GENERALLY

Houston Code of Ordinances ch. 45, art. XV, div. 1

in effect

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-361 Definitions.

Sec. 45-361. - Definitions. As used in this article, the following words and terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section unless the context of their usage clearly indicates a different meaning: Applicant means one or more property owners or residents within a neighborhood area, a duly authorized representative of a neighborhood association or the director who makes a request for the construction of a project. Applicant's priority area means the specific location(s) or street(s) within the neighborhood area designated by the applicant. Designated street means that portion of a particular street within the right-of-way of which a device is proposed to be constructed under this article. Designated streets may include the rights-of-way of local or minor collector streets, but may not include any portion of a major collector street or a major thoroughfare. Device means a traffic calming device, consisting of the physical structure or other improvement constructed, placed or located, whether on a temporary or a permanent basis, upon a designated street pursuant to this article. Director means the Director of Houston Public Works or the traffic engineer or any other person designated by the said director to perform the director's duties under this article. Interdepartmental review committee means a committee consisting of one representative each of the fire department, police department, department of planning and development, solid waste management department, and Houston Public Works. Install or installation means the permanent placement of a device following approval by final action of city council as required pursuant to section 45-377 or 45-396 of this Code. Install or installation does not include the temporary placement of a device for test or evaluation purposes. Local street has the meaning ascribed in section 42-1 of this Code. Major collector street means a public street that accumulates traffic from local streets and minor collector streets for distribution to a major thoroughfare. Major thoroughfare has the meaning ascribed in section 42-1 of this Code. Minor collector street means a public street that accumulates traffic from local streets for distribution into a major thoroughfare or a major collector street. Neighborhood area means any contiguous area within the city that generally has as its boundaries: (i) the interior right-of-way line of any major thoroughfare or major collector street; (ii) the interior boundary or right-of-way line of any railroad line, utility or pipeline corridor, river or waterway (not including drainage or flood control ditches not being traversed by other streets within the general locale); (iii) the corporate limits of the city; or (iv) any combination of one or more of the foregoing boundaries. A neighborhood area may consist of one or more subdivisions and shall include only those properties within and fronting on or taking their only access from a street within the bounded area. Neighborhood association means 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. Neighborhood traffic committee means a committee, consisting of not more than five members drawn from the residents or property owners within a neighborhood area, selected as provided in section 45-371 of this Code, to assist in the processing of a request for a project. Neighborhood traffic management program means the entirety of the processes and procedures as described in this article whereby one or more devices may be placed upon a designated street in a neighborhood area. Project means the construction of one or more devices upon a designated street(s) in the neighborhood area, as may be amended. Property owner means the owner(s) of any tract or parcel of real property within a neighborhood area. Resident means any person who resides in or owns or operates a home or business upon any tract or parcel of real property within a neighborhood area. Speed control program means one or more projects intended to address speeding problems by installation of speed cushions within a neighborhood area. Volume control program means one or more projects intended to address cut-through traffic and speeding problems within a neighborhood area. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015; Ord. No. 2018-11, §§ 31, 49, 1-10-2018; Ord. No. 2024-420, § 2, 6-5-2024)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-362 Purpose; regulations.

Sec. 45-362. - Purpose; regulations. (a) The purpose of this article is to establish the procedures governing the application for and review, approval, financing and construction of projects to minimize or eliminate traffic congestion, cut-through traffic, speeding or other traffic-related problems in a neighborhood area. In accordance with the provisions of this article, the director shall prepare and make available to the public appropriate forms to request a project. (b) Consistent with the other provisions of this article and state law, the director may promulgate request forms and may promulgate rules and regulations for the implementation of this article, including without limitation rules, policies, procedures and regulations establishing the criteria for the modification and partial approval/denial of projects, the neighborhood area and concept plans, resubmittal of projects, phased implementation of concept plans that the director approved but were not implemented in their entirety due to funding availability, and notice requirements for amended concept plans and projects completed in phases due to funding availability. A copy of the rules and regulations shall be maintained for public inspection in the offices of the said director, and published on the city web site. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015; Ord. No. 2024-420, § 3, 6-5-2024)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-363 Construction.

Sec. 45-363. - Construction. The director shall be responsible for the construction, or shall direct and oversee the construction by a private contractor or contractors, of approved projects. Approval under this article shall not excuse the applicant from obtaining any other permit or authorization required by law to perform the work. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-364 Removal.

Sec. 45-364. - Removal. (a) Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to prohibit the city from removing any device or portion thereof. If, and only if, the device to be removed is a gate, then the removal must first be authorized by the city council. (b) The director shall maintain an accurate record of each approved project. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-365 Limitation on action of city.

Sec. 45-365. - Limitation on action of city. The approval, installation and maintenance of a project and associated devices, as provided for by this article, shall never be construed to cause an abandonment or relinquishment of any street or public property or to authorize the installation of a device upon any right-of-way not under the control of the city. The installation of a project and associated devices that involves the closure of a street to vehicular traffic shall require a public hearing by city council and approval by a majority vote. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-366 Coordination with city council offices.

Sec. 45-366. - Coordination with city council offices. Notice of the progress of the request under this article shall be given to each district council member whose district includes any part of the neighborhood area and to any other city council member who so requests, including, but not limited to, notice of each public meeting, the concept plan, the traffic study and the proposed placement of any device. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-367 Request for projects.

Sec. 45-367. - Request for projects. (a) A request for a project must be initiated by an applicant. Multiple requests from the same or similar neighborhood areas may be consolidated into and considered as a single request, at the director's option. (b) The director may, from time to time, prepare and submit for approval by motion of the city council revisions to the schedule of fees that shall be paid by an applicant for a project. Payment of any applicable fees stated for this provision in the city fee schedule when due is a condition of the processing of a request under this article. (c) The director may adjust the boundaries of a neighborhood area at any stage of the neighborhood traffic management process upon the consideration of information including, but not limited to, public input from residents or property owners in the neighborhood area, amount and availability of public assistance or funding (including Council District Service Funds) or funding from private funding sources, or findings made by the director as a result of the presence of special conditions affecting the neighborhood area. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015; Ord. No. 2024-420, § 4, 6-5-2024)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-368 Preliminary review process.

Sec. 45-368. - Preliminary review process. (a) Each request for a project shall be made or forwarded by the applicant to the director upon a form promulgated for that purpose by the director and shall include, at a minimum, the following: (1) A description or definition of the proposed neighborhood area; (2) A list containing the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the individuals comprising the applicant or, in the case of a request from a neighborhood association, the name, address and telephone number of the duly authorized representative of the neighborhood association. (3) A general description of the traffic problem or condition to be remedied; (4) The type of program, speed control or volume control, being sought; (5) The applicant's priority area where the speed control or volume control is being sought; (6) Special conditions concerning the proposed neighborhood area, including, but not limited to, such factors as the location and nature of businesses, schools, parks, churches or other non-residential traffic generators within or in close proximity to the neighborhood area; (7) Written evidence of neighborhood or community support for the project from residents and property owners within the affected neighborhood area; (8) Whether public funding or assistance is requested for the project; and (9) Any other information reasonably required by rule or regulation of the director in order to make any determination specified under this article. (b) Each request shall initially be reviewed for completeness. If determined to be complete, the request shall be considered to have been filed when received in the director's offices and shall be acted upon as further provided in this article. If determined to be incomplete, the request shall be returned to the applicant with written notice of the deficiencies. (c) Each request that is properly filed shall be reviewed and evaluated in accordance with section 45-369 of this Code. If the director determines that the request does not merit further consideration, based upon the criteria set forth in section 45-369(1) through (5) of this Code, then the director shall so notify the applicant in writing and, wherever practicable to do so, shall provide any suggested modifications to the request that might cause it to receive more favorable consideration if resubmitted. For requests that the director determines merit further consideration under the criteria of section 45-369(1) through (5) of this Code, the applicant shall be so advised in writing and shall also be advised: (1) If no public funding or assistance has been requested, that the project is eligible to proceed under division 2 or division 3 of this article, as applicable; or (2) If public funding or assistance has been requested, whether or not the director has given preliminary approval for consideration of the project on a publicly funded basis under the criteria of section 45-369(6) of this Code, and: a. If so, that the project is eligible to proceed under division 2 or division 3 of this article, as applicable; or b. If not, that the project will not be further considered under division 2 or division 3 of this article, as applicable, unless the applicant withdraws the request for public assistance or funding. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015; Ord. No. 2024-420, § 5, 6-5-2024)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-369 Review criteria.

Sec. 45-369. - Review criteria. The director shall evaluate and prioritize all requests pursuant to the following criteria: (1) Whether the request identifies a problem that could be remedied under this article; (2) Whether the request identifies a problem that could readily be addressed through the installation of a type of traffic control device that may be installed without approval under this article; (3) Whether special conditions concerning the neighborhood area, including, but not limited to, the location and nature of businesses, schools, parks, churches or other non-residential traffic generators within or in close proximity to the neighborhood area, may support approval of the project; (4) Whether there is public support for the project as evidencing that the project will enhance and promote the public health, safety and welfare; (5) Whether existing evidence, studies, data or reports regarding the severity of the existing problem, if any, merit the project; (6) For requests that include a public funding component, the amount of public funds available for planning of projects, the number of outstanding requests for publicly funded projects, the amount of public funds available for the project, and the apparent merit of the request as compared to that of other requests and established city priorities; and (7) For requests that include a private funding component, the amount of private funds available for the planning of the project and the project. (Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015; Ord. No. 2024-420, § 6, 6-5-2024)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-370 Reserved.

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_DIV1GEFetched: 10/26/2026