PRESENTER: Presenter
Carly Farmer, Assistant City Engineer
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SUBJECT: Title
Approval of the first reading of an ordinance to revise Section 126 Article IV Division 3 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of New Braunfels to restructure speed limits and school speed zones and remove the school zone associated with the previous New Braunfels ISD Ninth Grade Center.
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation and Construction Services
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COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: N/A
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Speed limits on Texas roads, including city streets, are set by statute in Section 545.352 of the Texas Transportation Code. The prima facie speed limit on a street in an urban district is 30 mph. Deviations from the prima facie speed limit on a street must be established by ordinance in order to be posted on a roadway and enforceable. Speed limits, including school speed zones, in the City of New Braunfels are contained within Section 126 Article IV Division 3 of the Code of Ordinances.
The current organization of the speed limit ordinance presents multiple challenges:
• The subsection format allows for a limited number of speed limits to be established.
• Multiple posted speed limits deviating from 30 mph are not included.
• Some speed limits for TxDOT roadways have not been updated after completed projects.
• The language used for defining speed limit boundaries is inconsistent.
• Fines for violations are inconsistent.
Staff began an effort to reorganize the speed limit ordinance to address the above challenges. Using the existing ordinance, speed limit sign inventory, and field verification, all existing posted speed limits deviating from the prima facie speed of 30 mph and all school speed zones were documented into a new ordinance structure using consistent language. This reorganization lists all speed limits and school speed zones in Section 126-132 and Section 126-133, respectively. Both sections utilize a subsection format that categorizes speed limits into 5 mph increments. This new structure is more intuitive to read, allows ordinances to be easier to locate and amend, and does not limit the number of speed limits that can be added.
During this process, New Braunfels ISD confirmed that the previous Ninth Grade Center site on Guenther Avenue will not be used as a school campus in the near future. As part of the speed limit revisions, staff is proposing to remove the school zones on Business 35 and Nacogdoches Street, as well as a portion of Guenther Avenue, Magazine Avenue, and Butcher Street. The adjacent school zone for Carl Schurz Elementary School will remain. The flashing beacons on Business 35 have already been removed, but staff will need to adjust school zone signs on the other streets to reflect the removal of the school zone for the Ninth Grade Center.
ISSUE:
The speed limit ordinance is disorganized, incomplete, and challenging for staff to use. A school zone needs to be removed for the previous Ninth Grade Center.
STRATEGIC PLAN REFERENCE:
☐Economic Mobility ☐Enhanced Connectivity ☐Community Identity
☒Organizational Excellence ☒Community Well-Being ☐N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
Traffic control signs cost approximately $150 each. Sufficient funding is available in the FY 2026 approved streets and drainage budget.
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends restructuring the speed limit and school speed zone ordinance and removing the school zone for the previous New Braunfels ISD Ninth Grade Center.