Woodlands hearing set on 20 mph speed limits
Montgomery County has set a public hearing in July for a proposed plan that would lower the speed limit to 20 mph in residential areas of Precinct 3 including The Woodlands.
The hearing will be at 9:30 a.m. July 11 during the court’s regular meeting.
Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack said the action is part of his mission to improve safety for residents throughout communities in his precinct. The Texas Transportation Code gives county commissioners’ court the authority to alter speed limits, including a reduction to 20 mph in a residential area.
“Our top priority in Precinct 3 is safety,” Noack said. “Reducing the residential speed limit will better protect our most vulnerable — children, pedestrians, bicyclists, the elderly and pets. As Precinct 3 makes progress in improving mobility and reducing the stress for commuters on our arterial roadways, we also want to ensure peaceful neighborhood streets where walkers and riders can blend in harmony.”
According to information from Noack’s office, the speed limit reduction to 20 mph in Precinct 3 would apply solely to county roads in unincorporated residential communities where houses face the roadway.
Currently, the speed limit on neighborhood streets varies throughout the precinct, with some at 20 mph, but others at 25 mph or 30 mph.
The lower speed limit will not apply to the major arteries, such as thoroughfares and collectors, which move large volumes of traffic with posted speed limits generally ranging between 35 mph and 45 mph. It also does not apply to municipal, state and federal roadways and highways or streets in gated communities that are not maintained by the county.
Sheriff Rand Henderson and Precinct 3 Constable Ryan Gable supported Noack’s proposal to lower the speed limit.
“Leading this effort to lower residential speed limits in Precinct 3 to 20 mph will significantly increase the safety of drivers, pedestrians, and especially our children,” Henderson said.
Drivers traveling at a lower speed also have more time to react to pedestrians and come to a complete stop quicker, Henderson said.
Gable said his office received complaints daily about motorists speeding through the community.
“I am in full support of reducing the speed limit in our residential areas and neighborhoods to 20 mph,” Precinct 3 Constable Ryan Gable said. “This would help to minimize our speeders and offer a level of protection for our families living and playing in their subdivisions.”
The lowering comes after commissioners increased the posted speed limit to 45 mph from 40 mph along Kuykendahl Road from Spring Creek to Research Forest Drive in April.
In March, the county also raised the posted speed limit to 45 mph from 40 mph on Grogan’s Mill Road from Sawdust Road to north of Blue Fox Lane.
Noack said the higher speed limits will improve mobility on the main arteries through the community.