(a) 
Speed humps are an effective and appropriate device for reducing vehicle speeds on certain types of streets, when installed in accordance with the provisions of this article.
(b) 
In order for speed hump installations to be effective, they should be located selectively in accordance with defined transportation engineering criteria for the purpose of improving documented speeding problems. Proper installation will also minimize driver frustration and encourage safe driving practices.
(c) 
This subsection promotes reasonable opportunities for residents and property owners most affected by a proposed speed hump to participate together in the process that leads to its installation and/or removal.
(Code 1997, § 95.55; Ordinance 10-1, adopted 1/6/2010)
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Applications for speed humps
means a city generated application form, the petition and a processing fee.
Low density residential dwellings
means single-family houses, townhouses, duplexes, triplexes and quadruplexes.
Speed criteria
means the minimum 15 percent of vehicles traveling on the street that must exceed the speed of five mph or greater over the legal speed limit (30 mph), except that this criteria does not apply to all elementary, middle and high school speed zones located on city owned roadways in residential areas.
Speed hump
means a geometric design feature of a roadway, consisting of a raised area in the roadway pavement surface extending transversely across the traveled way, whose primary purpose is to reduce the speed of vehicles traveling along that roadway.
Street
refers to the street length that must be petitioned or as requested by the mayor or two city commissioners and its request approved by a majority vote of the city commission. It is one block with the proposed location of the hump generally centered on that block.
Traffic engineering speed study
means the operational characteristics and geometric characteristics of a typical day for 24 hours.
Typical day
means Saturday and one other day of either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.
(Code 1997, § 95.56; Ordinance 10-1, adopted 1/6/2010; Ordinance 13-4, § 1, adopted 1/16/2013; Ordinance 2022-09, § 1, adopted 3/16/2022)
All of the following criteria must be satisfied for a street to be considered eligible for speed hump installation, except that the following criteria under subsection (1) of this section does not apply to all elementary, middle and high school speed zones located on city owned roadways in residential areas:
(1) 
Preliminary eligibility requirements.
All of the following criteria must be met in order to qualify for a speed hump, except that the following criteria does not apply to all elementary, middle and high school speed zones located on city owned roadways in residential areas:
a. 
The street number must be used to provide access to abutting low-density residential properties (local residential street).
b. 
The lane uses of the properties abutting the street where the speed hump is proposed must be composed primarily of low-density residential dwellings.
c. 
There must be no more than one moving lane of traffic in each direction.
d. 
The street shall have a maximum width of 37 feet from back of curb to back of curb.
e. 
The street must have a speed limit of 30 mph as determined in accordance with state law.
f. 
The street must not be of any of the major roadways shown on the long range thoroughfare plan as shown in the most recently adopted Harlingen's Vision 2020 Comprehensive Plan. The major roadways listed in the thoroughfare plan are collectors and greater and/or any other roadway classified by the city and/or TxDOT as a collector and/or greater.
g. 
Paved traveled ways that do not function as a street, such as alleys, parking lot circulation routes, and commercial service drives, are not eligible for installation of speed hump, regardless of any identification signs, due to their operational characteristics.
(2) 
Petition or request by mayor or two city commissioners.
a. 
A petition documenting that a minimum of two thirds of the households that reside in low-density residential dwellings abutting the street support the installation of speed humps shall be required. In lieu of a petition, the mayor or two city commissioners may request the installation of a speed hump. If the mayor or two city commissioners request the installation of the speed hump and it is approved by a majority vote of the city commission, then the city engineer will review the approved request to determine eligibility based on this section.
b. 
In instances where speed humps will affect other roadways (i.e., grid network), the requestor will be required to obtain a petition which documents a minimum of two thirds of the households along the total affected areas are in favor of the speed bump. Petitions must be signed by each respective household and only one signature per household is needed. Requester will be responsible for distribution and collection of all petitions.
(3) 
Geometric and operation characteristics of the street.
a. 
The street must have adequate sight distances to safely accommodate the speed hump as determined by the engineering department.
b. 
The street must not have curves or grades that prevent safe placement of humps. Humps may be located on streets that contain curves and/or grades, but the hump itself should not be located within a significant horizontal curve, on a vertical grade greater than eight percent.
c. 
The street shall be paved.
d. 
Traffic volumes must be a minimum of 200 vehicles per day.
e. 
Vehicle speeds must meet the speed criteria as defined by this article. Except that the eligibility criteria under subsection (1) of this section does not apply to all elementary middle and high school speed zones located on city owned roadways in residential area.
f. 
The street must have a history that shows the need for traffic calming. New subdivision developments should consider traffic calming methods other than a speed hump and should consider speed humps only as a last resort.
g. 
Private property in the city limits is not governed or controlled by this speed hump installation program.
h. 
In the case of areas with grid networks, a comprehensive study of all affected roadways will need to be assessed.
i. 
The city fire chief or designee must approve the speed hump design and location.
(Code 1997, § 95.57; Ordinance 10-1, adopted 1/6/2010; Ordinance 12-17, § 1, adopted 3/7/2012; Ordinance 13-4, § 1, adopted 1/16/2013; Ordinance 2022-09, § 1, adopted 3/16/2022; Ordinance 2022-33, § 1, adopted 6/6/2022)
(a) 
The petitioner shall be responsible for a processing fee as determined by annual service contract and is quantified by individual street segments. If it is so desired by the requestor to study the subject street on a non-typical day, the requestor will be responsible for additional processing fees. The city also reserves the right to conduct an independent study to verify results. The city engineer or designee will make the final determination of study results.
(b) 
The costs for the speed hump installation (including signs, pavement markings and, if necessary, special design features such as bollards, curbing or guardrail) is the sole responsibility of the residents requesting the speed hump. If the mayor or two city commissioners request the speed hump installation and the request and installation is approved by a majority of the city commissioners, then the city is responsible for the costs of the speed hump installation.
(c) 
The term "resident," when used in cost responsibility, does not necessarily refer to the petitioners. It is used to define the cost that is not the responsibility of the city and could be paid by one or more of the residents or from other private sources.
(Code 1997, § 95.58; Ordinance 10-1, adopted 1/6/2010; Ordinance 13-4, § 1, adopted 1/16/2013)
The process for speed hump removal or alteration by residents will require a petition that documents that a minimum of two thirds of adjacent households on the street support its removal. There is no private participation in cost sharing for the removal of the speed hump if removal of the speed hump is requested by petition. However, the city engineer reserves the right to remove a speed hump if it is deemed necessary for public safety.
(Code 1997, § 95.59; Ordinance 10-1, adopted 1/6/2010; Ordinance 2022-09, § 1, adopted 3/16/2022)
(a) 
A speed hump must not be located in front of a property if the property owner objects to its placement.
(b) 
The exact speed hump location shall be determined by the engineering department.
(c) 
The speed hump shall be located a minimum of 50 feet to 250 feet from the nearest intersecting street and at the property line.
(d) 
The speed hump shall not be located or constructed such that it interferes with the proper drainage of the street.
(e) 
The speed hump should not be located within ten feet from the nearest driveway.
(Code 1997, § 95.60; Ordinance 10-1, adopted 1/6/2010)
The engineering department shall prepare and maintain current design standards and installation procedures for speed humps in accordance with this article.
(Code 1997, § 95.61; Ordinance 10-1, adopted 1/6/2010)
(a) 
The initial request for the installation of speed humps must originate from the residents living on the affected street or upon request by the mayor or two city commissioners with request approval by a majority vote of the city commission. A request in writing from a resident or representative must be forwarded to the following address:
Speed Hump Program
Engineering Department
P.O. Box 2207
Harlingen, TX, 78551
(b) 
A determination of eligibility based on section 40-130. Eligibility requirements, in accordance with this article, shall be made by the engineering department in a timely manner.
(1) 
If the street is determined not to be eligible, the applicants will be given written notification of that determination and its reasons.
(2) 
The decision may be appealed in writing to the public works director within 15 days of the notification date. The director will review the determination and respond to the applicants within 30 days of the appeal request.
(3) 
If the street is determined to be eligible for consideration, a meeting will be arranged between the applicants and staff to define the petition area and the approximate speed hump location range. The applicants will be instructed to submit a petition indicating that a minimum of two thirds of the low-density dwelling households on the street support the installation of speed humps as provided in the speed hump policy. Only petition forms supplied by the engineering department or exact duplicates may be used for this purpose.
(c) 
After verification of the petitions or after a majority vote of city commission has approved a request made by the mayor or two city commissioners, the engineering department will conduct the necessary traffic engineering studies and solicit comments and recommendations of other agencies. A determination of the street's eligibility for speed hump installation will be made in a timely manner, based on the speed hump program. The city also reserves the right to conduct an independent study to verify results. The city engineer or designee will make the final determination of study results.
(1) 
If the street is determined not to be eligible for speed hump installation, the applicants will be notified in writing citing the reason.
(2) 
The decision may be appealed in the same manner as in subsection (b)(2) of this section.
(3) 
If the street is determined to be eligible, the street will be placed on a list of streets eligible for speed hump installation.
(d) 
The engineering department will make a determination of the total installation cost responsibility of the residents according to the speed hump ordinance.
(e) 
Payment required.
(1) 
Once a street is placed on the list of streets approved for speed hump installation, the city will submit a statement to the representative of the residents for the cost of the speed hump installation. Upon receipt of payment of the cost, the humps will be installed as scheduling permits.
(2) 
If full payment has not been received within 90 calendar days from the statement date, the street will be removed from the list of street approved for speed hump installation and all monies received for construction, if any, will be returned to the payer.
(3) 
The city commission shall approve the installation of the speed humps once all criteria for speed hump installation are met.
(Code 1997, § 95.62; Ordinance 10-1, adopted 1/6/2010; Ordinance 13-4, § 1, adopted 1/16/2013; Ordinance 2022-09, § 1, adopted 3/16/2022)
(a) 
Existing speed humps/bumps located within the city or annexed areas may remain in place as constructed until such time that the speed humps/bumps are no longer functional as determined by the city engineering department or have deteriorated requiring replacement.
(b) 
The city shall maintain the existing speed humps only if they comply with section 40-130(a) and (c) and meet the design requirements of Figure 1.1. If the existing speed humps/bumps fail to meet the requirements set forth in section 40-130(a) and (c) and the design standard in Figure 1.1, then residents must follow the procedures set forth in this article to have a speed hump re-constructed on their local residential street.
40a Figure 1.1 Example between a speed bump and a speed hump.png
(Code 1997, § 95.63; Ordinance 10-1, adopted 1/6/2010)