Division 2. Traffic Control Devices

The Director shall place and maintain official traffic control devices when and as required under this Subtitle to make effective the provisions hereof and may place and maintain such additional traffic-control devices on the streets and highways and public parking facilities under the jurisdiction of this County as may be deemed necessary to regulate traffic pursuant to County or State law or to guide or warn traffic.

The Director shall coordinate and approve the installation and maintenance of traffic control signal monitoring systems as permitted under this Subtitle as may be deemed necessary to regulate and enhance enforcement of traffic laws pertaining to traffic control signals.

All traffic-control signs, signals, and devices shall conform to the specifications approved by the State Highway Administration. All signs and signals required hereunder for a particular purpose shall so far as practicable be uniform as to type and location throughout the County. All traffic-control devices so erected and not inconsistent with the provisions of State law or this subtitle shall be official traffic-control devices.

All traffic control signal monitoring systems equipment shall conform to the requirements of the Transportation Article, Annotated Code of Maryland.

No provision of this Subtitle which requires official traffic control devices 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 ordinarily observant person. Whenever a particular section does not state that official traffic control devices are required, such section shall be effective even though no official traffic control devices are erected or in place.

For purposes of civil enforcement using recorded images from traffic control signal monitoring systems equipment, only the traffic control signal is required to be in proper position and visible to an ordinarily observant person.

Whenever official traffic control devices are placed in position approximately conforming to the requirements of this subtitle, such devices shall be presumed to have been so placed by the official act or direction of lawful authority, unless the contrary shall be established by competent evidence.

Any official traffic control device placed pursuant to the provisions of this Subtitle and purporting to conform to the lawful requirements pertaining to such devices shall be presumed to comply with the requirements of this Subtitle, unless the contrary shall be established by competent evidence.

Any traffic control signal monitoring system and its recorded images shall be presumed to conform to the lawful requirements of State and County law, unless the contrary shall be established by competent evidence.

No person, without lawful authority, shall willfully deface, injure, move, or interfere with any sign, signal, or any other traffic control device, or any part thereof, erected by the authority of the Director or any directions, lines, or marks painted by the authority of the Director on any pavement, curb, or roadway for the purpose of directing traffic or parking vehicles.

No person shall fail, neglect, or refuse to comply with any instructions or direction on any sign, markings, signal, or other traffic control device installed by the authority of the Director for the regulation of traffic or parking.

No person shall violate any rule, regulation, order, or directive promulgated by the Director as provided in this Subtitle.

There is the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP) for residential streets that represent the commitment of Prince George's County and the Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT) to promoting and encouraging the safety and livability of the County's residential communities. In an effort to reduce the impact of traffic on our neighborhoods, the NTMP provides a process for identifying, evaluating, and addressing undesirable traffic conditions related to speeding and excessive cut through traffic volumes.

The NTMP provides for a traffic study to assist in the evaluation of residential streets for consideration of traffic calming devices, as well as other traffic calming devices which are a physical highway measure to reduce speed and increase safety. According to NTMP guidelines, Councilmembers can request a traffic study, which can lead to the implementation of traffic calming measures.

According to NTMP guidelines, for a determination of the eligibility pursuant to a traffic study initiated for a traffic calming device request of the associated County Councilmember or at the associated County Councilmember's request on behalf of a Homeowner's Association (HOA), the Department of Public Works and Transportation shall have up to six months to initiate the process of conducting the study and making a determination of whether to install traffic calming device.

Location approval letters shall be required by the associated County Councilmember in which the traffic calming device request is located. Upon the receipt of the letter of approval, installation will be scheduled. The DPWT Director or their designee shall prepare a report of all requests for traffic calming devices and the disposition of the request organized by councilmanic district and calendar year. This report shall be presented to the County Council on a quarterly basis.