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Home My WebLink AboutOrd 943 Amending Chapt. 90, Art. II Traffic and speed control Div. 3, Section 90-79 aletering prima facie speed limits on SH 170TOWN OF WESTLAKE ORDINANCE NO. 943 AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF WESTLAKE, TEXAS, AMENDING CHAPTER 90, ARTICLE II, TRAFFIC AND SPEED CONTROL, DIVISION 3, SPEED, SECTION 90-79, CERTAIN STREETS, SUBSECTION 16 ALTERING THE PRIMA FACIE SPEED LIMITS FOR VEHICLES UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 545.356 OF THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE UPON STATE HIGHWAY 170 OR PARTS THEREOF, WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE TOWN OF WESTLAKE, AS SET OUT IN THIS ORDINANCE; PROVIDING APENALTY CLAUSE; PROVIDING ACUMULATIVE CLAUSE; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; AUTHORIZING PUBLICATION; AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the Town of Westlake, Texas is a general law Town; and WHEREAS, Texas Transportation Code Section 545.356 provides that when the Town of Westlake Council determines from the results of an engineering and traffic investigation that any prima facie speed therein set forth is reasonable or safe under the conditions found to exist at any intersection or other place or upon any part of a street or highway within the Town of Westlake, taking into consideration the width and condition of the pavement and other circumstances on such portion of said street or highway, as well as usual traffic thereon or other circumstances, the Town Council may determine and declare a reasonable and safe prima facie speed limit thereat or thereon said street or highway by the passage of an ordinance, which shall be effective when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected along that part of the street or highway; and WHEREAS, the Fort Worth District Office of Texas Department of Transportation conducted a speed zone study dated June 12, 2018, for portions of State Highway 170 as shown in Exhibit A, specifically Control -Section: 3559-01 & 02; and WHEREAS, Lee Engineering, LLC provided review and recommendations of the Exhibit A speed zone study for these portions of State Highway 170 as shown in Exhibit B; and WHEREAS, upon recommendation of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDO'I) the Town Council of the Town of Westlake, Texas, is of the opinion that it is in the best interests of public safety, the town and its citizens that the amendments should be approved and adopted. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF WESTLAKE, TEXAS: SECTION 1: All matters stated in the preamble are found to be true and correct and are incorporated herein by reference as if copied in their entirety. Ordinance 943 Page I of 3 SECTION 2: Upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation heretofore made as authorized provisions of Section 545.356 of the Texas Transportation code, the following prima facie speed limits hereafter indicated for vehicles are hereby determined and declared to be reasonable and safe; and such speed limits are hereby fixed at a rate of speed indicated for vehicles traveling upon the named streets and highways, or parts thereof, described as follows: SECTION 3: That Chapter 90, Article Il, Traffic and Speed Control, Division 3, Speed, Section 90-79, Certain Streets, Subsection 16 of the Town of Westlake Code of Ordinances, as amended, is hereby amended as follows: ARTICLE II: Traffic and Speed Control, Division 3, Speed Sec. 90-79. Certain Streets (16) From and after the date of the passage of this speed zone ordinance, no motor vehicle shall be operated along and upon the main lanes of State Highway No. 170 within the corporate limits of the Town of Westlake in excess of the speeds now set forth in the following limits: 55 miles per hour as (Main Lanes), beginning at Mile Point 1.049 continuing in a southwestern direction for a distance of 0.570 miles to Mile Point 0.479; and b. 55 miles per hour as (Main Lanes), beginning at Mile Point 0.479 continuing in a southwestern direction for a distance of 0.160 miles to Mile Point 0.319, located on the Denton / Tarrant County Line; and c. 55 miles per hour as (Main Lanes), beginning at Mile Point 0.319, located on the Denton / Tarrant County Line, continuing in a southwestern direction for a distance of 0.344 miles to Mile Point 5.930, located on the corporate limits for the Town of Westlake and the City of Fort Worth; and d. 55 miles per hour as (Main Lanes), beginning at Mile Point 5.930, located on the corporate limits for the Town of Westlake and the City of Fort Worth, continuing in a northeastern direction for a distance of 0.344 miles to Mile Post 6.274, located at the Tarrant / Denton County Line; and e. 65 miles per hour as (Main Lane), beginning at Mile Point 0.319, located on the Denton / Tarrant County Line, continuing in a northeastern direction for a distance of 0.730 miles to Mile Point 1.049. SECTION 4: Notwithstanding any provision of this Ordinance, the speed limits established by Town of Westlake Code of Ordinances Chapter 90 (traffic and Vehicles), Division 3 (Speed) shall remain in full force and effect. SECTION 5: That this Ordinance shall be cumulative of all other Town of Westlake, Texas Ordinances and all other provisions of other Ordinances adopted by the Town of Westlake, Texas which are inconsistent with the terns or provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed. Ordinance 943 Page 2 of 3 SECTION 6: Any person violating any of the provisions of this Ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in a sum not to exceed the maximum amount allowed by law. SECTION 7: This ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of ordinances of the Town of Westlake, Texas, except where provisions of this Ordinance are in direct conflict with the provisions of another ordinance, in which event the conflicting provisions of the other ordinance are hereby repealed. SECTION 8: It is hereby declared to be the intention of the Town of Westlake, Texas, that sections paragraphs, clauses, and phrases of this Ordinance are severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph, or section of this Ordinance shall be declared invalid or unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, such legal invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or sections of this Ordinance, since they would have beenenactedby the Town Council of the Town of Westlake without the incorporation in this Ordinance of any such legally invalid or unconstitutional phrase, sentence, paragraph, or section. SECTION 9: This ordinance shall take effect immediately from and after passage as the law in such case provides. PASSED AND APPROVED ON THIS 1st DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2021. ATTEST: //,/ "q l✓ Todd Wood, Town Secretary APPROVED AS TO FORM: -41� � R." L. Stanton Lowry, Town Attorney L ura Wheat, Mayor A404" "� Amanda DeGan, Town Manager TEXP�' Ordinance 943 Page 3 of 3 EXHIBIT "A" E Lii rincinrcri:vine March 18, 2019 Jarrod Greenwood Director of Public Works Town of Westlake 1500 Solana Boulevard, Building 7, Suite #7200 Westlake, TX 76262 RE: Speed Study for new Section of SH 170 through the Town o/' Mestlake Dear Mr. Greenwood: After reviewing the speed studies, Lee Engineering made the following observations: ARIZONA TEXAS NEW MEXICO OKLAHOMA The recommended 70mph is supported by the speed data collected. The 55mph was recommended considering the crash experience and the speed limit on the frontage road that the main lanes are feeding into. Length of 70 mph speed zone is approximately 2.7 miles A case could. be made that the length of the 70 mph speed zone, approx. 2.7 miles is too short and that the 65 mph zone from Southlake should be extended through Westlake. TxDOT procedures do indicate the speed zones should be as long as possible. The drop to 55 mph along SH 170 is further support for not raising the speed limit to 70mph for the short section of highway and then dropping to 55mph. Problems should be expected any time when a traffic signal is located at the end of a freeway section. The posted speed limit alone should not be expected to address these challenges. We have additional recommendations in a separate study. These recommendations include warning signs with flashers that are activated when slow speeds or queues are detected. A similar situation can be found on SB SH 121 approaching SH 183 where a sign with flashers has been installed. If you have any questions, please contact me at (972) 248-3006. Sincerely, Jose h T Short, P.E., PTOE President Lee Engineering, LLC TBPE Firm F-450 3030 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1660, Dallas, TX 75234 (972) 248-3006 office (972) 248-3855 fax I www_ieeengineering.com Page 1 of 1 M. m T- x w i T Otunger,?a ■ IQOI LO I fib„` O i+t� 1rN1+IL �, ■ '7S at C ■ LO rb, uCJo _ A � 1 h �4a /r,�� I LO �. s ''c o��7 ■ :: , ♦aur �� Vx WN RONVoa L +7 Ups Jv IS t �� S ■ ■ t L ■ � 94 U ° . a j0 U �U • O �.Q w U O w I `_