A. Every person operating or driving a vehicle of any character on any of the streets, alleys, highways or bridges within the city shall drive the same in a careful and prudent manner and at a rate of speed no greater than is safe, reasonable and proper under the conditions of operation existing at the point of operation, taking into account the amount and character of traffic, condition of brakes, weight of vehicle, grade and width of highway, condition of surface and freedom from obstruction to view ahead, lighting conditions, clarity of atmosphere and every other condition necessary to the safe operation of such vehicle; and shall drive so as to not unduly or unreasonably endanger the life, limb, property or other rights of any person.
B. Where no special hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with subsection A of this section, the speed of any vehicle in excess of the limits specified in subsection C of this section, or established as hereinafter authorized in subsection D of this section, shall be unlawful.
C. The following speed limits shall apply to all streets, alleys, highways or bridges in the city, except for those streets or parts of streets, alleys, highways or bridges where the limits have been altered in accordance with subsection D of this section:
1. Fifteen (15) miles per hour when passing any school zone, as established by resolution of the city council, during noon hour or during any school recess, or during any period while children are going to or leaving school, or within one-half (1/2) hour of the opening or closing hours of such school;
2. Fifteen (15) miles per hour when light conditions or atmospheric conditions, or other interference or obstruction to the view render it impossible to see a distance of at least one hundred fifty feet (150') ahead;
3. Thirty five (35) miles per hour on all through streets and arterial highways, except on Spokane Avenue between Second Street and the south bank of the Whitefish River, and on Second Street between Spokane Avenue and a point one hundred feet (100') west of the west bank of the Whitefish River where the maximum speed shall be twenty five (25) miles per hour;
4. Fifteen (15) miles per hour in or on all alleys in the city;
5. Twenty five (25) miles per hour at all other places and under all other conditions.
D. Whenever the city council shall determine, upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation, that any speed provided in subsection C of this section is greater or less than is reasonable or safe under conditions found to exist upon a street, alley, highway, bridge or part of a street, alley or highway, the city council may determine and declare, by resolution, a reasonable and safe speed limit thereat which, when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected, shall become immediately effective at all times.
Such declared speed limits shall be valid and enforced and a failure to include the speed limits in subsection C of this section shall not affect the validity of such limits and all such signed and posted speed limits shall be observed and adhered to, and any person violating any provision of this section for which another penalty has not been provided shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished as set forth under the general penalty in section 1-4-1 of this code. (Ord. A-85, 12-5-1955; amd. Ord. A-175, 10-19-1970; Ord. A-285, 2-7-1977; Ord. 85-9, 8-19-1985)