Judith Castillo, Staff Writer
"Residential road speed limits however, are set by local governments".
“Slower speeds help fulfill the need for more community”
Speed limits on Texas Highways are determined by the Texas Department of Transportation, residential road speed limits however, are set by local governments.
In June of 2020 Austin city council voted unanimously for a reduction in residential street speed by 5 miles per hour, from 30 to 25 mph. The Austin city government is only the most recent in a line of big cities taking the charge towards safer streets.
The term prima facie refers to default speed limits in place based on the type of roadway. According to Texas Administrative Code, the use of the prima facie concept is, “limits, which on the face of it, are reasonable and prudent under normal conditions.” For residential streets in Texas, prima facie is 30 mph. However, as part of major Texas cities’ “Vision Zero” (a program to enact strategy towards ending traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all) city governments are making the 5 mph reduction for the safety of citizens, which in turn will only add 24 seconds to an average trip. Other benefits from just slowing down could be a reduction in noise and air pollution.
Benefits from a slower residential street speed will be a safer environment for everyone from walkers to cyclists to children. Conditions in a neighborhood street can be unpredictable, especially when there are children and pets involved. Some additional tips to ensure that the neighborhood streets are safe for all are as follows:
- Teach children about traffic safety.
- Keep pets safely inside or the back yard.
- Stop at every stop sign and take 3 seconds to look around.
- Report outages of street lighting or missing speed limit signage.
- Avoid distracted driving.
- Ensure roadways have clear line of sight by parking cars correctly and keeping bushes and trees trimmed.
- Utilize neighborhood organizations and publications (such as Neighborhood News) to remind residents of the importance of traffic safety.
Concerns about speeding within residential areas isn’t uncommon. Residents from a neighborhood in another Texas suburban area had concerns about high speeds through their neighborhood streets. After numerous complaints and upon an investigation, it was found that the most frequent speeders are members of the community. Residents feel confident with their surroundings and take for granted that their trip will be incident free. It was the Grapevine, TX community that decided to educate residents that slowing down makes a safer community for all.
Slow down driving in your neighborhood streets, and see a speed up in the livability of your neighborhood. More walking, bicycling, and talking with neighbors.