AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Consider approval of Ordinance 2025-11, on the first of two readings, reducing the speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour along portions of Tampico Street, Laredo Street, Saltillo Street, Durango Street, Juarez Avenue, Monterrey Street and Luciano Flores Boulevard in the Wallace Addition Neighborhood; authorizing the installation of signs and traffic control devices reflecting the new speed limits; directing that the traffic register maintained under Section 82.067 of the San Marcos City Code be amended to reflect the new speed limits; and including procedural provisions.
Body
Meeting date: April 15, 2025
Department: Department of Public Works - Sabas Avila, Director
Amount & Source of Funding
Funds Required: $1,500
Account Number: 10006147.53230
Funds Available: Yes
Account Name: Traffic-Signs
Fiscal Note:
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Background Information:
Pursuant with Texas Transportation Code Sec. 545.356. (b-1), the governing body of a municipality, for a highway or a part of a highway in the municipality that is not an officially designated or marked highway or road of the state highway system, may declare a lower speed limit of not less than 25 miles per hour, if the governing body determines that the prima facie speed limit on the highway is unreasonable or unsafe.
On January 27, 2025, the Public Works Department attended a neighborhood meeting in the Wallace Addition community, where several residents expressed concerns about traffic speeds and requested a reduction to 25 mph throughout the neighborhood.
Following this meeting, the Public Works Department received a petition from residents of the Wallace Addition Neighborhood requesting a speed limit reduction from 30 mph to 25 mph. The neighborhood consists of 172 developed parcels, and the petition garnered 77 responses-70 in favor, 6 with no preference, and 1 opposed.
A speed study recorded the following 85th percentile speeds:
Durango Street: 29.4 mph (October 2024)
Juarez Street: 25.7 mph (November 2024)
Luciano Flores Boulevard: 32.6 mph (January 2022)
The overall 85th percentile speed for the neighborhood is 29.9 mph. Under state law, speed limits can be set within 5 mph of the 85th percentile speed.
Wallace Addition is a single-family residential neighborhood with street widths ranging from 32 to 35 feet. Given the presence of on-street parking and pedestrian activity, maintaining a 30 mph speed limit is considered unreasonable or unsafe.
City staff recommend reducing the speed limit within the neighborhood from 30 mph to 25 mph for the following street blocks:
100 - 300 blocks Tampico Street from the south end to Luciano Flores Boulevard;
100 - 400 blocks of Laredo Street from Staples Road to Luciano Flores Boulevard;
100 - 400 blocks of Saltillo Street from Staples Road to Luciano Flores Boulevard;
100 - 400 blocks of Durango Street from Staples Road to Luciano Flores Boulevard;
100 - 300 blocks of Juarez Avenue from Tampico Street to Durango Street;
100 - 300 blocks of Monterrey Street from Cape Street to Durango Street;
100 - 300 blocks of Luciano Flores Boulevard from Cape Street to Durango Street;
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Recommendation:
City staff recommends reducing the speed limit within the Wallace Addition Neighborhood from 30 mph to 25 mph.