TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES AND SIGNALS

Municipal Code of Chicago tit. 9, ch. 9-8

in effect

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-8-010 Authorized - Compliance required.

9-8-010 Authorized - Compliance required. (a) (1) Subject to subsection (a)(2), the Commissioner of Transportation and the Executive Director of Emergency Management and Communications are hereby authorized to cause the placement, erection, maintenance and removal of traffic-control devices as provided in the traffic code and Article X of Chapter 10-28, as required to make effective the traffic ordinance of the City, and as necessary to guide and warn traffic. Provided, however, that if City Council approval is required to install any traffic control device, City Council approval shall also be required to remove such device. The Commissioner of Transportation and the Executive Director of Emergency Management and Communications are also authorized to place and maintain temporary traffic-control devices as needed in connection with construction or special events or experimental devices for the purposes of an engineering study; provided, however, that such devices shall not be maintained for longer than 180 days without City Council approval. Upon the authorization of the Commissioner of Transportation or the Executive Director of Emergency Management and Communications, the actual erection, placement, maintenance, and removal of any traffic-control device shall be performed by the appropriate City department or bureau. All traffic-control devices placed and maintained pursuant to the traffic code shall conform to the manual and specifications approved by the State of Illinois Department of Transportation and shall so far as practicable be uniform as to type and location throughout the City. All traffic-control devices so erected and not inconsistent with the provisions of state law or this Code shall be official traffic-control devices. (2) Subject to Section 9-64-200, the Comptroller shall have the sole authority to cause or direct the placement, erection, and maintenance of parking meters. (3) In order to promote pedestrian safety, the Commissioner of Transportation is authorized to place or maintain temporary pedestrian safety awareness signs on the public ways of the city; provided, however, no such sign shall be placed or maintained on any traffic-control device or any traffic-control device pole. In determining the design, size, location, and other features of such signs, the Commissioner of Transportation shall consider the effect that such signs may have on traffic safety and aesthetics. (b) The driver of any vehicle shall obey the instructions of any applicable traffic-control device placed in accordance with the provisions of the traffic code, unless otherwise directed by a police officer or traffic control aide. (c) No operator of a vehicle shall attempt to avoid obedience to any traffic-control device by driving upon or through any private property, alley or traffic island. (d) No provision of any traffic ordinance for which traffic-control devices are required shall be enforced against an alleged violator if at the time and place of the alleged violation an official device is not in proper position and sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinary observant person. Whenever a particular section does not state that signs or other devices are required, such section shall be effective even though no signs or other devices are erected or in place. Any act involving a traffic-control device that would be a violation of this Code if the device had been authorized or caused to be erected by the Commissioner of Transportation shall also be a violation of this Code if the act involved: (1) a traffic-control device authorized or caused to be erected by the Executive Director of Emergency Management and Communications; or (2) a parking meter installed and maintained: (i) by the Comptroller, or (ii) by a person (or such person's designee) acting pursuant to a concession agreement approved by the City Council for the operation, maintenance, improvement, installation, and removal of, and the collection of fees from, certain designated parking meters. Any person violating subsections (b) or (c) of this section shall be fined no less than $90.00 and no more than $300.00 and may be required to perform reasonable public service. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634; Amend Coun. J. 12-11-91, p. 10832; Amend Coun. J. 11-6-02, p. 96501, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 100729, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 12-7-05, p. 64870, § 1.9; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-08, p. 50506, § 9; Amend Coun. J. 9-8-11, p. 7216, § 2; Amend Coun, J. 11-16-11, p. 13798, Art. I, § 7; Amend Coun. J. 10-28-15, p. 11951, Art. X, § 11; Amend Coun. J. 5-31-23, p. 427, Art. I, § 2)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-8-020 Traffic-control signal legend.

9-8-020 Traffic-control signal legend. Whenever traffic is controlled by traffic-control devices exhibiting steady colored lights, successively one at a time, in combination or with arrows, the following colors only shall be used and the signals shall indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as follows: (a) Green Indication. (1) Vehicular traffic facing a circular green signal may proceed straight through or turn right or left except as such movement is modified by lane-control signs, turn prohibition signs, lane markings, or roadway design. Vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time such signal indication is exhibited. (2) Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal, shown alone or in combination with another indication, may cautiously enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by such arrow or such other movement as is permitted by other indications shown at the same time. Such vehicular traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection. (3) Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian-control signal as provided in Section 9-8-050, pedestrians facing any green signal, except when the sole green signal is a turn arrow, may proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk. (b) Steady Yellow Indication. (1) Vehicular traffic facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal is thereby warned that the related green movement is being terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter when vehicular traffic shall not enter the intersection. (2) Pedestrians facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal, unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian-control signal as provided in Section 9-8-050, are thereby advised that there is insufficient time to cross the roadway before a red indication is shown, and no pedestrian shall then start to cross the roadway. (c) Steady Red Indication. (1) Except as provided in subsection (c)(3), vehicular traffic facing a steady circular red signal alone shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or if none, then before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until an indication to proceed is shown. (2) Except as provided in subsection (c)(3), vehicular traffic facing a steady red arrow signal shall not enter the intersection to make the movement indicated by the arrow and, unless entering the intersection to make a movement permitted by another signal, shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or if none, then before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until an indication permitting the movement indicated by such red arrow is shown. (3) The driver of a vehicle: (i) may turn right when facing a steady red signal: provided, however, he may do so only from the lane closest to the right-hand curb or edge of roadway, must come to a full stop and must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection: (ii) on a one-way roadway, facing a steady red signal, may turn left into an intersecting one-way roadway in which traffic travels to the left: provided, however, he may do so only from the lane closest to the left-hand curb or edge of roadway, must come to a full stop and must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection; or (iii) may not turn left or right on a steady red signal when official traffic-control devices have been erected indicating that such turns are prohibited. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634; Amend Coun. J. 5-6-15, p. 108500, § 1)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-8-030 Flashing signals.

9-8-030 Flashing signals. Whenever flashing red or yellow signal indications are in place, the signals shall indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles as follows: (a) Flashing Red Indication. When a red signal is illuminated with rapid intermittent flashes, the operator of any vehicle shall stop before entering the nearest crosswalk at an intersection or at a stop line when marked, or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and the right to proceed shall be subject to the rules applicable after making a stop at a stop sign. (b) Flashing Yellow Indication. When a yellow signal is illuminated with rapid intermittent flashes, the operator of any vehicle may proceed through the intersection or past such signal only with caution. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-8-040 Lane control signals.

9-8-040 Lane control signals. Whenever vehicular traffic is controlled and directed by overhead lane-control signals displaying illuminated colored indications, one over each lane, the following indications only shall be used and the illuminated colored lane-control-signal indications shall apply to drivers of vehicles as follows: (a) Downward-pointing Green Arrow. A driver facing this indication is permitted to drive in the lane over which the arrow signal is located. Otherwise he shall obey all other traffic controls present and follow normal safe driving practices. (b) Red X Symbol. A driver facing this indication shall not drive in the lane over which the symbol is located, and this indication shall modify accordingly the meaning of all other traffic controls present. Otherwise he shall obey all other traffic controls and follow normal safe driving practices. (c) Yellow X Symbol. A driver facing this indication should prepare to vacate the lane over which the signal is located, in a safe manner to avoid occupying that lane when a steady red X is displayed. (Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-8-050 Special pedestrian-control signals.

9-8-050 Special pedestrian-control signals. Whenever special pedestrian-control signals are in place, such signals shall indicate as follows: (a) Walk or Symbolic Walk Figure. Pedestrians facing such signal indication when illuminated may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the indication and shall be given the right-of-way by the operator of any vehicle. When such signal indication is extinguished, no pedestrian facing the signal indication shall enter the roadway. (b) Don't Walk or Symbolic Don't Walk Figure. No pedestrian facing such signal indication which is illuminated or flashing shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of the indication; provided, however, any pedestrian who has partially completed his crossing on the "Walk" signal indication shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety zone while the "Don't Walk" signal indication is illuminated. (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/0-0-0-2645197Fetched: 10/24/2026