FUNCTIONS
Traffic Engineering
The Traffic Engineering Division performs a variety of functions to accomplish its mission. These are addressed briefly below
The Division is responsible for the application of traffic engineering principles to provide safe and efficient movement of people and goods on the public streets. This involves addressing traffic control issues and concerns through collection and analysis of traffic data and proper selection and application of traffic control devices, i.e., signs, pavement markings, and signals.
Development Assistance
The Division assists the development community in meeting the traffic related portions of their projects through information, document review, and traffic engineering expertise. Specific duties include review of plats for compliance with street layout requirements and review of site plans for compliance with parking and access requirements.
Transportation Planning
The Division is an integral part of the City's transportation planning efforts, by providing traffic engineering expertise in the planning and development process and through involvement on the Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board.
Signals: Maintenance
The Signal Section operates and maintains the power-operated traffic control devices. These include 160 intersection control signals, 6 mid-block pedestrian signals, 26 school speed flashers, and 3 warning flashers.
Signs: Installation, Maintenance
The Signs & Markings Section installs and maintains, and in some cases, makes the traffic control signs and street name signs on the City streets and for City facilities. There are more than 11, 000 traffic control signs and 7,800 street name signs.
Pavement Markings: Installation, Maintenance
The Signs & Markings Section installs and maintains pavement markings on City streets and at City facilities. These include: centerlines, lane lines, crosswalks, parking stalls, curb markings, etc.
Hazard Abatement
The Signs & Markings Section investigates and abates traffic hazards created by vegetation, i.e., tree limbs, bushes, and weeds blocking traffic control signs and signals, or causing blind corners.
School Crossing Guards
School crossing guards assist elementary and middle school children in crossing busy streets at 15 locations.
Parking Enforcement
The Division enforces parking time limits and other parking regulations in the north side central business district. This area has about 660 on-street parking spaces with time limits..
Parking Meters: Maintenance, Collection
Parking meters are used for 26 parking spaces adjacent to Federal Courthouse/Post Office. The Division maintains the parking meters and collects the parking fees.
Street Lights
The Division manages the installation of new street lights. Except for special circumstances, the new street lights are primarily in new developments. Most of the street lights (8700+) are installed and maintained by the electric utility companies, i.e., American Electric Power (AEP) and Taylor Electric Cooperative. The Division maintains the 61 City owned lights located on traffic signal poles and maintains about 360 State owned lights on the Winters Freeway. For information on reporting a street light outage, see Street Light Repair
Taxicabs
The Division is responsible for the permitting of taxicab operators and vehicles.