| (B) Except under the immediate direction of the engineer, contractors have no responsibility whatsoever for the design, location, or maintenance of speed limit signs. (d) School speed zones. (1) Introduction. Reduced speed limits should be used for school zones during the hours when children are going to and from school. Usually such school speed zones are only considered for schools located adjacent to highways or visible from highways. Pedestrian crossing activity should be the primary basis for reduced school speed zones. However, irregular traffic and pedestrian movements must also be considered when children are being dropped off and picked up from school. If, for some reason, there is a delay in the installation of a school flasher, other static signs for school zones should be installed as soon as possible after the minute order is approved. (2) Signs. (A) Where the department is responsible for signing school speed zones, the zones shall be signed with a combination of the S4-3 SCHOOL and the R2-1 SPEED LIMIT sign assembly. Flashing beacons shall also be used with the S4-4 WHEN FLASHING sign to identify the periods the school speed limit is in force. One sign, S5-1, could be used, which is a combination of these. The S5-1 SCHOOL SPEED LIMIT XX WHEN FLASHING may be used in place of the S4-3, R2-1, and S4-4. A commission minute order or city or county ordinance or resolution authorizing the reduced speed limit is required prior to use of these signs in school zones. Cities should be allowed to sign school speed zones in accordance with the other options set out in the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. (B) The S4-3, R2-1 and S4-4 sign assembly with flashers shall be mounted on a permanent type mounting and placed at each zone limit of the section of highway, road, or street through which the speed limit has been reduced. The sign assembly with flashing beacons may be placed off the shoulder of the road, in the median, or overhead to face traffic entering the school speed zone. An illustration of signing for school speed zones is shown in the TMUTCD. Other types of signs used by cities should be similarly located in conformance with the TMUTCD. (3) Intervals of operation. (A) Generally, the zones indicated on the signs should be in effect only during the following specified intervals: (i) from approximately 45 minutes before school opens until classes begin; (ii) from the beginning to the end of the lunch period; and (iii) for a 30 minute period beginning at the close of school. (B) The intervals of operation of the flashing beacons on the School Zone Speed Limit Assembly may be extended or revised for school events as mutually agreed upon by the school district and the entity responsible for the operation of the flashing beacons. In this case, the flashing beacons should only be operated when there is an increase in vehicular activity or pedestrian traffic in and around the roadway associated with the school event. (4) More information. See the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Part 7, for more details on school areas. (e) Private road speed zones. (1) Introduction. In addition to setting speeds on highway routes, Transportation Code, §542.006, requires the commission to establish speed limits and erect necessary signing on private roads under certain conditions. (2) Eligibility requirements. To be eligible for speed zoning, a private road must: (A) be located in a subdivision that has a total of 400 or more residents or is adjacent to one or more other subdivisions that, together with the subdivision through which the road runs, have a combined total of 400 or more residents (All subdivisions included in the count must have plats filed in the deed records of a county.); (B) be located outside of an incorporated area; and (C) be patrolled or scheduled to be patrolled by a law enforcement entity. (3) Process initiation. The process for speed zoning private roads must be initiated by petition from the majority of property owners along the road for which zoning is requested. (4) Petitions rejected by the commission. If the commission rejects the petition, then the commission shall hold a public hearing on the advisability of making the speed restrictions applicable. For more details, see Transportation Code, §542.006(c), (d), and (e). |
| Source Note: The provisions of this §25.22 adopted to be effective December 9, 2004, 29 TexReg 11389; amended to be effective October 16, 2008, 33 TexReg 8557; amended to be effective October 20, 2011, 36 TexReg 6968 |
