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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1948-0119 - Ordinance - 05/12/1948i1 ORDINANCE 119 AN ORDINANCE REGULATING TRAFFIC UPON THE PUBLIC STREETS, ALLEYS AND OTHER THOROUGHFARES IN THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS: ARTICLE I WORDS AND PHRASES DINED Section I. Definition of words and phrases. The following words and phrases when used in this ordinance shall for the purpose of this ordinance have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this article. Subdivision I. Vehicles, Traffic, Etc, Defined Section 2. (a) Vehicle. Every device in, upon, or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except devices moved b human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. (b) Mrtor vehic e. Every vehicle which is self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails. (c) Authorized mrcy vehicle. Vehicles of the fire department (fire patrol), police vehicles, and such ambulances and emergency vehicles of municipal departments or public service corporations as are designated or authorized by the (commissioner caf motor vehicles) or the (chief of police of this city). Section 3. (a) Bicycle. Every device propelled by human power upon which any person may ride, having two tandem wheels either of which is over 20 inches in diameter, and including any device generally recognized as a bicycle though equipped with two front or two rear wheels. (b) Motorcycle. Every motor vehicle having a saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, but excluding a tractor. Section 4. (a) Railroad. A carrier of persons or property upon cars, other than street cars, operated upon stationary rails. (b) Railroad train. A steam engine, electric or other motor, with or without cars coupled thereto, operated upon rails except street cars. (c) Street car. A car other than a railroad train for transporting persons or property and operated upon rails principally within a municipality. Section 5. Traffic. Pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, street cars, and other conveyances either singly or together while using any street for purposes of travel. Section 6. RightzaLyily. The privilege of the immediate use of the roadway. Soction 7. (a) Stop. When required means complete cessation of movement. 00279 (b) Stoa, stopping, or standii. When prohibited means any stopping or standing of a vehicle whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions or a police officer or traffic -control sign or signal. (c) Park_ When prohibited means the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading. Section 8. Official time standard. Whenever certain hours are named herein they shall mean standard time or daylight-saving time as may be in current use in this city. Subdivision II. Persons, Etc., Defined Section 9. (a) Person. ]very natural person, firm, copartnership, association, or ..corporation. (b) Driven. Every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle. (c) Pedestrian. Any person afoot. Section 10. Police orz_"icer. Every officer of the municipal police department or any officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations. Subdivision III. Streets, Etc., Defined Section 11,. (a) Street or highway. The entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel . (b) Private road or driveway. Every way or place in private ownership and used for vehicular travel by the owner and those having express or implied permissior from the owner, but not by other persons. (c) Roadway.. That portion of a street or highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel. In the event a highway includes two or more separate r(cadways the term "roadway" as used herein shall refer to any such roadway separately but not to all such roadways collectively. (d) Sidewalk . That portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines intended for the use of pedestrians. Section 12. Intersection (a) The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways which join one another at or approximately at right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict. (b) Where a highway includes two roadways (30) feet or more apart, then every crossing of each roadway of such divided highway by an intersecting highway shall be regarded as a separate intersection. In the event such intersecting highway also includes two roadways (30) feet or more apart, then every crossing of two roadways of such highways shall be regarded as a separate intersection. Section 13. Crosswalk (a) That part of a roadway at an intersection included within the connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway measured from the curbs, or in the absence of curbs from the edges of the traversable roadway. 00280 (b) Any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface. Section 14. (a) Safety zone. The area or space officially set apart within a roadway for the exclusive use of pedestrians and which is protected or is so marked or indicated by adequate signs as to be plainly visible at all times while set apart as a safety zone. (b) Curb loading zone. A space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of passengers or materials. (c) Passenger curb loading zone. A place adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of passengers. (d) Freight curb Loading zone. A space adjacent to a curb for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of freight (or passengers). - Section 15. (a) Official traffic -control devices. All signs, signals, "markings, and devices not inconsistent with this ordinance placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction, for the purpose of regulating, warning, or guiding traffic. (b) Traffic -control signal, Any device, whether manually, electrically, or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and to proceed. Section 16. (a) Business districts The territory contiguous to and including a roadway when within any 600 feet along such roadway there are buildings in use for business or industrial purposes, including but not limited to hotels, banks or office buildings, railroad stations, and public buildings which occupy at least 300 feet of frontage on one side or 300 feet collectively on both sides of the roadway. (b) Residence district. The territory contiguous to and including a highway not comprising a business district when the property on such highway for a distance of 300 feet or more is in the main improved with dwellings or dwellings and buildings in use for business. ARTICLE II AUTHORIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION Section 17. Authorization. - The police department is hereby authorized and directed to enforce the traffic regulations of this ordinance and the regulations applicable to street traffic in this city of the Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on the Highways enacted by the Fiftieth Texas Legislature. Section 18. The office of City Traffic ineer_t_ (a) The office of city traffic engineer is hereby established. The (city engineer) shall serve as city traffic engineer in addition to his other functions, and shall exercise the powers and duties with respect to traffic as provided in this ordinance. (b) It shall be the general duty of the city traffic engineer to determine the installation and proper timing and maintenance of traffic -control devices, to conduct engineering analyses of traffic accidents and to devise remedial measures, to conduct engineering investigation 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 of this city. 00231 Section 19. Records of traffic violations The police department shall keep a record of all violations of the traffic ordinances of this city or of the State vehicle laws of which any person has been charged, together with a record of the final disposition of all such alleged offenses. Such record shall be so maintained as to show all types of violations and the total of each. Said record shall accumulate during at least a 5 -year period and from that time on the record shall be maintained complete for at least the most recent 5 -year period. Section 20. Traffic division to investig e accidents. It shs11 be the duty of the police department to investigate traffic accidents, to arrest and to assist in the prosecution of those persons charged with violations of law causing or contributing to such accidents. ARTICLE III ENFORCEMENT AND OBEDIENCE TO TRAFFIC REGULATIONS Section 21. Authoritr�of,pplice and fire de artment officials, (a) It shall be the duty of the officers of the police department or such officers as are assigned by the city marshal to enforce all street traffic laws of this city and all of the State vehicle laws applicable to street traffic in this city. (b) Officers of the police department or such officers as are assigned by the city marshal are hereby authorized to direct all traffic by voice, hand, or signal in conformance with traffic laws, provided that, in the event of a fire or other emergency or to expedite traffic or to safeguard pedestrians, officers of the police department may direct traffic as conditions may require notwith- standing the provisions of the traffic laws. (c) Officers of the fire department, when at the scene of a fire, may direct or assist the police in directing traffic thereat or in the immediate vicinity. Section 22. Required obedience to traffic ordinance. It is a misdemeanor for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required in this ordinance. Section 23. Obedience to police and fire de artment of icials. No person shall willfully fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order or direction of a police officer or fire department official. ARTICLE IV SPEED REGULATIONS Section 24. State speed laws applicable. The State traffic laws regulating the speed of vehicles shall be applicable upon all streets within this city, except as this ordinance, as authorized by State law, hereby declares and determines upon the basis of engineering and traffic investigation that certain speed regulations shall be applicable upon specified streets or in certain areas, in which event it shall be prima facie unlawful for any person to drive a vehicle at a speed in excess of any speed so declared in this ordinance when agns are in place giving notice thereof. Section 25._. Decrease of State seed limit at certain Streets. It is hereby determined upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that the speed permitted by State law on the following streets is greater than is reasonable or safe under the conditions found to exist on such streets and it is hereby declared that the prima facie speed limit shall be as hereinafter set forth on those streets or parts of streets herein designated when signs are 00282 erected giving notice thereof. 016 Name of street Prima facie speed limit ARTICLE V STOPPING, STANDING OR PARKING PROHIBITED IN SPECIFIED PLACES Section 26. No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or traffic control service, in any of the following places. 1. On the street space immediately in front of a theatre, movie, picture show during such hours as the theatre, movie or picture show is in operation. ARTICLE VI PENALTIES Section 27. Penalty. Any person violating any of the provisions of this ordinance or any rule or regulation made in compliance therewith shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not to exceed one hundred ($100.00) dollars. Section 28. Owner prima facie res„ponsib1e for illegal parking. If any vehicle is found upon any roadway in violation of any provision in this ordinance regulating the stopping, standing, or parking of vehicles and the identity of the operator cannot be determined, the owner or person in whose name such vehicle is registered, shall be held prima facie responsible for such violation. ARTICLE VII CONSTITUTIONALITY AND EMERGENCY Section 29. Constitutionality. If any part or parts of this ordinance shall be held unconstitutional, such unconstitutionality shall not effect the validity of the remaining parts of this ordinance. It is hereby declared that the remaining parts of this ordinance would have been ordained and passed had it been known that such part or parts thereof would be declared unconstitutional. Section 30. Emerzencv. The fact that the City of College Station, Texas, is badly in need of the traffic regulations herein contemplated, and said improvements will be to the best interest and general welfare of the said city creates an emergency and an imperative public necessity that the rule requiring ordinances to be read at more than one meeting of the City Council before final passage be suspended, and said rule is hereby suspended, and that this ordinance take effect and be in full force and effect immediately from and after its passage 00283 at this meeting, and it is so ordained. Passed and approved, this //IV day of Attest: ved: 21q 1948 r • 00284