Chapter 8.40
INTERSECTION SIGHT DISTANCE
Sections:
8.40.020 Street intersection—Sight obstruction.
8.40.030 Adoption of WSDOT and AASHTO standards.
8.40.040 Sight distance required.
8.40.050 Sight obstruction—Height.
8.40.060 Traffic control device obstruction.
8.40.070 Traffic control device sight distances defined.
8.40.080 Requirements of property owner.
8.40.090 Special traffic obstruction cases.
8.40.100 Obstruction declared a nuisance—Penalty.
8.40.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is intended to insure that all intersections shall have an unobstructed sight distance along all approaches, creating a vision clearance triangle sufficient to avoid vehicle conflicts for all approaching and departing vehicles, traveling at or less than the maximum speed limit. (Ord. 1687 § 1 (part), 1994).
8.40.020 Street intersection—Sight obstruction.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, no person may park vehicles or install, set out, or maintain any sign, fence, hedge, shrubbery, natural growth, or other obstruction which impedes the view of motor vehicle operators at a street intersection within the sight areas and between the height limits defined in Sections 8.04.030 et seq. (Ord. 1687 § 1 (part), 1994).
8.40.030 Adoption of WSDOT and AASHTO standards.
Sections 910.01 to and including 910.14 together with Figures 910-1 to and including 910-15a of the Washington State Department of Transportation Design Manual, September 1992 edition, as now compiled or hereafter amended, corrected or modified are adopted by reference. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 1990 edition of A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, now compiled or hereinafter amended, corrected or modified is adopted by reference. (Ord. 1687 § 1 (part), 1994).
8.40.040 Sight distance required.
The required vision clearance triangle at a street intersection shall be a sight distance as specified in the Washington State Department of Transportation Design Manual, September, 1992 Edition, Sections 910.01 to and including 910.14 together with Figures 910-1 to and including 910-15a and the 1990 AASHTO standards, as adopted above. A copy of this Design Manual is on file in the office of the city clerk. In the event of a conflict between the WSDOT standards and the AASHTO standards, the WSDOT standards shall apply.
A. Controlled Intersection—Major Street, Minor Street. Intersections included in this group are those controlled by a stop sign or flashing red signal for the minor street and amber, green or no control on the major street. The minimum vision clearance triangle distance required hereunder, shall be in accordance with Figure 910-15a, attached to the ordinance codified in this chapter, a copy of which is on file in the office of the city clerk and which is incorporated herein by reference.
The minimum standard in Figure 910-15a may be increased by the city of Prosser public works director, or in his absence, the city of Prosser city administrator, when it has been determined by an engineering report that the minimum standards listed do not provide a safe sight distance.
B. Sight Line Setback—Uncontrolled Intersections. The sight line setback for uncontrolled crossing intersections shall be as set forth and in accordance with the diagram in Exhibit B, Figure No. 2, attached to the ordinance codified in this chapter, a copy of which is on file in the office of the city clerk and which is incorporated herein by reference.
C. Sight Line Setback—Other Intersections. Intersections with traffic signals or stop signs on all approaches have no established sight areas. Sight areas for intersections not clearly included in the above types, for which view problems may exist, will be set by the public works director, or in his absence, by the city administrator of the city of Prosser and shall be in accordance with the WSDOT and AASHTO standards as adopted in Section 8.40.030. (Ord. 1687 § 1 (part), 1994).
8.40.050 Sight obstruction—Height.
Between a height of two feet and ten feet, as measured from the edge of the adjoining roadway, a required vision clearance triangle shall be free of all structures, fences, vegetation, signs, retaining walls, cut slope, parked vehicles or any other sight obstruction, which either individually or collectively obscures an area in excess of eighteen inches in width. (Ord. 1687 § 1 (part), 1994).
8.40.060 Traffic control device obstruction.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, no person may park vehicles or install, set out or maintain any fence, sign, hedge, shrubbery, natural growth or other obstruction, which impedes the view of a vehicle operator of any official traffic control device within the sight distance as defined in Section 8.40.070. (Ord. 1687 § 1 (part), 1994).
8.40.070 Traffic control device sight distances defined.
Official traffic control devices must be completely and continuously visible from a point of nine feet from the right edge of the travel lane and at the distance in advance of the traffic control device as listed below:
|
Posted Speed Limit |
Distance in Advance of Traffic Control Device |
|
50 mph |
550 feet |
|
45 mph |
475 feet |
|
40 mph |
400 feet |
|
35 mph |
325 feet |
|
30 mph |
270 feet |
|
25 mph |
215 feet |
(Ord. 1687 § 1 (part), 1994).
8.40.080 Requirements of property owner.
The city may require an owner of property to remove any and all sight obstructions necessary to meet the required unobstructed sight distance as specified herein. In the event an owner of property refuses to remove the sight obstruction upon request, the city may remove the sight obstruction with city forces or in the alternative, may retain the services of a person or persons qualified to so remove the sight obstruction, and bill the owner of the property for any and all expenses incurred. The city shall be under no obligation to reimburse the owners of said property for any loss or damage resulting from said removal. (Ord. 1687 § 1 (part), 1994).
8.40.090 Special traffic obstruction cases.
When obstructions exist which do not comply with this chapter, but may not be removed without severe hardship to the property owner, the public works director or the city administrator may allow the obstruction to remain so long as the intersection is otherwise reasonably safe and other safety measures are available. Cost of such correction or other safety measures must be borne by the property owner or occupant. The decision of the public works director, or in his absence, the city administrator of the city of Prosser, is final. (Ord. 1687 § 1 (part), 1994).
8.40.100 Obstruction declared a nuisance—Penalty.
Every obstruction prohibited by this chapter is a nuisance and may be abated in accordance with the provisions of Section 8.26.010 of this code. In addition, any person violating any provision of this chapter after notice of the obstruction and failure to remove said obstruction within ten days after notification shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars or imprisonment in jail for a period of time not to exceed ninety days or both such fine and imprisonment. (Ord. 1687 § 1 (part), 1994).