ARTICLE 503

Traffic Division

503.01 Traffic Division; Establishment.
503.02 Enforcement Of Traffic Laws And Regulations.
503.03 Installation Of Traffic Control Devices
503.04 Records Of Traffic Violations.
503.05 Accident Investigation; Prosecution.
503.06 Traffic Accident Studies.
503.07 Emergency And Experimental Regulations.
503.08 Authority To Install Traffic Control Devices; Conformity.
503.09 Erection Of Traffic Signs.
503.10 Crosswalks And Safety Zones.
503.11 Designation Of One-Way Streets.
503.12 Direction Of Movement On Streets Restricted During Certain Periods.

CROSS REFERENCES

Accidents and accident reports - See Vehicle Code Sec. 3741 et seq.
Local police powers - See Vehicle Code §6109(a)
Traffic signs and signals - See Vehicle Code §6121 et seq.
Establishment of meter zones - See TRAF. Art. 533
Designation of bus and taxi stands - See TRAF. Art. 537

503.01 TRAFFIC DIVISION; ESTABLISHMENT.

There is established in the Police Department, a Traffic Division to be under the control of an officer of police appointed by and directly responsible to the Commissioner of Police. (Ord. 2623 §1. Passed 10/3/78.)

503.02 ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS AND REGULATIONS.

It shall be the duty of the Traffic Division, with such aid as may be rendered by other members of the Police Department, to enforce the street traffic regulations of the City and all of the State vehicle laws applicable to street traffic in the City, to make arrests for traffic violations, to investigate accidents and to cooperate with a City traffic engineer and other officers of the City in the administration of the traffic laws and in developing ways and means to improve traffic conditions, and to carry out those duties especially imposed upon the Division by this Traffic Code and other ordinances of the City. (Ord. 1769 §3. Passed 11/13/62.)

503.03 INSTALLATION OF TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES.

It shall be the general duty of the Department of Public Works in collaboration with the Traffic Division to determine the installation, 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, to plan the operation of traffic on the streets and highways of the City, 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 the City. (Ord. 1769 §3. Passed 11/13/62; Ord. 4024. Passed 8/1/00.)

503.04 RECORDS OF TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS.

(a) The Police Department or the Traffic Division shall keep a record of all violations of the traffic ordinances of the 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. The record shall accumulate during at least a five-year period; from that time on the record shall be maintained complete for at least the most recent five-year period.

(b) All such records and reports shall be public records, except an opinion formulated by an officer as a result of his investigation. (Ord. 1769 §3. Passed 11/13/62.)

503.05 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION; PROSECUTION.

It shall be the duty of the Traffic Division, assisted by other police officers, 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. (Ord. 1769 §3. Passed 11/13/62.)

503.06 TRAFFIC ACCIDENT STUDIES.

Whenever the accidents at any particular location become numerous, the Traffic Division shall conduct studies of such accidents and determine remedial measures. (Ord. 1769 §3. Passed 11/13/62.)

503.07 MONTHLY TRAFFIC REPORT.

(Repealed by Ord. 3352. Passed 10/2/90.)

503.07 EMERGENCY AND EXPERIMENTAL REGULATIONS.

(a) The Commissioner of Police and the Director of Public Works are empowered to make regulations necessary to make effective the provisions of this Traffic Code and to make and enforce temporary or experimental regulations to cover emergencies or special conditions. No such temporary or experimental regulation shall remain in effect for more than ninety days. (Ord. 2623 §2. Passed 10/3/78; Ord. 4024. Passed 8/1/00.)

(b) The Department of Public Works shall be empowered to test traffic control devises under actual conditions of traffic. (Ord. 1769 §3. Passed 11/13/62; Ord. 4024. Passed 8/1/00.)

503.08 AUTHORITY TO INSTALL TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES; CONFORMITY.

(a) The Department of Public Works shall place and maintain traffic control signs, signals and devices as required. (Ord. 4024. Passed 8/1/00.)

(b) All traffic control signs, signals and devices shall conform to the State Manual as approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. (Ord. 1769 §5. Passed 11/13/62.)

503.09 ERECTION OF TRAFFIC SIGNS.

The Department of Public Works shall be empowered, after engineering and traffic studies, to erect signs to control direction and limit the speed of vehicular traffic, to control the use of vehicles and the driving and parking thereof where special hazards may exist. (Ord. 1769 §6. Passed 11/13/62; Ord. 4024. Passed 8/1/00.)

503.10 PLAY STREETS.

Repealed by Ordinance 4024 Passed August 1, 2000.

503.10 CROSSWALKS AND SAFETY ZONES.

The Department of Public Works is empowered to:

(a) Designate and maintain, by appropriate devices, marks or lines upon the surface of the roadway, crosswalks at intersections where there is a particular danger to pedestrians crossing the roadway, and at such other places as it may deem necessary;

(b) Establish safety zones of such kind and character and at such places as it may deem necessary for the protection of pedestrians;

(c) Mark traffic lanes upon the roadway of any street or highway where a regular alignment of traffic is necessary. (Ord. 1769 §6. Passed 11/13/62.)

(Ord. 4024. Passed 8/1/00.)

503.11 DESIGNATION OF ONE-WAY STREETS.

Whenever the Department of Public Works designates any one-way street, it shall place and maintain signs giving notice thereof; no such regulation shall be effective unless such signs are in place. Signs indicating the direction of lawful traffic movement shall be placed at every intersection where movement of traffic in the opposite direction is prohibited. (Ord. 1769 §7. Passed 11/13/62; Ord. 4024. Passed 8/1/00.)

503.12 DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT ON STREETS RESTRICTED DURING CERTAIN PERIODS.

The Department of Public Works is empowered to designate streets, parts of streets or specific lanes thereon upon which vehicular traffic shall proceed in one direction during one period and the opposite direction during another period of the day; it shall place and-maintain appropriate markings, signs, barriers or other devices to give notice thereof. The Department of Public Works may erect signs temporarily regardless of the center line of the roadway. (Ord. 1769 Passed 11/13/62; Ord. 4024. Passed 8/1/00.)