Clarifying crossing solid white lines - Longview News-Journal: Answer Line

11/2/13 5:55 PM

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Clarifying crossing solid white lines

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Posted: Thursday,

January 3, 2013 4:00 am | Updated: 8:19 am, Thu Jan 3, 2013.

By Jo Lee Ferguson answerline@news-journal.com QUESTION: When entering another street/highway/etc. to the right, there is normally a solid white line that by law you are not supposed to cross. At the end of that white line, it is legal to move over to your left in the land of traffic. It appears the majority of the drivers around Longview are unaware of that law. Are local authorities enforcing that law? ANSWER: Well, youre not exactly right about the law. Its only illegal to cross a solid white line in certain circumstances. Our resident traffic law expert verified this for me. Heres what Longview police Sgt. Buddy Molpus said on the issue: The Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices says white lines are used to delineate the separation of traffic flows in the same direction or to delineate the right-hand edge of the roadway, and they discourage or prohibit crossing (depending on the specific situation). The manual also says double, solid lines indicate maximum or special restrictions. Either marking is an official traffic control device. Solid, single white lines indicate that crossing the line is discouraged, but not prohibited. However, if at a particular location a sign has been erected that prohibits the crossing of a single white line, then it is illegal to cross the line. This is because the sign, which is also an official traffic control device, specifically makes it illegal to do so, Molpus said. Therefore, crossing the solid white line at that location would be violating an official traffic control device which, in this case, would be the sign that prohibits the movement. Ill note here that Molpus said theres only one location in Longview where a sign prohibits crossing a single white line, and thats on southbound Spur 63 to the ramp at Texas 31. So, in the absence of a sign or other traffic control device prohibiting it, crossing a single, solid white line is not a violation and cannot be enforced but is discouraged for reasons of safety and proper traffic flow, Molpus said. Double, solid white lines indicate that crossing the lines are prohibited. Although the Texas Transportation Code does not specifically address crossing double, solid white lines, it does specifically state that motorists shall obey official traffic control devices. As stated previously, lane markings ... have specific meanings based on the type and color of the markings, and are official traffic control devices. Therefore, a motorist who crosses a double, solid white line will have violated an official traffic control device. In this case the actual lane markings by design and color specify that the movement is prohibited.

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Clarifying crossing solid white lines - Longview News-Journal: Answer Line

11/2/13 5:55 PM

Given that theres only one spot where its actually illegal in Longview to cross a single white line, its not something the police department puts much emphasis on. Now, if theres a problem area, or an area where you think there needs to be a sign prohibiting crossing a single white line, alert the police department by calling Molpus at (903) 237-1138. Officers could determine if theres a significant hazard and possibly recommend to the citys traffic engineer that a sign be installed. After that, it would be the traffic engineers call. *** Q: Can you confirm information in a newspaper article earlier this week about vehicle vandalism that said its illegal to park on the street overnight? A: Consider it confirmed. Heres what city ordinance says about the issue: Overnight parking for storage on any paved street is hereby prohibited. Overnight parking for storage is hereby defined as the habitual parking or storing of cars, trucks, tractors or other vehicles on paved streets during the hours from sundown to sunup, except temporarily disabled vehicles which are protected by flares or other approved signal devices. It is not the intention of this section to prohibit or interfere with passenger cars temporarily parked at night, where such parking is not done regularly and during the entire night. Email questions to answerline@news-journal.com, leave a message at (903) 232- 7208 or write to P.O. Box 1792, Longview, TX 75606.

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Clarifying crossing solid white lines - Longview News-Journal: Answer Line

11/2/13 5:55 PM

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