The city manager, or such officers or employees of the city
designated by the city manager, shall, within their discretion, place
and maintain traffic-calming devices and measures, and any associated
traffic-control signs and other devices on existing roadways, to discourage
cut-through traffic and to minimize unsafe travel speeds in residential
neighborhoods, as allowed under the provisions of the city’s
residential traffic management program. The city may require developers
to incorporate and install traffic-calming devices and measures to
proactively provide pedestrian safety in new residential development.
The traffic management program is described in the city’s Policies
Local Area Traffic Management and Procedures Manual.
(Ordinance 2016-16 adopted 9/20/16)
For the purposes of this article, certain terms shall have the
meanings ascribed to them in this section, unless the context clearly
indicates otherwise.
The document form, provided by the city, for the purpose
of formally identifying the number of households within the petition
area that support the requested installation of a traffic-calming
device(s).
The area along a street or streets having households to which
the petition for traffic-calming devices must be presented or the
area within a new development where traffic-calming devices are to
be placed.
The developer of a new residential subdivision to which traffic-calming
measures will be installed.
The individual or individuals, or property owner association,
which submit the initial request to the city for consideration of
a traffic-calming device(s).
That portion of a particular street, within the right-of-way
of which a traffic-calming device is proposed to be constructed under
this article.
The owner(s) of any tract or parcel of real property within
a neighborhood area.
Any homeowners association, property owners’ group
or civic association, whether incorporated or not, whose membership
includes property owners and/or residents of a neighborhood area.
A request in writing to the city manager or the city manager’s
designee, accompanied by supporting information on city-provided format
that identifies the basis for observation of apparent traffic speeds
and/or cut-through traffic, the street(s) and extents on which the
undesired traffic conditions are known to occur, as well as other
contributing factors such as time of day, day of week, and observed
vehicular and nonvehicular behaviors.
Any person who resides on or owns or operates a home upon
any tract or parcel of real property within a neighborhood area.
A street which has the predominant function to serve local
property access within a subdivision comprised mainly of single-family
unit dwellings, townhouses, duplexes, condominiums, or apartment complexes.
A street which has primary function to circulate traffic
within a subdivision comprised mainly of single-family unit dwellings,
but with additional function for serving local property access.
The combination of mainly physical measures that reduce the
negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior, and
improve conditions for nonmotorized street users in accordance with
guidelines and standard practices published by the Institute of Transportation
Engineers.
A physical design element or movement control, including
but not limited to speed humps, lateral shifts, traffic diverters,
mini traffic circles, and regulatory access restrictions, in and/or
along a street or intersection, having the sole purpose to discourage
cut-through traffic and/or to minimize travel speeds.
(Ordinance 2016-16 adopted 9/20/16)
The city’s Policies and Procedures Manual for Local Area
Traffic Management (“Traffic-Calming Manual”) is hereby
adopted by the city for the purpose of establishing rules and regulations
for the approval, design, development, construction, conversion, improvement,
use and maintenance of traffic-calming treatments and devices. Such
portions that may be hereinafter amended, deleted, or modified by
the city shall be the governing document in the design, development,
and construction of all improvements within the city limits and ETJ.
(Ordinance 2016-16 adopted 9/20/16)
All of the following criteria shall be satisfied for a street
to be considered eligible for traffic-calming devices and/or measures.
(1)
Meet the application requirements as set forth in the “traffic-calming
manual” including the submittal of an application signed by
at least four property owners within the petition area. The city may
prescribe a fee to cover administrative costs.
(2)
Only functionally classified “local” and “collector”
streets in predominantly residential areas having not more than one
travel lane in each direction shall be considered for installation
of traffic-calming devices. Unmarked streets are assumed to satisfy
this criterion. A continuous two-way left turn lane is not considered
a moving lane of traffic for the purpose of this criterion. Any functionally
classified street or public street right-of-way identified as parkway
or arterial on the currently adopted city’s transportation master
plan, or other street which has function to substantially serve through
traffic immediately abutting residential subdivisions, shall not qualify.
(3)
Diverter traffic-calming devices that negate the conveyance of one
or more directions of traffic along the street shall not be installed
on a functionally classified collector street.
(4)
The street should have curb and gutter. Consideration may be given
to streets without curb and gutter if it is determined that street
drainage can be accommodated and that it will be possible to prevent
vehicles driving around the traffic-control device.
(5)
The street shall be approved by each of the police department and
the fire marshal for potential installation of traffic-calming devices.
(6)
The city manager or city manager’s designee shall determine
that an equally acceptable and reasonable alternative traffic route
of higher functional classification is available to accommodate traffic
denied access at any restricted street and would not negatively impact
any other residential street.
(7)
Traffic-calming devices shall not be installed in front of an opponent’s
property.
(Ordinance 2016-16 adopted 9/20/16)
(a)
Traffic-calming treatments shall be constructed in accordance with
the standards developed and maintained by the city manager or city
manager’s designee, and in a manner consistent with the traffic-calming
manual. Variations in design may be allowed by the city manager or
city manager’s designee for varying roadway geometry and right-of-way
limitations.
(b)
Design for implementation of traffic-calming and cut-through traffic
mitigation measures and related features, such as signs and pavement
markings, shall be prepared by a qualified traffic engineer in accordance
with the “Traffic Management Manual” and the Texas Manual
on Uniform Traffic-Control Devices. The cost of the design will be
borne as described in the traffic-calming manual.
(c)
Construction of traffic-calming devices will be administered by the
city manager or city manager’s designee for existing streets.
The cost of the construction will be borne as described in the traffic-calming
manual.
(d)
The city will maintain the traffic-calming devices and all related
features. Landscaping implemented with the traffic-calming device
shall be approved by the city manager or city manager’s designee
and, if provided, maintained through mutual letter of understanding
with the organized neighborhood association or, as applicable, by
the project requestor.
(e)
Traffic-calming devices shall be only at locations where adequate
public right-of-way exists for their installation or at locations
where the property owners agree to dedicate easements at no cost to
the city.
(Ordinance 2016-16 adopted 9/20/16)
(a)
As further described in the traffic-calming manual, any citizen,
group of citizens, or neighborhood association contesting the relative
priority compared to other approved traffic-calming projects or disapproval
rendered by the city manager or the city manager’s designee
for a requested or petitioned traffic-calming project may file an
appeal with the city manager or the city manager’s designee
on the prescribed appeal form, within ten (10) days after a notice
of project rating and related decision regarding the requested or
petitioned project has been provided to the requesting citizen, group
of citizens, or neighborhood association.
(b)
In such case of an appeal, a hearing shall be scheduled before the
city’s planning and zoning commission in its first available
monthly meeting following receipt of the appeal, or contingent on
satisfying proper legal notice requirements for posting of the committee’s
meeting agenda. Upon conducting the hearing, including any supplemental
information the appellant may wish to present, the planning and zoning
commission shall make a recommendation to the city council on the
appeal.
(c)
The city manager or the city manager’s designee shall set the
date of such hearing before the city council, and the city council
will have final authority on the appealed project rating and decision
for what traffic-calming devices, if any, will be authorized.
(Ordinance 2016-16 adopted 9/20/16)
(a)
As further described in the traffic-calming manual, the process for
traffic-calming device alteration or removal requested by the residents
shall be similar to the process for installation. A petition documenting
that at least two-thirds (2/3) of all the households and businesses
adjacent to the traffic-calming device are in favor of the devices’
removal or alteration, and as applicable, approval by the neighborhood
association, shall be required.
(b)
In case the city manager or city manager’s designee determines
that an unforeseen problem has resulted due to the traffic-calming
device, it may be redesigned or removed by the city manager or the
city manager’s designee. In such case, the city will bear the
full cost of removal and restoration of the street to original condition.
(Ordinance 2016-16 adopted 9/20/16)
