SPEED CONTROL PROGRAM

Houston Code of Ordinances ch. 45, art. XV, div. 3

in effect

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-391 Traffic studies.

Sec. 45-391. - Traffic studies. The director shall cause or authorize to be conducted a traffic study to complete the preliminary eligibility review of a proposed project on a minor collector street. Unless the director has given preliminary approval for consideration of the project on a publicly funded basis, the director shall determine, and notify the applicant concerning, the scope and type of traffic study to be conducted by the applicant and indicate any additional information required by the director to facilitate review of the proposed project. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015; Ord. No. 2016-408, § 2, 5-25-2016)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-392 Completion of staff review.

Sec. 45-392. - Completion of staff review. (a) All proposed projects on local streets shall be eligible for further consideration and processing in accordance with section 45-393 of this Code. (b) The director shall determine, based upon all available information regarding a project on a minor collector street, including, without limitation, any traffic study prepared in accordance with section 45-391 of this Code, whether the project is eligible for further consideration and processing in accordance with section 45-393 of this Code. The director shall consider the impact of the following on selected minor collector streets within the neighborhood area in making a determination whether a project is eligible for further consideration and processing in accordance with section 45-393 of this Code: (1) Whether at least 15% of observed vehicle speeds on a street are equal to or in excess of the posted speed limit plus three miles per hour or, where there is no posted speed limit, the authorized speed limit pursuant to section 45-91(a)(1) of this Code plus three miles per hour; and (2) The presence of any additional special conditions or safety concerns within the approved neighborhood area as determined by the director. Written notice of the director's determination shall be given to the applicant. Absent demonstrable evidence of a significant change in traffic speeds in the intervening period which would in the director's reasonable professional judgment prompt an earlier review, any project declared ineligible for further consideration pursuant to this section shall not be eligible for reconsideration for the same or a similar project for a period of three years. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015; Ord. No. 2016-408, § 2, 5-25-2016)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-393 Concept plan.

Sec. 45-393. - Concept plan. The director shall prepare a concept plan for each project deemed eligible pursuant to section 45-392 of this Code, taking into account all traffic studies and other data and factors developed in accordance with the requirements of this article. Each concept plan shall be reviewed and approved by the fire department before being submitted for public comments. In the director's reasonable professional judgment or due to the availability of funding, the director may modify a concept plan or project at any stage of the neighborhood traffic management process prior to the submission of an agenda item for the project to City Council provided: (i) the fire department reviews and approves the materially modified concept plan, (ii)?residents within one-half mile of the proposed device as described in the materially modified concept plan receive sufficient notice to enable City Council to receive and consider public comments, and (iii) the materially modified plan is tested with a temporary device in accordance with section 45-395(b). (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015; Ord. No. 2016-408, § 2, 5-25-2016; Ord. No. 2024-420, § 9, 6-5-2024)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-394 Public notice.

Sec. 45-394. - Public notice. (a) Upon approval of the concept plan, written notice, in a form approved by the director, shall be mailed to all property owners and residents within one-half mile of the proposed device. Written notice shall contain a description of the concept plan and a comment card for use by members of the public to address public safety, convenience and traffic issues and to express either support for or opposition to the concept plan. Written notice shall also specify how public comments may be received by city council prior to its consideration of the project. (b) Each notice shall be effective when deposited in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the property owner, resident or representative of a neighborhood association. Failure of any person to receive actual notice of the concept plan shall not affect the validity of any action taken by the city in connection with the project. (c) On the request of affected residents and property owners within one-half mile of the proposed device, the director shall hold a public meeting to consider implementation of a device. (d) Each district council member whose district includes any part of the neighborhood area and any other city council member who so requests shall be notified pursuant to section 45-366 of this Code upon approval of the concept plan. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015; Ord. No. 2016-408, § 2, 5-25-2016)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-395 Final review and ranking; recommendation by director.

Sec. 45-395. - Final review and ranking; recommendation by director. (a) The director shall evaluate the comments received and modify the concept plan as needed. The director shall have the discretion to approve the concept plan in part, in the director's reasonable professional judgment, such as approving only the portion of the concept plan for which funding, whether public funding (including Council District Service Funds) or private funding, is available. The director shall either (i) disapprove the concept plan and its underlying request and so notify the applicant in writing; or (ii) approve the concept plan, as may have been modified by the director, in whole or in part, for implementation and so notify the applicant in writing. The director shall give the approved concept plan a priority ranking that shall be used to establish the order in which the various approved projects will be considered for implementation. If the director disapproves the concept plan, and absent demonstrable evidence of a significant change in traffic speeds in the intervening period which would in the director's reasonable professional judgment prompt an earlier review, the same or a similar project shall not be eligible for reconsideration for a period of three years. (b) Each concept plan must be tested with a temporary device and receive a recommendation of approval from the director before being submitted to city council for final approval. Unless the project has been approved by the director for public funding assistance, the temporary device shall be placed at the applicant's sole expense. Each concept plan whose priority ranking is sufficient to indicate that public funding will be available to complete the project, if approved, during the current or next succeeding fiscal year and each concept plan for a project to be financed from private funding sources shall receive approval from the director for the construction of a temporary device, in accordance with its priority ranking, provided that the director may approve a temporary device for any ranked project without regard to its priority ranking in order to reflect special or changed circumstances, availability of Council District Service Funds, or in order to avoid delay in implementing worthy projects that have not been approved for public funding. No temporary device may be placed without the approval of the director. Temporary devices shall be in place for a testing period of not less than 90 days, provided that the director shall immediately remove a temporary device that is determined to be a threat to public health, safety or welfare. Upon authorization of placement of a temporary device, the device, with appropriate signs, shall be constructed within the neighborhood area in accordance with the approved concept plan. The director shall review all of the available information regarding the temporary device, including public comments, and either (i) remove or cause to be removed the temporary device and deny all or part of the concept plan or (ii) forward his recommendation for final approval of all or part of the concept plan to city council, during which time the temporary device may remain in place. Written notice of the director's action shall be given to the applicant. If the director disapproves the concept plan, in whole or in part, and absent demonstrable evidence of a significant change in traffic volume or traffic patterns in the intervening period which would in the director's reasonable professional judgment prompt an earlier review, the concept plan or disapproved portions thereof may not be resubmitted as any part of a new request for the same or a similar project for a period of three years. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the three-year prohibition on resubmitting a new request for the same or similar project shall not apply to a project or concept plan, including any portion thereof, for which the director modified, approved (in whole or in part), or disapproved solely due to funding availability. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015; Ord. No. 2016-408, § 2, 5-25-2016; Ord. No. 2024-420, § 10, 6-5-2024)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-396 Final action by city council.

Sec. 45-396. - Final action by city council. (a) All projects recommended for approval by the director as provided in section 45-395 of this Code shall be forwarded to city council accompanied by a summary setting forth in relevant detail the information relied upon in formulating the recommendation, including copies of all timely received written public comments provided as a result of a request for a project. (b) The city council shall, by motion, approve or deny the request for the project. (c) A decision by city council to approve or deny a request shall be final and shall not be subject to further appeal or rehearing. If the city council denies the request, the applicant shall not be permitted to file a new request for the same or a similar project for a period of three years. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015; Ord. No. 2016-408, § 2, 5-25-2016)

Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH45TR_ARTXVNETRMAPR_DIV3SPCOPRFetched: 10/26/2026