The Standard Traffic Ordinance as adopted is hereby modified by adding thereto the following: The governing body may, by resolution, establish and fix the location of such traffic control devices as may be deemed necessary to guide and warn traffic under the provisions of this chapter, other traffic ordinances and the state laws. The city shall place and maintain such traffic control signs, signals and devices when and as may be required by the authority of the governing body to make effective the provisions of this chapter and other ordinances for the regulation of traffic. Any official traffic control device placed pursuant to this section shall be marked and labelled on a map of the City of Whitewater for the purpose of displaying all such traffic control devices and shall be filed with the city clerk to be open to inspection and available to the public at all reasonable hours of business.

(Code 1987)

(a)   It is unlawful for any person to drive or operate a vehicle upon the streets, alleys or highways of the city in a careless or heedless manner or in an inattentive manner, or without due caution and circumspection, or in any manner not constituting reckless driving but so as to endanger any person or property. This section does not apply to a motor vehicle driven by a person on private property owned by him or her.

(b)   Every person convicted of the provisions of this section shall be punished for first conviction thereof by a fine of not more than $100 or by imprisonment for not more than 10 days; for a second such conviction within one year thereafter such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $200 or by imprisonment for not more than 20 days or by both such fine and imprisonment; upon a third or subsequent conviction within one year after the first conviction such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500 or by imprisonment for not more than six months or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(Ord. 446, Secs. 1:2)

(a)   Except as described in the Truck Route outlined below, no person shall operate any commercial vehicle or grain truck with a gross weight in excess of 16,000 pounds (8 Tons) at any time upon the streets in this City.

(b)   Truck Route. All such trucks described above shall enter and exit the City utilizing the Truck Route. The Truck Route access point to the City shall be East Central from the east City limits to South Main Street and South Main from East Central to the south City limits.

(1)   For purposes of access to the Mid Kansas Co-Op, as it is presently called, such trucks are allowed on West Topeka (from South Main to South Ash), South Ash (between West Topeka and West Vine) and West Vine.

(c)   The foregoing prohibition shall not apply to:

(1)   Emergency Vehicles. The operation of any emergency vehicle.

(2)   Maintenance and Construction Trucks. The operation of any vehicle, owned or operated by any public utility or any contractor or materialman that is engaged in any repair, maintenance or construction work performed on property located within the City.

(3)   Municipal Vehicles. The operation of any vehicle by or on behalf of the City.

(4)   Delivery Trucks. The operation of any truck carrying goods, merchandise or other articles to or from any location in the City; provided, that any truck so engaged enters the City at a cross street nearest to that location in the direction in which that vehicle is moving and upon delivering or receiving the goods, merchandise or other articles, the truck proceeds upon the street or streets providing the most direct access to the next destination of that truck.

(d)   Signs. The City shall erect signs at such locations as determined by the City staff to be appropriate or necessary to carry out the purposes of this section which notify the public that said trucks are prohibited.

(e)   Penalty. Any person who operates a truck or causes a truck to be operated in violation of this section, shall, upon being found guilty of such violation be fined a sum of not less than $1.00 and not more than $500 per violation.

(Ord. 616)

(a)   The governing body, having determined upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that the speed limits permitted under state law in Section 33 of the Standard Traffic Ordinances are greater than are reasonable or safe under the conditions found to exist within certain areas of the City of Whitewater, hereby determines and declares that the reasonable and safe speed limit within the corporate limits of the entire City of Whitewater, Kansas, is 20 miles per hour except when otherwise posted. Said 20 mile per hour speed limit within the city shall be effective when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected upon all entrances to the city and other places suited to give reasonable notice.

(b)   The fine for a violation of this section shall be considered a traffic infraction which fine shall be set by the municipal judge.

(Ord. 507; Code 2025)

The following shall be designated one-way streets upon placement of appropriate signs indicating the same:

(a)   The 100 and 200 blocks of South Locust Street (from East Central Street to East Vine Street) shall be a one-way street going south.

(Ord. 598; Code 2025)

(a)   Each and every railroad company or any corporation leasing or otherwise operating a railroad in Kansas is hereby prohibited from allowing its trains, engines or cars to stand upon any public road or upon any crossing or street within the corporate limits of the City of Whitewater, Kansas, in excess of ten minutes at any one time without leaving an opening in the traveled portion of the public road, street or crossing of at least thirty feet in width.

(b)   Any railroad company or corporation operating a line of railroad in Kansas failing or neglecting to comply with subsection (a) above shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine as follows: $100 if the blocking is for more than 10 minutes but less than 20 minutes; $300 if the blocking is for more than 20 minutes but less than 30 minutes; $600 if the blocking is for 30 minutes and $600 for each additional 30 minutes if the blocking is for more than 30 minutes. No member of a railroad train, yard, or engine crew shall be held personally responsible or found guilty of violating this section if reasonable proof that such person’s action was necessary due to circumstances beyond such person’s control, or to comply with the order or instructions, either written or verbal, of the person’s employer or officers or supervisory officials.

(Ord. 561; Code 2025)