of traffic accidents investigated and other pertinent data on the safety activities of the police;

3. The plans and recommendations of the police department for future traffic safety activities.

(Ord. 86-27, 1986)

A. Appointment—Traffic Signal Authority. The office of the city traffic engineer is established. The city traffic engineer shall be appointed by the city manager and he or she shall exercise the powers and duties as provided in this title and in the other traffic ordinances of this city. Except where otherwise required by law or the city manager delegates or contracts with another to perform certain services, the duties of the city traffic engineer shall be done and performed by the city manager. Whenever the city traffic engineer is required or authorized to place or maintain official traffic-control devices or signals, he or she may cause such devices or signals to be placed or maintained.

B. Powers and Duties. It shall be the general duty of the city traffic engineer to determine the installation and proper timing and maintenance of traffic-control devices and signals, to conduct engineering analysis of traffic accidents and devise remedial measures, to conduct engineering and traffic investigations of traffic conditions and to cooperate with other city officials in the development of ways and means to improve traffic conditions, and to carry out the additional powers and duties imposed by ordinances and this code. Whenever, by the provision of this title, a power is granted to the city traffic engineer or a duty imposed upon him or her, the power may be exercised or the duty performed by his or her deputy or by a person authorized in writing by him or her.

(Ord. 86-27, 1986)

A. Established; Membership—Compensation. There is established an advisory traffic safety committee to serve without compensation and consisting of the city traffic engineer, the chief of police or representative, and such other city officials or representatives of special districts as may be recommended by the city manager and approved by the city council.

B. Duties. It shall be the duty of the traffic committee to suggest the most practicable means for coordinating the activities of all officers and agencies of this city having authority with respect to the administration or enforcement of traffic regulations, to stimulate and assist in the preparation and publication of traffic reports, to receive complaints having to do with traffic matters and to recommend to the legislative body of this city and to the city traffic engineer, the chief of traffic division and other city officials ways and means for improving traffic conditions and the administration and enforcement of traffic regulations.

(Ord. 86-27, 1986)

A. Obedience to Police or Authorized Officers. No person shall fail or refuse to comply with or to perform any act forbidden by any lawful order, signal or direction of a traffic or police officer, a member of the fire department, a person authorized by the chief of police or by law.

B. Obstruct or Interfere with Officers. No person shall interfere with or obstruct in any way any police officer or other officer or employee of this city in their enforcement of the provisions of this title. The removal, obliteration or concealment of any chalk mark or other distinguishing mark used by any police officer or other employee or officer of this city in connection with the enforcement of the parking regulations of this title shall, if done for the purpose of evading the provisions of this title, constitute such interference or obstruction.

C. Other Persons Directing Traffic. No person other than an officer of the police department or members of the fire department or a person authorized by the chief of police or a person authorized by law shall direct or attempt to direct traffic by voice, hand or other signal, except that persons may operate, when and as provided in this title, any mechanical pushbutton signal erected by order of the city traffic engineer.

D. Regulations Apply to Persons Riding Bicycles or Animals. Every person riding a bicycle or riding or driving an animal upon a highway has all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this title except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.

E. Public Employees to Obey Traffic Regulations. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the operator of any vehicle owned by or used in the service of the United States government, this state, any county or city, and it is unlawful for any such operator to violate any of the provisions of this title except as otherwise permitted in this title.

(Ord. 86-27, 1986)

A. The operator of a vehicle or the person in charge of any animal involved in any accident resulting in damage to any property publicly owned or owned by a public utility, including, but not limited to, any fire hydrant, parking meter, lighting post, telephone pole, electric light or power pole, or resulting in damage to any tree, traffic-control device or other property of a like nature located in or along any street shall, within 24 hours after such accident, make a written report of such accident to the police department of the city.

B. Every such report shall state the time when and the place where the accident took place, the name and address of the person owning and of the person operating or in charge of such vehicle or animal, the license number of every such vehicle, and shall briefly describe the property damage in such accident.

C. The operator of any vehicle involved in an accident shall not be subject to the requirements or penalties of this section if and during the time he or she is physically incapable of making a report, but in such event he or she shall make a report as required in subsection A of this section, within 24 hours after regaining ability to make such report.

(Ord. 86-27, 1986)

A. The provisions of this title regulating the operation, parking and standing of vehicles shall not apply to vehicles operated by the police or the fire protection, any public ambulance, public utility vehicle or private ambulance that has qualified as an authorized emergency vehicle, when any vehicle mentioned in this section is operated in the manner specified by the Vehicle Code in response to an emergency call.

B. The foregoing exemptions shall not, however, relieve the operator of any such vehicle from obligation to exercise due care for the safety of others or the consequences of his or her wilful disregard of the safety of others.

C. The provisions of this title regulating the parking or standing of vehicles shall not apply to any vehicle of a city department or public utility while necessarily in use for construction or repair work or any vehicle owned or operated by the United States Post Office Department while in use for the collections, transportation or delivery of United States mail.

(Ord. 86-27, 1986)

Any regularly employed and salaried officer of the police department of this city may remove or cause to be removed:

A. Any vehicle that has been parked or left standing upon a street or highway for 72 or more consecutive hours.

B. Any vehicle which is parked or left standing upon a street or highway between the hours of seven (7:00) a.m. and seven (7:00) p.m. when such parking or standing is prohibited by ordinance or resolution of this city and signs are posted giving notice of such removal.

C. Any vehicle which is parked or left standing upon a street or highway where the use of such street or highway or a portion thereof is necessary for the cleaning, repair or construction of the street or highway or for the installation of underground utilities or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is authorized for a purpose other than the normal flow of traffic or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is necessary for the movement of equipment, articles or structures of unusual size and the parking of such vehicle would prohibit or interfere with such use or movement; provided, that signs giving notice that such vehicle may be removed are erected or placed at least 24 hours prior to the removal.

(Ord. 86-27, 1986)