SUBJECT: Amendments to Article XV, Chapter 45 of the City of Houston Code of Ordinances relating to the Neighborhood Traffic Management Speed Control Program.
RECOMMENDATION: (Summary) An Ordinance approving the amendments to the city’s Neighborhood Traffic Management Speed Control Program.
SPECIFIC EXPLANATION: The Public Works and Engineering Department (PWE) recommends that Houston City Council adopt an Ordinance amending Article XV, Chapter 45 of the city’s Code of Ordinances in an effort to streamline the city’s neighborhood traffic management program, while maintaining compliance with the requirements of Section 311.001 of Texas Transportation Code.
The purpose of this article is to establish the procedures governing the application for review, approval, financing and construction of projects to minimize or eliminate cut-through traffic and/or speeding problems in a neighborhood area.
The speed control program as described in the current Article XV, Chapter 45 requires that PWE conduct a traffic study and a minimum of one (1) public meeting to develop traffic calming solutions for neighborhoods that only experience speeding problems and prefer installation of standard speed calming devices (e.g., speed cushions) as the solution. This Ordinance proposes to modify the speed control program to further streamline the process for neighborhoods that comprise of only local streets. For such neighborhoods, the speed control program will not require the traffic study and the public meeting. Affected residents will be notified of the solution and have the option to request a public meeting. The proposed changes to this ordinance for the speed control program meet the requirements for notification, public meetings and public hearings for traffic calming required in Section 311.001(c ) of the Texas Transportation Code.