OR 179 Authorizes the erection of traffic control devices AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COPPELL, TEXAS
ORDINANCE NO. 179
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COPPELL, TEXAS, DEFINING
THE TERM "TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE"; AUTHORIZING THE ERECTION OF
TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES; MAKING IT UNLAWFUL TO FAIL TO OBEY A
TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE; ESTABLISHING THE POSITION OF DIRECTOR
OF TRAFFIC CONTROL; PROVIDING THAT ALL TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES,
HEREINAFTER ERECTED WITHIN THE CITY SHALL CONFORM TO THE TEXAS
MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES FOR STREETS AND HIGH-
WAYS, VOLUMES I AND II; PROVIDING EXEMPTIONS FOR EMERGENCY VEHI-
CLES; MAKING IT UNLAWFUL TO PLACE, MAINTAIN OR DISPLAY UNAUTHORIZED
SIGNS, SIGNALS, OR DEVICES; PROHIBITING COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING
SIGNS UPON PUBLIC WAYS; DECLARING COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING SIGNS
UPON PUBLIC WAYS TO BE A PUBLIC NUISANCE; MAKING IT UNLAWFUL TO
ALTER, DEFACE, INJURE, KNOCK DOWN OR REMOVE ANY TRAFFIC CONTROL
DEVICE; REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT WITH THIS ORDINANCE
AND SPECIFICALLY REPEALING ORDINANCE NO. 78 AND ORDINANCE NO. 136;
PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION
OF THIS ORDINANCE NOT TO EXCEED THE SUM OF TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS
($200.00) FOR EACH OFFENSE; AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
COPPELL, TEXAS:
SECTION 1. DEFINITION.
The term "traffic control device" as that term is
used in this ordinance, shall mean any sign, signal or marking,
including markings upon pavement and curbs, installed within
the City at the direction of the director of traffic control
for the purpose of directing and controlling traffic within
the City or to guide or warn traffic within the City.
SECTION 2. TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES.
The director of traffic control shall place and
maintain traffic control devices as he may deem necessary to
regulate traffic under the ordinm~ces of the City and the laws
of this State or to guide or warn traffic.
SECTION 3. OBEDIENCE TO TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES.
The driver of any vehicle or animal shall obey the
instructions of any traffic control device applicable thereto
placed in accordance with this ordinance or other traffic ordi-
nances of the City, unless otherwise directed by a police officer,
subject to the exceptions granted herein to the driver of an
authorized emergency vehicle.
SECTION 4. DIRECTOR OF TRAFFIC CONTROL.
In absence of specific appointment, the Chief of
Police shall be the director of traffic control.
SECTION 5. UNIFORm4 TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES.
All traffic control devices, hereinafter erected
within the City, shall conform with the Texas Manual on Uniform
Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, Volumes I and
II (hereinafter called the Manual).
SECTION 6. EXCEPTIONS FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES.
The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when
responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an
actual or suspected violator of the law, or when responding to
but not upon returning from a fire alarm, may exercise the
privileges set forth in this section, but subject to the con-
ditions herein stated.
driver of an authorized emergency vehicle
(a) The
may:
(1)
Park or stand, irrespective of the provi-
sions of this ordinance;
(2) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop
sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary
for safe operation;
(3) Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as
he does not endanger life or property; provided, however,
in no event shall an ambulance operating as an
authorized emergency vehicle, exceed a speed of
ten (10) miles per hour greater than the authorized
posted speed limit on the route of travel of such
ambulance;
(4) Disregard regulations governing direction
of movement or turning in specified directions.
(b) The exemptions herein granted to the driver of
an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply only when such
vehicle is making use of audible siren, exhaust whistle or bell
as may be reasonably necessary, and visual signals from signal
lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practical,
which are capable of displaying to the front two alternately
flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear
two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level,
having sufficient intensity to be visible at 500 feet in normal
sunlight, except that an authorized emergency vehicle operated
as a police vehicle need not be equipped with or display a red
light visible from in front of the vehicle and need not be
equipped with alternately flashing red lights.
(c) The foregoing provisions shall not relieve the
driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to
drive with due regard for the safety of all persons, nor shall
such provisions protect the driver from the consequences of his
reckless disregard for the safety of others.
SECTION 7. ~qAUTHORIZED SIGNS, SIGNALS OR DEVICES.
It shall be unlawful for any person to place, maintain
or display upon or in view of any highway, street or alley any
unauthorized sign, signal, marking, or device which purports to
be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic control
device or railroad sign or signal, or which attempts to direct
the movement of traffic, or which hides from view or interferes
with the effectiveness of any official traffic control device or
any railroad sign or signal.
SECTION 8. PROHIBITING COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING.
NO person shall place or maintain nor shall any public
authority permit upon any highway, street or alley any traffic
sign or signal bearing thereon any commercial advertising. This
section shall not be deemed to prohibit the erection upon pri-
vate property adjacent to highways, streets or alleys of signs
giving useful directional information and of a type that cannot
be mistaken for official traffic control devices. Every such
prohibited sign, signal or marking is hereby declared to be a
public nuisance, and the Chief of Police is hereby empowered to
remove the same or cause it to be moved without notice.
SECTION 9. UNLAWFUL INTERFERENCE.
It shall be unlawful for any person without lawful
authority attempt to or in fact alter, deface, injure, knock
down or remove any official traffic control device, sign or
signal or any railroad sign or signal or any inscription, shield,
or insignia thereon, or any part thereof.
SECTION 10. DUTY TO ERECT.
The director of traffic control shall determine the
necessity for installing traffic control devices based upon all
relevant facts and such traffic study as he shall deem necessary.
He shall report such findings to the City Council. He shall have
the duty to install, erect and maintain all traffic control devices
within the City, or cause the same to be done, in accordance with
this ordinance and consistent with the above-mentioned Manual.
Whenever the director of traffic control has erected and installed
any official traffic control device at any location within the
City, or has caused the same to be done under his direction, he
shall thereafter file a report with the City Secretary in writing,
stating the type of traffic control device, and when and where the
same was erected and installed. The City Secretary shall file and
maintain such report of the director of traffic control along with
the official papers of the office of the City Secretary.
SECTION 11. PRIMA FACIE PROOF.
In any prosecution for failure to obey a traffic
control device or in any prosecution for violation of this
ordinance, or any other traffic ordinance of the City, proof
that a traffic control device was actually in place on any
street shall constitute prima facie evidence that the same
was installed by the director of traffic control pursuant to
the authority of this ordinance and of the ordinances direct-
ing the installation of such traffic control device, and that
such device is an official traffic control device of the City.
SECTION 12. REPEALING CLAUSE.
All ordinances, or parts of ordinances, inconsistent
or in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby
repealed. Ordinance No. 78 and Ordinance No. 136 are hereby
specifically repealed.
SECTION 13. SEVERABILITY CLAUSE.
If any article, paragraph or subdivision, clause,
phrase or provision of this ordinance shall be adjudged invalid
or held unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity
of this ordinance as a whole or any part or provision thereof,
other than the part so decided to be invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 14. PENALTY CLAUSE.
Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the
provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a mis-
demeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a penalty
of fine not to exceed the sum of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00)
for each offense, and each and every day such offense is con-
tinued shall constitute a new and separate offense.
SECTION 15. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This ordinance shall take effect immediately from
and after the publication of its caption as the law in such
cases provides.
DULY PASSED by the City Council of the City of Coppell,
on this the ~ day of ~' ~
APPROVED:
ATTEST:
MAYOR
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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