35.00 Administration - Traffic
35.01 Office of Traffic Engineer
35.02 Duties of Traffic Engineer
35.021 Traffic control orders
35.03 Stop signs; authority; erection of
35.04 Stopping, standing, or parking; authority to establish and erect signs
35.05 Speed restrictions; authority to establish and erect signs
35.51 Prima facie limit outside business-residential area
35.52 Prima facie limit in business-residential area
35.53 Prima facie limit in alleys and service drives
35.06 One-way roadways and alleys; authority to establish and erect signs
35.07 Crosswalks, safety zones and traffic lanes
35.71 Authority to designate and maintain crosswalks
35.72 Authority to establish safety zones
35.73 Authority to designate traffic lanes
35.08 Restricted turn signs; authority to erect
35.09 Turning markers; authority to place to direct turns
35.10 Through streets; authority to designate; stop signs required at entrances
35.11 Play streets; authority to establish
35.12 Parking; authority to establish parking and tow away zones
35.13 All-night parking; authority to prohibit upon board's authorization; erection of signs
35.14 Loading zones; authority to establish and erect signs
35.141 Application for establishment of zone
35.142 When application for zone not required
35.15 Rideshare and public carrier stands; authority to establish and erect signs
35.16 Metered parking zones and areas restricted by parking gates; authority to erect parking meters and gates
35.17 Weight restrictions; authority to limit weight of commercial vehicles; signs
35.18 Emergency and experimental regulations; authority to establish
35.181 Authority to test traffic-control devices
35.19 Traffic-control devices; authority to place or remove; establish effective times
35.20 Traffic-control devices; manual and specifications for
35.21 Limit to authority; permission of State Highway Commission required
35.22 Special traffic-control regulations; authority to establish; signs required
35.23 Authority of director to employ special employees to direct traffic; authority of special employees
35.24 Special restricted parking areas; authority to establish and erect signs
35.25 Mass transit regulation
35.26* Mobility device lanes; authority to establish and erect signs
35.27 Display of device resembling traffic-control device prohibited
35.28 Advertisement on traffic-control devices prohibited
35.29 Authority to remove
35.30 Private parking areas without permission prohibited
35.31 Damage to traffic-control devices
35.32 Traffic law enforcement; duty of director
35.33 Record required for issuance of citation books to police officers
35.34 Issuance of citation to violator; when it shall be issued
35.35 Citation on illegally parked vehicle
35.36 Disposition of citation and copies
35.37 Illegal disposition or alteration of citation
35.38 Unlawful to cancel or solicit the cancellation of citation
35.39 Issuance of notice of impounding of vehicle
35.40 When required to send notice of impounding of vehicle to State Police
35.41 Traffic violations; maintenance of records
35.42 Driver records; maintenance of
35.421 Records maintained for five-year period
35.43 Accident reports; system of filing
35.431 All accident reports will be filed; availability of reports; use of
35.44 Copy of complaint; filing of duplicate copy
35.441 Filing of record of disposition of charge
35.45 Warrants; record of warrants issued for traffic violations; final disposition
35.46 Traffic accident studies
35.47 Accident reports; preparation of; forms
35.471 Submission of accident reports; report of accidents to State Police
35.48 Availability of traffic violation reports to public; to be serially numbered; disposal records of such forms considered public records
35.49 Annual traffic safety report; prepared by; submitted to; contents
35.491 Number of accidents; number of deaths and injuries; other pertinent data
35.492 Number of accidents investigated; other pertinent data
35.493 Plans and recommendations
35.50 Taxicab and rideshare regulation; license or permit required
.01 Traffic Engineer (office): The Office of Traffic Engineer is hereby established. The Traffic Engineer shall be appointed in a manner prescribed by the board and shall exercise the powers and duties provided in this ordinance in a manner prescribed by the Board of Trustees and shall exercise the powers and duties provided in this ordinance in a manner consistent with prevailing traffic safety practices and in the best interests of Michigan State University. In the absence of the Traffic Engineer said duties and authority shall be vested in the Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety, their designee or other officials as determined by the board.
.02 Traffic Engineer (duties): It is the general duty of the Traffic Engineer to determine the installation, proper timing, and maintenance of traffic control devices; to plan and direct the operation of traffic on streets within the boundaries of Michigan State University; to establish parking areas therein, designating limitation and use thereof; to install appropriate signs implementing the provisions of this ordinance; to certify as to installation, removal, or authorization of such devices and signs by posting same in the Administration Building, Kellogg Center and the headquarters of the Department of Police and Public Safety or such other public places as may be deemed appropriate within the campus, accessible to the public including a map certification illustrating graphically the placement and purpose thereof, for all such actions up to and including March 2, 1965; with all subsequent such actions by the maintenance of a traffic control order (sometimes called "work order") file.
.021 Copies of traffic control order, certified by the Traffic Engineer to be a true transcript compared by the Traffic Engineer with the original in the headquarters of the Department of Police and Public Safety, shall be evidence in all courts and proceedings in like manner as if the original were produced. If it shall appear that a traffic control sign, signal, or device conforming to the provisions of the ordinances was erected or in place when the alleged violation of this ordinance occurred, such showing shall be prima facie evidence of the existence of a lawful traffic control order authorizing such traffic control, sign, or device, and it shall be unnecessary for the prosecution to affirmatively show the existence of a valid traffic control order in such case, unless and until such presumption is rebutted by competent evidence.
.03 Stop signs: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to determine and designate intersections where conditions warrant the stopping of traffic and to determine whether vehicles shall stop at one or more entrances to any such intersection, and shall erect a stop sign at every place where they shall find a stop required, except at those intersections which are controlled by automatic signals or other traffic-control devices.
.04 Stopping, standing or parking: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to prohibit or restrict the stopping, standing, or parking of vehicles on any street within the boundaries of Michigan State University and to erect signs giving notice thereof where, in their opinion, such stopping, standing or parking of vehicles interferes with the movement of traffic thereon.
.05 Speed restrictions: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to establish, increase, or decrease the speed regulations and to erect signs giving notice thereof as follows:
.51 Establish prima facie lawful speed limits on highways outside of business or residential districts;
.52 Increase the prima facie speed limits on through highways within business or residential districts;
.53 Establish the prima facie speed limits in alleys and service drives.
.06 One-way streets, roadways and alleys: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to designate one-way streets, roadways or alleys and shall place and maintain signs giving notice thereof, and no such regulation shall be effective unless such signs are in place. Signs indicating the direction of lawful traffic movement shall be placed at every intersection where movement of traffic in the opposite direction is prohibited.
.07 Crosswalks, safety zones and traffic lanes: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized:
.71 To designate and maintain by appropriate devices, marks, or lines upon the surface of the roadway within the jurisdiction of Michigan State University, crosswalks at those places where they shall find that there is particular danger to pedestrians crossing the roadway and when they shall further find that the existence of a crosswalk will reduce that danger;
.72 To establish safety zones of such kind and character and at such places where they shall find that there is particular danger to pedestrians and which are consistent with State law, and where they shall find that the existence of a safety zone will reduce that danger;
.73 To mark lanes upon the roadway of any street where they shall find that a regular alignment of traffic is necessary in the interests of safety and efficiency, or at such places as they may find to be advisable, consistent with this ordinance and State law.
.08 Restricted turn signs: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to determine those streets or intersections of such streets from which drivers of vehicles shall not make a right, left, or U turn, and shall place proper signs upon such streets and at such intersections. The making of such turns may be prohibited between the hours of any day and permitted at other hours, in which event the same shall be plainly indicated on the signs or they may be removed when such turns are unrestricted.
.09 Turning markers: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is authorized to place markers, buttons, or signs within or adjacent to intersections and thereby require and direct that a different course from that specified in this article be traveled by vehicles turning at an intersection, and when markers, buttons, or signs are so placed, no driver of a vehicle shall turn a vehicle at an intersection other than as directed and required by such markers, buttons or signs.
.10 Through streets: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to designate through highways if stop signs are erected at the entrances thereto, subject to the approval of the State Highway Commission if a State trunkline highway is involved.
.11 Play streets: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to declare and to establish, whenever they shall find that the public safety and convenience are best served thereby, any street or part thereof a play street and to place appropriate signs and barricades enclosing the roadway.
.12 Parking: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety shall determine the location and nature of parking and tow away zones, and shall erect and maintain appropriate signs indicating the same and giving notice thereof, except that no such zones shall be established on State trunkline highways.
.13 All-night parking: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety when so authorized by the board may prohibit all-night parking and erect signs giving notice thereof upon any street or portion thereof whenever in their opinion such prohibition is necessary or advisable in the interest of public safety.
.14 Loading zones: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to determine the location of passenger and freight loading zones and shall place and maintain appropriate signs indicating the same and stating the hours during which such zones shall be restricted for loading purposes.
.141 No loading zone shall hereafter be established unless a written application for such zone is submitted to the Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety.
.142 The application required herein shall not apply to the designation of loading zones in front of any public building, theater, school, church, hospital or similar institutional building.
.15 Public carrier stands: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to establish bus stops, bus stands, taxicab stands and stands for other passenger common carrier motor vehicles such as rideshare vehicles on such public streets, in such places and in such number as they shall determine to be of the greatest benefit and convenience to the public. Every such bus stop, bus stand, taxicab stand, or other stand shall be designated by appropriate signs which he or she may cause to be erected by the carrier for whom said stand is designated.
.16 Metered parking zones in area: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to determine and designate metered parking zones and to install and maintain as many parking meters as necessary in said metered parking zones where it is determined that the installation of parking meters shall be necessary to aid in the regulation, control and inspection of the parking of vehicles. The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to determine or designate parking lots or areas which shall be controlled and restricted by parking gates and is authorized to install and maintain as many parking gates as may be necessary in said areas where it is determined that the installation of parking gates shall be necessary to aid the regulation, control and inspection of the parking of vehicles.
.17 Weight restrictions: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to prohibit the use of the roadway by trucks or other commercial vehicles and to impose limitations as to the weight thereof on designated streets where, in their opinion, the public safety is concerned, but said prohibitions and limitations shall not become effective until notice thereof is given by means of appropriate signs placed on such streets.
.18 Emergency and experimental regulations: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby empowered to establish all regulations necessary to make effective the provisions of this ordinance and to establish and enforce temporary or experimental regulations consistent with this ordinance, to cover emergencies or special conditions. No such regulation shall be effective and enforceable until and unless adequate signs, signals or other notices are erected clearly indicating said regulation. No such temporary or experimental regulation shall remain in effect for more than ninety (90) days.
.181 The Traffic Engineer or Police Chief and Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety may test traffic-control devices under actual conditions of traffic.
.19 Traffic-control devices: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety shall place and maintain or remove traffic-control signs, signals, lane markings and other devices and shall determine the hours and days during which any traffic control device shall be in operation or be in effect, when and as required under this ordinance to indicate and to carry out the provisions of said ordinance, and may place and maintain such additional traffic-control devices as he or she may deem necessary to regulate traffic under this ordinance and under State law, to regulate, warn or guide traffic.
.20 Manual and specifications for traffic-control devices: All traffic-control signs, signals, and devices shall conform to the specifications published in the Michigan Manual of Traffic Control Devices.
.21 Limit to authority: Notwithstanding the authority granted to the Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety under this ordinance, no stop signs, pavement markings, buttons or any traffic-control device shall be erected or maintained upon any State trunkline under the jurisdiction of the State Transportation Commission without the latter's written permission.
.22 Special traffic-control measures: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby empowered to establish special regulations for control of traffic for limited but regularly recurring periods of time such as occur during "rush hour" traffic conditions and which extend for periods longer than the ninety (90) days provided for in Section 35.18.
.23 The Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby empowered to employ students or other special employees of the Department of Police and Public Safety to be assigned to the control and direction of traffic. While engaged in directing traffic and while wearing devices or emblems distinctively identifying them as employees of the Department of Police and Public Safety, such special employees shall be considered to be officers of Michigan State University and no motorist shall disregard the directions of such special employees while they are directing or controlling traffic.
.24 Special parking privileges and restrictions: The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby empowered to establish special, restricted parking areas (and erect signs which indicate such restrictions) where such restrictions are necessary for essential activities of the University and/or where interference with such operations may adversely affect the public interest in maintaining a safe and well ordered community. Examples of such restricted areas, without excluding others, are hospital parking zones for physicians; parking zones for emergency vehicles; parking zones for university vehicles; parking spaces rented by and reserved for specific individuals; parking areas prohibited to visitors; requirement that visitors park only in specific areas; and restriction of areas for certain types of university vehicle permits.
.25 Mass transit regulations: The Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby empowered to regulate the movement and operation of mass transit vehicles operating on University property including location of loading points, routes, schedules, vehicle capacity, provisions for passenger and public safety, unscheduled and charter operations, fares, safety inspection of vehicles, approval of drivers and other matters which will ensure a safe, efficient mass transit service to the University. No person shall operate any vehicle contrary to the provisions of such regulations, nor shall any manager or owner allow any vehicle under their supervision to be operated on University property contrary to the provisions of such regulations.
.26* The Traffic Engineer or Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby empowered to establish lanes on streets for the exclusive use of bicycles, electric bicycles, electric skateboards, and/or other mobility devices and to erect signs which indicate such usage. When such lanes are so provided and designated it shall be illegal for any motor vehicle to be driven within the bicycle lane area.
.27 No person shall place, maintain or display upon or in view on any street, any unauthorized sign, signal, marking or device which purports to be, or is an imitation of or resembles a traffic-control device or railroad sign or signal, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic, or which hides from view or interferes with the effectiveness of any traffic-control device or any railroad sign or signal.
.28 No person shall place or maintain any commercial or political advertising upon any street, traffic sign or signal or parking meter.
.29 Every such prohibited sign, signal or marking is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and the Traffic Engineer or Vice President and Chief Safety Officer is hereby empowered to remove the same or cause it to be removed without notice.
.30 No person shall establish private or departmental parking areas within the boundaries of Michigan State University unless permission is first secured from the Traffic Engineer or Vice President and Chief Safety Officer.
.31 Damage to traffic-control devices: No person shall attempt to or in fact alter, deface, injure, knock down or remove any traffic-control device.
.32 Traffic law enforcement: It shall be the duty of the Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety to enforce the provisions of this ordinance and the State vehicle laws applicable to traffic, to make arrests when authorized by law, to assist in the prosecution of persons charged with violations, to investigate accidents, to cooperate with the Traffic Engineer and other officials in the administration of the traffic regulations, and in developing ways to improve traffic conditions and to carry out those duties especially imposed by this ordinance and any amendment thereto.
.33 The Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety shall be responsible for the issuance of books of traffic citation and complaint forms and shall maintain or cause to be maintained a record of every such book and each set of citation and complaint forms contained herein issued to the individual members of the department and shall require and retain a receipt for every book so issued.
.34 Issuance of citation: Except when officially authorized or directed under State law to the contrary, a police officer who halts a person for any violation other than for the purpose of giving them a warning or warning notice and does not take such person into custody under arrest, shall take the name, address and operator's license number of said person, the registered number of the motor vehicle involved, and such other pertinent information as may be necessary, and shall issue a traffic citation to them in writing.
.35 Notice on illegally parked vehicle: Whenever any motor vehicle without driver is found parked or stopped in violation of any of the restrictions imposed by this ordinance or by State law, the officer finding such vehicle shall take its registration number and may take any other information displayed on the vehicle which may identify its user, and shall conspicuously affix to such vehicle a parking violation notice.
.36 Disposition of citation: Every police officer upon issuing a traffic citation to an alleged violator of any provision of the motor vehicle laws of this State or of this ordinance shall submit the duplicate copies of the corresponding complaint to the Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety or their authorized agent.
.37 Illegal alteration or disposition of traffic citation: It shall be unlawful and official misconduct for any member of the Department of Police and Public Safety or other officer or public employee to dispose of, alter or deface a traffic citation or any copy of the corresponding complaint or the record of the issuance or disposition of any traffic citation, complaint or warrant, in a manner other than as required in this section.
.38 Illegal cancellation of traffic citations or complaints: It shall be unlawful for any person to cancel or solicit the cancellation of any traffic citation or complaint issued to an alleged violator of this ordinance.
.39 Notice of impounding: Whenever an officer removes a vehicle from a street as authorized in 36.03, and the officer knows or is able to ascertain the name and address of the owner thereof, such officer shall, within a reasonable period of time, give or cause to be given notice in writing to such owner of the fact of such removal, and the reasons therefore, and of the place to which such vehicle has been removed. In the event any such vehicle is stored in a garage, a copy of such notice shall be given to the proprietor of such garage.
.40 Whenever an officer removes a vehicle from a street so authorized in Section 36.03 and does not know and is not able to ascertain the name of the owner, or for any other reason is unable to give the notice to the owner as hereinbefore provided, and in the event the vehicle is not returned to the owner within a period of three (3) days, then and in that event the officer shall, within a reasonable period of time, send or cause to be sent a written report of such removal by mail to the Commissioner of State Police, and shall file a copy of such notice with the proprietor of any garage in which the vehicle may be stored. Such notice shall include a complete description of the vehicle, the date, time and place from which removed, the reasons for such removal, and the name of the garage or place where the vehicle is stored.
.41 Traffic violations: The Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety or other officer of the Department of Police and Public Safety designated by the Director shall keep a record of all violations of the traffic regulations of Michigan State University except standing or parking violations, and of the State vehicle laws of which any person has been charged, together with a record of the final disposition of all such alleged offenses. Such record shall be so maintained as to show the types of violations and the totals of each. Said record shall accumulate during at least a five-year (5-year) period and from that time on the record shall be maintained complete for the most recent five-year (5-year) period and in accord with existing Michigan statutes.
.42 Driver's record: The Department of Police and Public Safety shall maintain a suitable record of all traffic accidents, warnings, arrests, convictions and complaints reported for each driver, except those concerning standing or parking, which shall be filed alphabetically under the name of the driver concerned;
.421 Such records shall accumulate during at least a five-year (5-year) period and from that time on such records shall be maintained complete for at least the most recent five-year (5-year) period.
.43 Accident reports: The Department of Police and Public Safety shall maintain a suitable system of filing traffic accident reports. Accident reports, or cards referring to them, shall be filed alphabetically by location. Such reports shall be available for the use and information of the Traffic Engineer;
.431 The Department of Police and Public Safety shall receive and properly file all accident reports made to it under State law, or under any ordinance of Michigan State University. The reports required by this ordinance shall not be available for use in any court action, but shall be available to governmental agencies for the purpose of furnishing statistical information as to the number and cause of accidents.
.44 Copy of complaint: The Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety shall maintain a file of one (1) duplicate copy of the complaint corresponding to each traffic citation issued;
.441 The Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety shall also maintain or cause to be maintained in connection with every traffic citation issued by a member of the Department of Police and Public Safety a record of the disposition of the charge.
.45 Warrants: The Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety shall also maintain or cause to be maintained a record of all warrants issued on said traffic violation charges and which are delivered to the department for service, and of the final disposition of all such warrants.
.46 Conduct of traffic accident studies: Whenever the accidents at any particular location become numerous, the Department of Police and Public Safety shall cooperate with the Traffic Engineer in conducting studies of such accidents and determining remedial measures.
.47 Preparation of accident reports: The Department of Police and Public Safety shall secure from the Commissioner of State Police forms for accident reports required hereunder, and thereon shall report as prescribed by law.
.471 Every police officer who, in the course of their regular duties, investigates a motor vehicle accident shall file a report of his or her findings with the Department of Police and Public Safety. In addition, it shall be the duty of the Department of Police and Public Safety to submit a copy of investigative findings of accidents occurring on University streets or on any other lands governed by the board where there is death, injury or property damage in excess of $200 to the Director of State Police on forms provided by the Department of State Police.
.48 Traffic violation reports - available to public: All forms for records of violations and notices of violations which shall include traffic citations issued by police officers shall be serially numbered. For each month and year a written record shall be kept available to the public showing the disposal of all such forms, and such records, notices and reports shall be public records.
.49 Annual traffic safety report: The Department of Police and Public Safety shall annually prepare a traffic report which shall be submitted to the Board of Trustees. Such report shall contain information on traffic matters as follows.
.491 The number of traffic accidents, the number of persons killed, the number of persons injured, and other pertinent traffic accident data;
.492 The number of traffic accidents investigated and other pertinent data on the safety activities of the department;
.493 Plans and recommendations for future traffic enforcement activities.
.50* Taxicab and rideshare regulation: The Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to prohibit the operation of any taxicab or other vehicle for hire on campus which does not bear a current and valid license or permit issued by a duly authorized state or local regulatory body. For purposes of this section, vehicles for hire shall include personal vehicles operated through ride-sharing networks. Taxicab drivers for hire shall be required to present proof of compliance to police officers upon request. The Department of Police and Public Safety shall maintain and make available to the campus community a current list of local authorized taxicab companies and drivers for hire.
*Denotes Civil Infraction
Enacted: September 15, 1964
Amended: April 20, 1973
December 10, 1994
June 17, 2005
June 17, 2015
April 12, 2019
September 6, 2024