The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutORD 1990-036 ORDINANCE NO. 90-36 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS, AMENDING THE GRAPEVINE CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING CHAPTER 23 , SECTION 23-28 RELATIVE TO AUTHORITY TO ERECT STOP SIGNS AND SECTION 23-40 RELATIVE TO �:.,� UNIFORMITY; CONFORMANCE TO MANUAL; REPEALING CONFLICTING ORDINANCES; PROVIDING A PENALTY OF FINE NOT TO EXCEED THE SUM OF TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS ($200 .00) FOR EACH OFFENSE AND A °`�" SEPARATE OFFENSE SHALL BE DEEMED COMMITTED EACH DAY DURING OR ON WHICH AN OFFENSE OCCURS OR CONTINUES; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS: Section l . That Chapter 23, Section 23-28 of the Grapevine Code of Ordinances is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows: "Sec. 23-28 . Authority to erect stop signs. There may be installed at such points on streets and avenues in the City as may be directed by the City Council, appropriate signs notifying drivers of vehicles to come to a full stop. Such signs, devices or marks and � their location shall comply with Sections 2B-4, 2B-5, 2B-6 and Appendix B of the 1980 Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways ("the `�°"� Manual" ) published by the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation as follows: 2B-4 Stop Sign (R1-1) STOP Signs are intended for use where traffic is required to stop. The STOP sign shall be an octagon with white message and border on a red background. The standard size shall be 30 x 30 inches. Where greater emphasis or visibility is required, a larger size is recommended. On low-volume local streets and secondary roads with low approach speeds, a 24 x 24 inch size may be used. At a multiway stop intersection (sec. 2B-6) , a supplementary plate (R1-3) should be mounted just below each STOP sign. If the number of approach legs to the intersection is three (3) or more, the numeral on the supplementary plate shall correspond to the actual number of legs , or the legend ALL-WAY (R1-4) may be used. The supplementary plate shall have white letters on a red background and shall have a standard size of 12 x 6 �`� inches (R1-3) or 18 x 6 inches (R1-4) . A STOP sign beacon or beacons may be used in conjunction with a STOP sign as described in section 4E-4 of the Manual. Secondary messages shall not be used on STOP sign faces. 2B-5 Warrants for Stop Sign Because the STOP sign causes a substantial inconvenience to motorists, it should be used only where warranted. A STOP sign may be warranted at an intersection where one or more of the following conditions exist: l . Intersection of a less important road with a main road where application of the normal right-of-way rule is unduly hazardous. 2 . Street entering a through highway or street. 3 . Unsignalized intersection in a signalized area. 4 . Other intersections where a combination of high �,,, speed, restricted view, and serious accident record indicates a need for control by the STOP sign. STOP signs should never be used on the through roadways �' of expressways. Properly designed expressway interchanges provide for the continuous flow of traffic, making STOP signs unnecessary even on the entering roadways. Where at-grade intersections are temporarily justified for local traffic in sparsely populated areas, STOP signs should be used on the entering roadways to protect the through traffic. STOP signs may also be required at the end of diverging roadways at the intersection with other highways not designed as expressways. In most of these cases, the speeds will not warrant any great increase in the sign sizes. STOP signs shall not be erected at intersections where traffic control signals are operating. The conflicting commands of two (2) types of control devices are confusing. If traffic is required to stop when the operation of the stop-and-go signals is not warranted, the signals should be put on flashing operations with the red flashing light facing the traffic that must stop. Where two (2) main highways intersect, the STOP sign or � ° signs should normally be posted on the minor street to stop the lesser flow of traffic. Traffic engineering studies, however, may justify a decision to install STOP ' �""�� sign or signs on the major street, as at a three-way intersection where safety considerations may justify stopping the greater flow of traffic to permit a left-turning movement. STOP signs should not be installed indiscriminately at all unprotected railroad crossing. The allowance of STOP signs at all such crossing would eventually breed contempt for both law enforcement, and obedience to the sign' s command to stop. STOP signs may only be used at selected rail / highway grade crossings after their need has been determined by a detailed traffic engineering study. Such studies should consider approach speeds, sight distance restrictions, volumes, accident records, etc. This application of STOP signs should be an interim use period during which plans for lights, gates or other means of control are being prepared. Portable or part-time STOP signs shall not be used except for emergency purposes. Also, STOP signs should not be used for speed control. �,.« 2B-6 Multiway Stop Signs The 'Multiway Stop' installation, is useful as a safety measure at some locations. It should ordinarily be used only where the volume of traffic on the intersecting roads is approximately equal. A traffic control signal is more satisfactory for an intersection with a heavy volume of traffic. Any of the following conditions may warrant a multiway STOP sign installation (sec. 2B-4) : l . Where traffic signals are warranted and urgently needed, the multiway stop is an interim measure that can be installed quickly to control traffic while arrangements are being made for the signal installation. 2 . An accident problem, as indicated by five or more reported accidents of a type susceptible to correction by a multiway stop installation �x;� in a 12 month period. Such accidents include right and left-turn collisions as well as right-angle collisions. '�" 3 . Minimum traffic volumes: (a) The total vehicular volume entering the intersection from all approaches must average at least 500 vehicles per hour for any eight (8) hours of an average day, and (b) The combined vehicular and pedestrian volume from the minor street or highway must average delay to minor street vehicular traffic of at least 30 seconds per vehicle during the maximum hour, but (c) When the 85-percentile approach speed of the major street traffic exceeds 40 miles per hour, the minimum vehicular volume warrant is 70 percent of the above requirements. An alternate set of warrants which utilize traffic volumes and delay is provided in Appendix B of the �• � Manual. The above warrants as well as those provided in the Appendix may be used in determining the justification of a multiway stop based on ��"� minimum traffic volumes. All such signs shall be illuminated at night or so placed as to be illuminated by street lights or by the headlights of approaching motor vehicles. Whenever any such sign has been erected it shall be unlawful for the driver or operator of any vehicle to fail to stop in obedience thereto. The operator of any vehicle who has come to a full stop as required above shall be subject to the usual right-of-way prescribed by law. Section 2 . That Chapter 23, Section 23-40 of the Grapevine Code of Ordinances is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 23-40 . Uniformity; conformance to manual. "All traffic control devices including signs, signals and markings (pavement and/or curb) installed or used for the purpose of directing and controlling traffic within the City shall conform with the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, 1980 � ° Edition (hereafter called the manual) . As required by article 6701d, section 31, V.A.C.S . , all signs, signals and markings erected or used by the City of Grapevine �,,, shall be uniform and be located so far as practicable according to the directions shown in the manual through the City. Al1 existing traffic control devices and those erected in the future by the City being consistent with the manual, state law and this chapter shall be official control devices. " Section 3 . That the City Manager, or his designee, is hereby authorized to have the proper traffic signs erected, constructed, and placed at such points along said highways , streets or alleys, or portions thereof under construction, maintenance, or repair, so that travelers will be reasonably notified of said traffic regulations. Section 4 . That all ordinances or any parts thereof in conflict with the terms of this ordinance shall be and hereby are deemed repealed and of no force or effect provided, however, that the ordinance or ordinances under which the cases currently filed and pending in the Municipal Court of the City of Grapevine, Texas, shall be deemed repealed only when all such cases filed and pending under such ordinance or ordinances have been disposed of by a final conviction or a finding not guilty of nolo contendere, or dismissal. � Section 5 . Any person, firm, or corporation violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction in the Municipal Court, shall be �"' fined in an amount not to exceed the sum of Two Hundred Dollars ($200. 00) for each offense and a separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during or on which an offense occurs or continues. Section 6 . If any section, article, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase or word in this ordinance, or application thereto any person or circumstance is held invalid or unconstitutional by a Court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance; and the City Council hereby declares it would have passed such remaining portions of this ordinance; and the City Council hereby declares it would have passed such remaining portions of this ordinance despite such invalidity, which remaining portions shall remain in full force and effect. Section 7. The fact that the present ordinances and regulations of the City of Grapevine, Texas, do not adequately regulate the traffic within the City creates an emergency and the preservation of the public health, safety, and welfare requires that this ordinance take effect immediately from and after the date � ° of its passage. �'� PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS on this the 3rd day of July , 1990 . APPROVED: William D. Tate Mayor ATTEST: � n a Huf f City Secretary � APPROVED AS TO FORM: � � John F. Boyle , Jr. City Attorney