Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 20088-03-2012ORDINANCE NO. 20088 -03 -2012 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 22, "MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC ", OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH BY AMENDING ARTICLE III, SECTION 22 -86, ENTITLED "SPEEDING ", SUBSECTIONS (f) AND (g) BY CHANGING THE LOCATIONS, EXTENT AND /OR SPEED LIMITS OF CERTAIN SPEED ZONES; PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE CUMULATIVE OF ALL ORDINANCES; PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; PROVIDING A SEVERABITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING A PENALTY CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the City of Fort Worth's Transportation and Public Works Department routinely reviews the speed limits in the City Code in order to make corrections, additions or amendments, where appropriate; and WHEREAS, the requested new speed limits or adjustments result from development, school zones for new schools, text corrections and limits /block range corrections; and WHEREAS, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has requested certain speed zone changes due to the results of completed speed surveys (engineering and traffic investigations); and WHEREAS, the Uniform Act Regulating Traffic and state law delegate to the City the authority, within certain limitations, to alter maximum speed requirements and prima facie speed limits with respect to any street or highway within the City's jurisdiction, including those highways which are a part of the state highway system; and WHEREAS, the Texas Transportation Code Section 545.356 specifies the procedures for a municipality to set speed zones and to post speed limits; and WHEREAS, Texas Transportation Code Section 541.302(13) authorizes a municipality to designate school crossing zones as reduced speed zones to facilitate safe crossing of streets by children going to or leaving a public or private elementary or secondary school during applicable time periods; and WHEREAS, the recommendations in the ordinance are based on completed speed surveys (engineering and traffic investigations) performed by either City staff or TxDOT showing that any prima facie speed limit set by statute is greater or less than is reasonable or safe under the conditions luund to Ordinance No. 20088 -03 -2012 Page No. 1 of 4 exist at any intersection or other place or on any part of the roadway system under TxDOT's jurisdiction, taking into consideration the width and condition of the pavement and other circumstances on that portion of roadway, as well as the usual traffic on it, in accordance with the Texas Transportation Code; and WHEREAS, the City of Fort Worth must adopt the TxDOT speed limits for enforcement purposes; and WHEREAS, this ordinance incorporates the above recommendations and amends the Speed Zone Tables of Chapter 22, "Motor Vehicles and Traffic ", Article IIl, Section 22 -86, "Speeding" of the City Code, by making certain additions and/or deletions recommended by TxDOT or the Transportation and Public Works Department. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS, AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The listing of school zones contained in Subsection (f) of Section 22 -86 of Article III of Chapter 22 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth (1986), as amended, is hereby amended by adding the following locations: SCHOOL ZONE ADDITIONS Maximum Speed Street Block Fxtent trapuA Altamesa Boulevard 4000 -4200 365 feet west of Welch Avenue to 25 775 feet west of Woodway Drive North Beach Street 9800 -9900 245 feet south of Alta Vista Road to 25 235 feet north of Alta Vista Road West Berry Street 2200 -2400 100 feet west of Frazier Avenue to 20 175 feet west of Forest park Boulevard Isbell Road 500 -700 190 feet north of Barbara Road to 20 200 feet south of Poinsetta Drive McCart Avenue 6000 -6100 110 feet southwest of Duringer Road to 20 445 feet northeast of Westcreek Drive Northwest College Drive 2500 -2900 250 feet east of Athletic Drive to 20 180 feet west of Education Drive Ray White Road 8700 -8900 320 feet north of Shiver Road to 25 200 feet south of Senator Drive Summer Creek Drive 8000 -8100 75 feet south of Leafy Trail to 25 75 feet north of Summer View Woodway Drive 5600 -6000 190 feet north of Wilkie Way to 25 140 feet south of Ashford Avenue Ordinance No. 20088 -03 -2012 Page No. 2 of 4 SECTION 2. The listing of streets contained in Subsection (g) of Section 22 -86 of Article III of Chapter 22 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth (1986), as amended, is hereby amended by adding the following locations: STREET — ADDITIONS Maximum Speed Qt,- f W nA- Fxtent (MPH) Cleveland Gibbs Road 15400 -15700 Litsey Road to Fort Worth/Northlake City Limits 35 Presidio Vista Drive 2000 -2500 Harmon Road to North Freeway (I -35W) West Service Road 40 SECTION 3. That this ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of ordinances of the City of Fort Worth affecting motor vehicles and traffic, except where the provisions of this ordinance are in direct conflict with the provisions of such ordinances and such Code are hereby repealed. SECTION 4. That all rights or remedies of the City of Fort Worth, Texas are expressly saved as to any and all violations of the provisions of Chapter 22 or the City Code and of any other ordinance affecting motor vehicles and traffic which have accrued at the time of the effective date of this ordinance; and, as to such accrued violations, and all pending litigation, both civil or criminal, whether pending in court or not, under such chapter and/or other ordinances same shall not be affected by this ordinance but may be prosecuted until final disposition by the courts. SECTION 5. That it is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared void, ineffective or unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, such voidness, ineffectiveness or unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs or sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted by the City Council without the Ordinance No. 20088 -03 -2012 Page No. 3 of 4 incorporation herein of any such void, ineffective or unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section. SECTION 6. That any person violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and each such person shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each day or portion thereof during which any violation of any of the provisions of this ordinance is committed, continued or permitted, and each violation shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00). SECTION 7. That the City Secretary of the City of Fort Worth is hereby directed to publish the caption and penalty clause of this ordinance for two (2) days in the official newspaper of the City of Fort Worth, as authorized by Section 52.013 of the Texas Local Government Code. SECTION 8. This ordinance shall take effect upon adoption and publication as required by law. APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY: Assistant City Attorney Adopted: March 6, 2012 Effective: Ordinance No. 20088 -03 -2012 Page No. 4 of 4 City of Fort Worth, Texas Mayor and Council Communication COUNCIL ACTION: Approved on 3/6/2012 - Ordinance No. 20088 -03 -2012 DATE: Tuesday, March 06, 2012 LOG NAME: 20SPEEDZONE7 REFERENCE NO.: G -17537 SUBJECT: Adopt Ordinance Amending the Speed Zone Tables in Chapter 22 of the City Code, Motor Vehicles and Traffic (COUNCIL DISTRICTS 2, 6, 7 and 9) RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached ordinance amending the Speed Zone Tables in Chapter 22, Motor Vehicles and Traffic, Article III, Section 22 -86, Speeding, Subsections (f) and (g), of the City Code. DISCUSSION: The Transportation and Public Works Department routinely reviews the speed limits in the City Code in order to make corrections, additions or amendments, where appropriate. The requested new speed limits or adjustments result from development, school zones for new schools, text corrections and limits /block range corrections. In addition, there are speed zone changes requested by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) due to the results of completed speed surveys (engineering and traffic investigations). The City must adopt the TxDOT speed limits for enforcement purposes. As part of the community outreach, a communications plan was implemented. This plan informed neighborhood residents, council aides and other drivers of the impending speed limit changes and included: • Notification to Council District Aides about the changes; • City News E -Mail Blast to Subscribers and Neighborhood Organizations; • Social Media Posting with link to speed limits; • News Release (Media Relations Office); • Web posting of all changes on the City's Website; and • Information with speed limit changes list to Police Department Captains and Neighborhood Patrol Officers so they can disseminate the information at neighborhood and community meetings. The Texas Transportation Code specifies the procedures for establishing speed zones and posted speed limits and authorizes municipalities to designate school crossing zones. The recommendations in the attached ordinance are based upon completed speed surveys (engineering and traffic investigations) performed by either City Staff or TxDOT in accordance with the Transportation Code. The attached proposed ordinance incorporates the above and amends the Speed Zone Tables of Section 22 -86, Speeding, of Chapter 22, Motor Vehicles and Traffic, of the City Code, by making certain additions and /or deletions recommended by TxDOT or the Transportation and Public Works Department. Logname: 20SPEEDZONE7 Page 1 of 2 This project is located in COUNCIL DISTRICTS 2, 6, 7 and 9. FISCAL INFORMATION / CERTIFICATION: The Financial Management Services Director certifies that this action will have no material effect on City funds. FUND CENTERS: TO Fund /Account/Centers CERTIFICATIONS: Submitted for City Manager's Office by_ Originating Department Head: Additional Information Contact: FROM Fund /Account/Centers Fernando Costa (6122) Douglas Wiersig (7801) Randy Burkett (8774) Logname: 20SPEEDZONE7 Page 2 of 2