Walnut Creek Municipal Code Art. 1 Words and Phrases Defined

a. The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall, for the purpose of this chapter, have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this article.

b. Whenever any words or phrases used herein are not defined but are defined in the Vehicle Code of the state and amendments thereto, such definitions shall apply.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978)

Central Traffic District

means all streets and portions of streets within the area indicated on the central traffic district map on file in the office of the City Clerk.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978)

Curb

means the lateral boundary of the roadway whether such curb is marked by curbing construction or not so marked.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978)

Divisional Island

means a dividing section of not less than two feet in width, either unpaved or delineated by curbs, lines or other markings on the roadway, and separating opposing or conflicting streams of traffic.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978)

Downtown Parking Meter Zone

means all of the parking spaces located on-street or in city-owned parking lots or garages indicated on the Downtown Parking Meter Zone map on file with the City Clerk.

(§ 1, Ord. 2063 eff. 8/17/2007; § 1, Ord. 2090, eff. 7/16/2010; § 2, Ord. 2121, eff. 1/16/2014)

Holidays

means New Year's Day, Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and such other legal public holidays as may be recognized in Title 5 of the United States Code, Section 6103. In the event the public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the federal rule for recognizing the holiday on either the preceding Friday or the following Monday will be followed.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978; § 1, Ord. 2104, eff. 11/17/2011)

Loading Zone

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

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978)

Official Time Standard

means standard time or daylight saving time as may be in current use in the City.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978)

Parkway

means that portion of a street other than a roadway or a sidewalk.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978)

Parking Meter

means any device that accepts payment for the use of parking spaces. Such devices include, but are not limited to, parking meters, pay-by-space devices, pay-on-foot devices and any software application that processes pay-by-phone payments from a mobile phone, for the purpose of controlling the period of time a parking space is occupied by any motorized vehicle.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978; § 2, Ord. 2063, eff. 8/17/2007; § 3, Ord. 2121, eff. 1/16/2014)

Passenger Loading Zone

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

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978)

Police Officer

means every officer or auxiliary of the police department, or any officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978)

Stop,

when required, means complete cessation of movement.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978)

Vehicle Code

means the Vehicle Code of the state.

(§ 1, Ord. 1338, eff. 2/2/1978)

Residential District

shall mean areas of the City zoned to permit only urban and suburban single-family and/or multiple-family development and the neighborhood or community services appurtenant thereto, and shall include planned development districts which are characterized predominantly by suburban or urban single-family and/or multiple-family development and the neighborhood and community services appurtenant thereto.

(§ 1, Ord. 1686, eff. 6/24/1988, and by § 1, Ord. 1689, eff. 8/12/1988)

Traffic Operations Engineer

is the traffic engineer designated by the City Engineer. The Traffic Operations Engineer shall have those powers and duties as provided in this chapter, and shall serve as the City's Transportation Engineer. The City's Transportation Engineer shall have those powers and duties as provided in this Chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 1662, eff. 2/6/1987; § 3 Ord. 2046, eff. 12/1/2005)

[1]

Note: Sec. 3-5.114. Traffic Operations Engineer. - Repealed (§1, Ord. 1662, eff. 2/6/87 and by §2, Ord. 2046, eff. 12/1/2005).

a. The sight distance area shall be:

1. At an uncontrolled intersection, that area between the back edge of pavement or face of curb (whichever is greater) and a diagonal line joining points on such edge lines forty feet from the point of their intersection, or in the case of rounded corners the triangular area between the tangents to the curve and a diagonal line joining points on said tangent forty feet from the point of their intersection. The tangents referred to are those at the beginning and at the end of the curve at the corner.

2. At the intersection of a through street with a street controlled by a stop sign, that area between the back edge of pavement or face of the curbs (whichever is greater) of the intersecting streets and a diagonal line joining a point on the painted center line (or where no center line is painted on the street, the actual center line of the paved roadway) of the stop controlled street that is 15 feet from the point where the center line intersects with the prolongation of the face of the curb or edge of the pavement of the through street or that is ten feet from the stopping point on the stop controlled street, whichever is greater, with a point on the center line of the nearest approaching lane of the through street that measured along said travel lane away from the intersection is at least as great as the safe stopping distance.

b. The sight distance area may be enlarged at any intersection upon a determination by the Traffic Operations Engineer that as a result of the particular circumstance of the intersection, the sight distance area established by sections (a)(1) and (a)(2) is insufficient to provide for adequate visibility of on-coming traffic. The particular circumstances of the intersection which might lead to this determination shall include, but not be limited to streets which do not intersect at 90° angles; streets with grade differentials before their intersection; intersecting streets with different posted speed limits requiring a greater angle of visibility; and streets with horizontal curved alignments requiring additional visibility. The Traffic Operations Engineer shall identify obstructions to visibility at those intersections where the application of subsection a.1. and a.2. is inappropriate, and shall enlarge the sight distance area as necessary. The determination of the Traffic Operations Engineer shall be based upon sound traffic engineering principles and practices. Upon the Traffic Operations Engineer's determination that an obstruction to visibility exists, the condition causing the obstruction shall be deemed unlawful, and subject to abatement under Section 3-5.1703.

c. The Traffic Operations Engineer may reduce the size of the sight distance area at any intersection when he determines, upon the application of sound engineering principles, that (1) the geometric layout of the intersection, (2) restrictions on travel direction on a given street, or (3) facts unique to the intersection provide adequate sight distance; and that therefore the strict application of the requirements of subsection (a) and (b) are unnecessary in order to provide adequate and satisfactory visibility of on-coming traffic traveling at or below the posted speed limit, or when no speed limit is posted, the prima facie speed limit from automobiles traveling along the cross street in a legal and proper fashion.

d. The provisions of subsections a, b, and c, above, shall not apply to existing permanent buildings, public utility poles, trees trimmed (to the trunk) to a line at least eight feet above the level of the intersection; saplings, or plant species of open growth habits and not planted in the form of a hedge, which are so planted and trimmed as to leave at all seasons clear and unobstructed cross-view; supporting members of appurtenances to permanent buildings existing on February 2, 1978; official traffic control signs and traffic signals; to places where the contour of the ground is such that there can be no cross-visibility at the intersection; to signs mounted ten feet or more above the ground and whose supports do not constitute an obstruction as defined in Section 3-5.1703 or at an intersection controlled by traffic signals or stop signs on all approaches to the intersection.

(§ 1, Ord. 1662, eff. 2/6/1987)

The safe stopping sight distance shall be that amount of roadway determined necessary by the Traffic Operations Engineer to enable a vehicle traveling at or below the posted speed limit or when no speed limit is posted the prima facie speed limit, to stop before reaching a stationary object in its travel lane. In determining the safe stopping sight distance, the Traffic Operations Engineer shall use sound and customary traffic engineering principles and practices but in no instance shall safe stopping sight distance be presumed to be less than that derived using the formulae provided by American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) as promulgated in "A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, 1984 Ed."

(§ 1, Ord. 1662, eff. 2/6/1987)

Back edge of pavement is the lateral edge of that side of a roadway which is not improved with curb and gutter.

(§ 1, Ord. 1662, eff. 2/6/1987)

Prima Facie speed limit shall mean the prima facie speed limit established by Section 22352 of the California Vehicle Code.

(§ 1, Ord. 1662, eff. 2/6/1987)

Curbside pickup zone means the space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the expeditious loading or unloading of goods.

(§ 6, Ord. 2219, eff. 5/17/2022; § 4, Ord. 2223, eff. 6/21/2022; § 2, Ord. 2232, eff. 4/21/2023)