Whenever in this Title the following terms are used, they shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this Section:
ABANDONED VEHICLE: A. A vehicle parked or otherwise located on the public way; and
1. In such a state of disrepair that it is incapable of being driven; or
2. That has not been moved for a period of at least seven (7) days and from its condition, the period during which it has not been moved or some other circumstance, appears to have been abandoned; or
B.Vehicles parked in a public parking lot or in a private parking lot without the consent of the lot owner, proprietor or agent of the property, which person has requested that the vehicle be towed; or
C.A vehicle defined as abandoned, or capable of being towed, by any other ordinances of the Municipality and which does not fall into the categories of "hazardous" or "unlawful" vehicles, and therefore is not subject to an immediate tow.
ALLEY: A public way within a block, generally giving access to the rear of lots or buildings and not used for general traffic circulation.
ARTERIAL STREET: Any U.S. or State numbered route, controlled access highway or other major radial or circumferential street or highway designated as part of a major arterial system of streets and highways.
AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE: Vehicles of the Fire Department, police vehicles and such ambulances and emergency vehicles of Municipal departments, public service corporations or other local governments as are designated or authorized by law.
BICYCLE: Every device propelled by human power upon which any person may ride, having two (2) tandem wheels either of which is more than sixteen inches (16") in diameter.
BUS: Every motor vehicle designed for carrying more, than ten (10) passengers and used for the transportation of persons; and every motor vehicle, other than a taxicab, designed and used for the transportation of persons for compensation.
BUS STAND: A designated area in the roadway, parallel and adjacent to the curb or shoulder to be occupied exclusively by buses for purposes of maintaining schedules or awaiting passengers.
BUS STOP: A designated area in the roadway, parallel and adjacent to the curb or shoulder used for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers.
BUSINESS DISTRICT: The territory contiguous to and including a highway when within any six hundred feet (600') along such highway there are buildings in use for business or industrial purposes, including, but not being limited to, motels, banks or office buildings, railroad stations and public buildings which occupy at least three hundred feet (300') of frontage on one side or three hundred feet (300') collectively on both sides of the highway.
CHAUFFEUR: A. All persons employed by another for the principal purpose of driving a motor vehicle; and
B.All persons who drive a school bus transporting children; and
C.All persons employed in connection with the operation of any school, day camp, summer camp or nursery school, who drive any motor vehicle transporting children to or from any school, day camp, summer camp, or nursery school; and
D.All persons who drive any motor vehicle when in use for the transportation of persons or property for compensation;
except the term "chauffeur" shall not include any person who operates a road machine, a farm tractor or a motor vehicle incidental to some other and principal occupation where the motor vehicle is operated solely and in furtherance of such other and principal occupation, provided that the motor vehicle is not used for the transportation of passengers or property for hire.
CONTROLLED ACCESS HIGHWAY: Every highway, street or roadway in respect to which owners or occupants of abutting lands and other persons have no legal right of access to or from the same except at such points only and in such manner as may be determined by the public authority having jurisdiction over such highway, street or roadway.
CROSSING GUARD: An adult civilian authorized to supervise and expedite the crossing of pedestrians at assigned crossings.
CROSSWALK: A. That part of a roadway at an intersection included within the connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway measured from the curbs or, in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the traversable roadway;
B.Any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface.
DRIVER: Every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle.
EXPLOSIVES: Any chemical compound or mechanical mixture that is commonly used or intended for the purpose of producing an explosion and which contains any oxidizing and combustible units or other ingredients in such proportions, quantities or packing that an ignition by fire, by friction, by concussion, by percussion or by detonator of any part of the compound or mixture may cause such a sudden generation of highly heated gases that the resultant gaseous pressures are capable of producing destructive, effects on contiguous objects or of destroying life or limb.
FARM TRACTOR: Every implement of husbandry, designed and used primarily to move and operate other implements of husbandry.
FLAMMABLE LIQUID: Any liquid which has a flash point of seventy degrees Fahrenheit (70°F) or less, as determined by a tagliabue or equivalent closed-cup test device.
FUNERAL PROCESSION: A caravan or motorcade consisting of two (2) or more motor vehicles, in combinations of any of the following: automobiles designed and used for carrying not more than seven (7) passengers, funeral hearses, and floral cars, when such vehicles are proceeding to places of burial. For purposes of this Title, pedestrians or equestrian units may also constitute funeral processions either alone or in combinations of any of the motor vehicles described in this Section.
GROSS WEIGHT: The weight of a vehicle without load plus the weight of any load thereon.
HAZARDOUS VEHICLE: A. A vehicle that has been involved in an accident and is disabled or cannot be immediately moved by the owner or operator of the vehicle.
B.A vehicle that presents an immediate danger to the health or welfare of the members of the public; or
C.A vehicle abandoned or disabled on a public street, way or alley that, because of its position in relation to the public way or its physical appearance, is impeding the orderly flow of traffic or poses a potential danger to pedestrians and other operators of vehicles.
HIGHWAY: The entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel.
HOLIDAYS: When used in this Title or on official signs authorized by this Title, holidays shall mean New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
HOUSE TRAILER: A. A trailer or semitrailer which is designed, constructed and equipped as a dwelling place, living abode or sleeping place (either permanently or temporarily) that is equipped for use as a conveyance on streets and highways; or
B.A trailer or a semitrailer whose chassis and exterior shell is designed and constructed for use as a house trailer, as defined in subsection A of this definition, but which is used instead permanently or temporarily for the advertising, sale, display or promotion of merchandise or services, or for any other commercial purpose except for the transportation of property for hire or the transportation of property for distribution by a private carrier.
INTERSECTION: A. The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two (2) highways which join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles travelling upon different roadways joining at any other angle may come in conflict.
B.Where a highway includes two (2) roadways forty feet (40') or more apart, then every crossing of each roadway of such divided highway by an intersecting highway shall be regarded as a separate intersection.
LANED ROADWAY: A roadway which is divided into two (2) or more clearly marked lanes for vehicular traffic.
LOADING ZONE: A designated area in the roadway, adjacent to the curb or shoulder, to be occupied exclusively by vehicles during the loading or unloading of passengers or material.
MERGING TRAFFIC: A maneuver executed by the drivers of vehicles on converging roadways to permit simultaneous or alternate entry into the junction thereof, wherein the driver of each vehicle involved is required to adjust his vehicular speed and lateral positions so as to avoid a collision with any other vehicle.
METAL TIRE: Every tire the surface of which is in contact with the highway which is wholly or partly of metal or other hard, nonresilient material.
MOTOR-DRIVEN CYCLE: Every motorcycle, including every motor scooter, with a motor which produces not to exceed five (5) horsepower, and every bicycle with motor attached.
MOTOR VEHICLE: Every vehicle which is propelled otherwise than by muscular power, including, but not limited to, motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, pole trailers, reconstructed vehicles, road tractors, school buses, semitrailers, special mobile equipment, specially constructed vehicles, trackless trailer coaches, trailers, trucks and truck tractors. Motor vehicles which are designed and used for the carrying of not more than seven (7) persons shall be classified as motor vehicles of the first division. Those motor vehicles which are designed and used for pulling or carrying freight or which are used for the carrying of more than seven (7) persons shall be called motor vehicles of the second division.
MOTORCYCLE: Every motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three (3) wheels in contact with the ground, but excluding a tractor.
OFFICIAL TIME PERIOD: Central Standard or daylight-saving time, whichever may be in current use in this City.
OFFICIAL TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICES: All signs, signals, markings and devices placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic.
ONE-WAY STREET OR ALLEY: A public way in which traffic is permitted to travel in only one direction.
OPERATOR: Every person, other than a chauffeur, who drives or is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle upon a highway or who is exercising control over or steering a vehicle being towed by a motor vehicle.
OWNER: A person who holds legal title of a motor vehicle, or in the event a motor vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional sale or lease thereof with the right of purchase upon performance of the conditions stated in the agreement, and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, or in the event a mortgagor of such motor vehicles entitled to possession, then such conditional vendee or lessee or mortgagor shall be deemed the owner for the purpose of this Title.
PARK OR PARKING: The standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading merchandise or passengers.
PARKING METER: A mechanical device located upon a public street, sidewalk or other place designated as a parking meter zone, which device may be activated by the insertion of appropriate United States coins and which thereafter clocks the number of minutes of parking privilege thereby extended to the person depositing such coin or coins.
PARKING METER ZONE: A designated and marked off area in the roadway, adjacent to the curb or shoulder or any other place so designated, to be occupied exclusively by vehicles for the purpose of parking for the period of time allocated to the zone by the parking meter.
PARKWAYS: The area between the outer edge of a roadway and the property line of the adjoining property.
PEDESTRIAN: Any person afoot.
PERSON: Every natural person, firm, copartnership, association or corporation.
PNEUMATIC TIRE: Every tire in which compressed air is designed to support the load.
POLE TRAILER: Every vehicle without motive power designed to be drawn by another vehicle and attached to the towing vehicle by means of a reach or pole, or by being boomed or otherwise secured to the towing vehicle, and ordinarily used for transporting long or irregularly shaped loads such as poles, pipes or structural members capable, generally, of sustaining themselves as beams between the supporting connections.
POLICE OFFICER: Every officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations.
PRIVATE ROAD OR DRIVEWAY: Every way or place in private ownership in use for vehicular travel by the owner and those having expressed or implied permission from the owner, but not by other persons.
PROPERTY LINE: The line of demarcation between a public way and private property abutting thereon.
PUBLIC BUILDING: Any building or portion of any building occupied and used by any governmental agency.
PUBLIC PASSENGER VEHICLE: A motor vehicle used for the transportation of passengers for hire, except those devoted exclusively to funeral purposes or to the operation of metropolitan transit authorities or public utilities under the laws of the State of Illinois.
PUBLIC WAY: Any sidewalk, roadway, alley or other thoroughfare open to the use of the public as a matter of right for the purposes of travel.
PUSHCART: A conveyance designed to be propelled by a person afoot.
RAILROAD: A carrier of persons or property upon cars, other than street cars, operated upon stationary rails.
RAILROAD SIGN OR SIGNAL: Any sign, signal or device erected by authority of a public body or official or by a railroad and intended to give notice of the presence of railroad tracks or the approach of a railroad train.
RAILROAD TRAIN: A steam engine, electric or other motor vehicle without cars coupled thereto, operated upon rails except street cars.
RECKLESSNESS: The state of mind accompanying an act which either pays no regard to its probable or possible injurious consequences, or which, though foreseeing such consequences, persists in spite of such knowledge.
RESIDENCE DISTRICT: The territory contiguous to and including a highway not comprising a business district when the property on such highway for a distance of three hundred feet (300') or more is in the main improved with residences and buildings in use for business.
RIGHT OF WAY: The privilege of the immediate use of the roadway.
ROAD TRACTOR: Every motor vehicle designed and used for drawing other vehicles and not so constructed as to carry any load thereon either independently or any part of the weight of a vehicle or load so drawn.
ROADWAY: That portion of a highway improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder. In the event a highway includes two (2) or more separate roadways, the term "roadway" as used herein shall refer to any such roadway separately but not to all such roadways collectively.
SAFETY ZONE: The area or space officially set apart within a roadway for the exclusive use of pedestrians and which is protected or is so marked or indicated by adequate signs as to be plainly visible at all times while set apart as a safety zone.
SCHOOL BUS: Every motor vehicle owned or operated by or for a public or governmental agency or by or for a private or religious organization for the transportation of pupils in connection with any school activity. This definition does not include a bus operated by a public utility or a Municipal corporation authorized to conduct local or interurban transportation of passengers.
SEMITRAILER: Every vehicle with or without motive power other than a pole trailer, designed for carrying persons or property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle and so constructed that some part of its weight and that of its load rests upon or is carried by another vehicle.
SIDEWALK: That portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines, intended for use of pedestrians.
SOLID TIRE: Every tire of rubber or other resilient material which does not depend upon compressed air for the support of the load.
SPECIAL MOBILE EQUIPMENT: Every vehicle not designed or used primarily for the transportation of persons or property and only incidentally operated or moved over a highway, including, but not limited to: ditch digging apparatus, well- boring apparatus and road construction and maintenance machinery such as asphalt spreaders, bituminous mixers, bucket loaders, tractors other than truck tractors, ditchers, leveling graders, finishing machines, motor graders, road rollers, scarifiers, earth moving carryalls and scrapers, power shovel and drag lines, and self-propelled cranes and earth moving equipment. The term does not include house trailers, dump trucks, truck mounted transit mixers, cranes or shovels, or other vehicles designed for the transportation of persons or property to which machinery has been attached.
STAND OR STANDING: The halting of a vehicle whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in receiving or discharging passengers.
STOP: Complete cessation from movement.
STOP OR STOPPING: Any halting, even momentarily of a vehicle, whether occupied or not except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control sign or signal.
STREET: The entire width between boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel.
SUBURBAN DISTRICT: That portion of the City other than the business, urban and residence districts.
TAXI METER: Any instrument or device which records and indicates charge or fare measured by distance traveled, waiting time and extra passengers.
TAXICAB STAND: A designated area in the roadway, adjacent to the curb or shoulder, to be occupied exclusively by taxicabs for purposes of standing or waiting passengers.
TERMINAL: A designated area, including buildings, structures and equipment located at the origin or destination of a transportation movement, and used for the transferring, handling, delivering and receiving of passengers and property.
THROUGH HIGHWAY OR STREET: Every highway or street or portion thereof on which vehicular traffic is given preferential right of way and at the entrances to which vehicular traffic from intersecting highways or streets is required by law to yield right of way to vehicles on such through highway or street in obedience to either a stop sign or a yield sign, when such signs are erected as provided in this Title.
TRAFFIC: Pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, street cars and other conveyances either singly or together while using any highways for purposes of travel.
TRAFFIC-CONTROL SIGNAL: Any device, whether manual, electrical or mechanical, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and to proceed.
TRAILER: Every vehicle with or without motive power, other than a pole trailer, designed for carrying persons or property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle and so constructed that no part of its weight rests upon the towing vehicle.
TRUCK: Every motor vehicle designed, used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.
TRUCK TRACTOR: Every motor vehicle designed and used primarily for drawing other vehicles and not so constructed as to carry a load other than a part of the weight of the vehicle and load so drawn.
UNLAWFUL VEHICLE: A. A vehicle that has been reported stolen or is the subject of a search and seizure by the Police Department; or
B.A vehicle parked in violation of State of Illinois statutes or ordinances of the Municipality which prohibit parking at the location in question or for the period of time for which the vehicle has been parked, and where either the statute or the ordinance authorize the vehicle to be towed and the signs posted at the location in question note that fact.
URBAN DISTRICT: The territory contiguous to and including any street which is built up of structures devoted to business, industry or dwelling houses situated at intervals of less than one hundred feet (100') for a distance of a quarter of a mile or more.
VEHICLE: Every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, excepting devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.
YIELD RIGHT OF WAY: The act of granting the privilege of the immediate use of the intersecting roadway to traffic within the intersection and to vehicles approaching from the right or left, but when the roadway is clear proceeding into the intersection. (Ord. 0-77-17, 6-7-1977; amd. Ord. 0-84-27, 11-5-1984)