RIGHT-OF-WAY

Municipal Code of Chicago tit. 9, ch. 9-24

in effect

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-24-010 Stop signs.

9-24-010 Stop signs. (a) Whenever city council by ordinance designates a street or portion thereof as a through street, the commissioner of transportation, subject to the review and approval of the executive director of emergency management and communications where appropriate, shall place and maintain a stop sign on every street intersecting the through street unless traffic at any such intersection is controlled by traffic-control signals; provided, however, that at the intersection of a through street and a heavy-traffic street not so designated, stop signs shall be erected at the approaches of either or both of the streets as may be determined by the commissioner and the executive director upon the basis of an engineering and traffic study. The commissioner and the executive director are hereby authorized to determine and designate intersections where particular hazards exist upon other than through streets and to determine whether vehicles shall stop at one or more entrances to any such intersections and to erect a stop sign at every such place where a stop is required. The commissioner is also authorized to erect stop signs at marked crosswalks between intersections where in his judgment a stop is required to protect pedestrian traffic. Every stop sign shall be erected as near as practicable to the nearest line of the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or, if there is no crosswalk, then as close as practicable to the nearest line of the roadway. (b) When stop signs are erected as herein provided, every operator of a vehicle shall stop the vehicle at the sign or at a clearly marked stop line before entering the nearest crosswalk, if any, or the intersection, except when directed to proceed by a police officer or traffic control aide. (c) Any person violating this section shall be fined not less than $100.00 nor more than $300.00 for the first offense, not less than $500.00 nor more than $700 for the second offense and $1,000.00 for a third or any subsequent offense, and may also be required to perform reasonable community service. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634; Amend Coun. J. 12-11-91, p. 10832; Amend Coun. J. 9-9-98, p. 77383; Amend Coun. J. 11-6-02, p. 96501, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 100729, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 12-7-05, p. 64870, § 1.9; Amend Coun. J. 2-7-07, p. 98206, § 1)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-24-020 Intersections - Procedure after completed stop.

9-24-020 Intersections - Procedure after completed stop. After the operator of a vehicle has stopped in obedience to a stop sign, at an intersection where a stop sign is erected at one or more entrances thereto, such operator shall proceed cautiously yielding to vehicles not so obliged to stop which are within the intersection or approaching so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard, but may then proceed, subject to the provisions of Section 9-24-030. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-24-030 Crosswalks - Pedestrians to have right- of-way.

9-24-030 Crosswalks - Pedestrians to have right- of-way. Where stop signs are in place at any crosswalk at an intersection or between intersections, pedestrians within or entering the crosswalk at either edge of the roadway shall have the right-of-way over vehicles stopped in obedience to such signs. Drivers of vehicles having so yielded the right-of-way to pedestrians entering or within the nearest crosswalk at an intersection shall also yield the right-of-way to pedestrians within any other crosswalk at the intersection. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634; Amend Coun. J. 6-5-13, p. 54983, § 1)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-24-040 Intersections - More than one vehicle.

9-24-040 Intersections - More than one vehicle. (a) The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection shall yield the right of-way to a vehicle which has entered the intersection from a different roadway. (b) When two vehicles enter an intersection from different streets at approximately the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right. (c) The right-of-way rules declared in this section are modified as provided in Section 9-24-020. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-24-050 Pedestrians in roadway to have right-of- way when.

9-24-050 Pedestrians in roadway to have right-of- way when. When the movement of traffic is not controlled by traffic-control devices, a police officer or traffic control aide, the operator of a vehicle shall stop and yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634; Amend Coun. J. 9-8-11, p. 7216, § 1)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-24-060 Right-of-way at sidewalks.

9-24-060 Right-of-way at sidewalks. The driver of a vehicle emerging from an alley, driveway or building shall stop the vehicle immediately prior to driving onto any sidewalk or sidewalk area extending across an alleyway, yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian as may be necessary to avoid collision and, upon entering the roadway, shall yield the right-of- way to all vehicles approaching on the roadway. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-24-070 Yield right-of-way signs.

9-24-070 Yield right-of-way signs. Where a yield right-of-way sign has been erected at an intersection, the driver of a vehicle facing the sign shall slow down to a speed reasonable for the existing conditions or shall stop if necessary and shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles which have entered the intersecting roadway either from the right or left or which are approaching so closely on the intersecting roadway as to constitute an immediate hazard, but thereafter may proceed at such time as a safe interval occurs. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-24-080 Authorized emergency vehicles.

9-24-080 Authorized emergency vehicles. (a) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle giving audible signal by sirens, exhaust whistle, or bell or displaying an oscillating, rotating, or flashing blue beam or displaying an oscillating, rotating or flashing red beam visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet (150 meters), the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right-hand edge, except on one-way streets where drivers shall drive as close as possible to the nearest edge, of the roadway clear of any intersection and shall stop and remain in such position until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, unless otherwise directed by a police officer, traffic control aide or fireman in the lawful exercise of his duties. Any person who violates any provision of this subsection (a) shall be subject to a fine of $500.00. (b) In addition to the fine prescribed in subsection (a), any person who violates this section where such violation results in the injury or death of a police officer, traffic control aide, fire department official or other authorized officer, while such officer is performing his or her official duties, or a person acting as a school crossing guard in a school safety zone, shall be subject to a term of imprisonment of not more than six months. (c) This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634; Amend Coun. J. 1-20-99, p. 88047; Amend Coun. J. 7-19-00, p. 38598, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 5-9-07, p. 105107, § 1)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-24-090 Equestrians to have right-of-way when.

9-24-090 Equestrians to have right-of-way when. The operator of any vehicle shall yield the right-of- way to a person riding a horse on a bridle path where such bridle path crosses a driveway, when signalled to do so by the raising of the arm of the rider. Nothing in this section shall relieve an equestrian from the duty of exercising due care and of obeying official traffic- control devices. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-24-100 Blind persons to have right-of-way when.

9-24-100 Blind persons to have right-of-way when. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any blind person who is carrying in a raised or extended position a cane which is white in color, or white tipped in red, or who is being guided by a dog shall have the right-of-way in crossing any roadway. (b) The driver of a vehicle approaching the place where a blind person carrying a cane as described in subsection (a) or guided by a dog is crossing a roadway shall bring his vehicle to a full stop and before proceeding shall take such precautions as may be necessary to avoid injury to the blind person. (c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to a blind person who is neither carrying a cane as described in subsection (a) nor guided by a dog, but the other provisions of this chapter relating to pedestrians shall then be applicable to such person. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634)

Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2645379Fetched: 10/24/2026