No person shall drive a vehicle on any street in the city limits
at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions
and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing.
In every event, speed shall be so controlled as may be necessary to
avoid colliding with any person, vehicle or other conveyance on or
entering the highway in compliance with legal requirements, and it
shall be the duty of all persons to use due care. No person shall
operate or drive any motor vehicle or other vehicle within the corporate
limits of the city on any street at a greater speed than thirty (30)
miles per hour unless signs are erected designating another speed
limit, or in any alley at a greater speed than fifteen (15) miles
per hour.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 3A; 2001
Code, sec. 12.301)
Whenever the city shall determine upon the basis of an engineering
and/or traffic investigation that the thirty (30) mile per hour speed
limit hereinbefore set forth is greater or less than is reasonable
or safe under the conditions found to exist at any intersection or
other place, or upon any part of the street or highway, the city shall
upon authorization by the city council by appropriate ordinance establish
such speed limit as shall be effective at all times when appropriate
signs giving notice thereof are erected at such intersection or other
place or part of the highway or street.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 3B; 2001
Code, sec. 12.302)
No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as
to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when
reduced speed is necessary for safe operation, or in compliance with
law, or at the direction of a police officer. Police officers are
hereby authorized to enforce this provision by directions to drivers
and, in the event of apparent willful disobedience to this provision
and refusal to comply with the direction of an officer in accordance
herewith, the continued slow operation by a driver shall be a misdemeanor.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 3C; 2001
Code, sec. 12.303)
Speed limitations set forth in this article shall not apply
to an authorized emergency vehicle when responding to an emergency
call or when used in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of
the law, or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire
alarm, and the driver thereof sounds audible signal by bell, siren
or exhaust whistle, and/or when such emergency vehicle is equipped
with at least one lighted lamp exhibiting red light visible under
normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred (500)
feet to the front of such vehicle. This provision shall not relieve
the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive
with due regard for the safety of all persons using the street, nor
shall it protect the driver of any such vehicle from the consequences
of a reckless disregard of the safety of others.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 3D; 2001
Code, sec. 12.304)
No person shall operate or drive a motor vehicle or other vehicle upon the following described streets at a greater speed than the speed designated for that street or portion of that street as set forth herein, and any speed in excess of the limits set forth in this article shall be prima facie evidence that such speed is neither reasonable nor prudent and is unlawful. All of the streets of this city, and all portions of any such streets, are hereby declared to be public streets, and the driving or operating of any motor vehicle on or along any portion of any street of this city at a rate of speed that is greater than the maximum rate of speed for said portion of said street, as fixed by this article, shall be a misdemeanor, which is named “the offense of speeding,” and said offense is punishable by a fine in accordance with the general penalty provision in section
1.01.009 of this code. The use of the word “speeding” shall be sufficient to designate said offense, and shall mean that a motor vehicle has been driven upon a public street at a greater rate of speed than that fixed by city ordinance for the street and for the zone thereof that such motor was so being driven upon, if zoned. In prosecutions under this section for the offense of speeding, the complaint, if in other respects sufficient in form, shall, as to the portion thereof seeking to acknowledge the offense, be sufficient if it in substance alleges that the defendant did while driving a motor vehicle in the city commit the offense of speeding.
(1) State Highway 95.
(A) For southbound traffic:
(i) Beginning at Station 441+31 to Station 425+74, a distance of 0.297
miles, a prima facie maximum speed limit of 30 miles per hour.
(ii)
From Station 425+74 to Station 411+60, a distance of 0.267 miles,
a prima facie maximum speed limit of 35 miles per hour.
(iii)
From Station 411+60 to the south city limit at Station 404+65,
a distance of 0.132 miles, a prima facie maximum speed limit of 45
miles per hour.
(B) For northbound traffic:
(i) Beginning at the south city limit at Station 404+65 to Station 411+60,
a distance of 0.132 miles, a prima facie maximum speed limit of 45
miles per hour.
(ii)
From Station 411+60 to Station 425+74, a distance of 0.267 miles,
a prima facie maximum speed limit of 35 miles per hour.
(iii)
From Station 425+74 to Station 442+31, a distance of 0.297 miles,
a prima facie maximum speed limit of 30 miles per hour.
(2) F.M. Highway 2571.
(A) For westbound traffic:
Beginning near State Highway
95 at Station 518+64 to the west city limit at Station 489+43, a distance
of 0.511 miles, a prima facie maximum speed limit of 40 miles per
hour.
(B) For eastbound traffic:
Beginning at the west city limit
at Station 489+43 to near State Highway 95 at Station 518+64, a distance
of 0.511 miles, a prima facie maximum speed limit of 40 miles per
hour.
(3) Valley View Drive and Valley View Lane.
A speed limit
of 15 miles per hour is established on Valley View Drive and Valley
View Lane within the federal housing project known as Valley View
Villa located on South East Third Street within the city.
(4) Church and hospital zones.
(A) The speed limit in church and hospital zones within the corporate
limits of the city shall be 15 miles per hour.
(B) A “church zone” or “hospital zone” as used
herein shall include one full block each direction from the nearest
church or hospital property line, except that the provisions of this
subsection shall not apply to any state or U.S. highway within the
corporate limits of the city.
(C) The provisions of this subsection shall apply to present or future
churches or hospitals within the corporate limits of the city.
(5) Loop 230.
(A) For eastbound traffic:
(i) Beginning at the west city limit at milepoint 2.215 to milepoint
2.631, a distance of 0.416 miles, a prima facie maximum speed limit
of 45 miles per hour.
(ii)
From milepoint 2.631 to the east city limit at milepoint 3.973,
a distance of 1.342 miles, a prima facie maximum speed limit of 35
miles per hour.
(iii)
School speed zone: Beginning at milepoint 3.467 to milepoint
3.644, a distance of 0.177 miles, a prima facie maximum speed limit
of 20 miles per hour when flashing.
(B) For westbound traffic:
(i) Beginning at the east city limit at milepoint 3.973 to milepoint
2.631, a distance of 1.342 miles, a prima facie maximum speed limit
of 35 miles per hour.
(ii)
From milepoint 2.631 to the west city limit at milepoint 2.215,
a distance of 0.416 miles, a prima facie maximum speed limit of 45
miles per hour.
(iii)
School speed zone: Beginning at milepoint of 3.644 to milepoint
3.467, a distance of 0.177 miles, a prima facie maximum speed limit
of 20 miles per hour when flashing.
(6) Bluebonnet Circle.
15 mph.
(1987 Code, ch. 9, sec. 3E; 2001
Code, sec. 12.305; Ordinance 2409-414 adopted 9/13/04)