• ♦Manual Notice 2015-1
• ►1. Introduction
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Purpose of Manual
    • ♦Users of Manual
    • ♦Responsibilities
  • ►2. Background
    • ♦Basic Speed Law
    • ♦Prima Facie Concept
    • ♦Authority to Set Speed Zones
    • ♦Higher Maximum Speed Limit
    • ♦Local Authority and TxDOT
    • ♦Value of Speed Zoning
    • ♦Guidelines for Selecting Speed Limits
  • ►3. Factors Affecting Safe Speed
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Design and Physical Factors of the Roadway
    • ♦The Vehicle
    • ♦The Driver
    • ♦Traffic
    • ♦Weather and Visibility
    • ♦Accident Reconstruction Speed Limits
• ▼2. Regulatory and Advisory Speeds
  • ►1. Application of Regulatory and Advisory Speeds
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Regulatory Speeds
    • ♦Advisory Speeds
    • ♦Advisory Speed Sections in Regulatory Zones
    • ♦Regulatory Versus Advisory Speeds
  • ►2. Regulatory Speed Zones
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Within Incorporated Cities or Towns
    • ♦Highway Approaches to Incorporated Municipalities
    • ♦Minimum Speed Limits
    • ♦Regulatory Speed Signs (R2 Series)
    • ♦Signs Within Cities and Towns
  • ►3. Construction Regulatory and Advisory Speeds
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Advisory Construction Speeds
    • ♦Regulatory Construction Speed Zones
    • ♦Request for Regulatory Construction Speed Zones
    • ♦Advisory Speed Construction Warning Plates (CW13-1)
    • ♦Regulatory Construction Speed Limit Signs
    • ♦Covering or Removing Temporarily Unnecessary Reduced Speed Signs
    • ♦Signs Installed by the Contractor
  • ►4. School Speed Zones
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Planning
    • ♦Prompt Installation Important
    • ♦Signs
    • ♦Intervals of Operation
    • ♦More Information
  • ▼5. Private Road Speed Zones
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Eligibility Requirements
    • ♦Process Initiation
    • ♦Procedure
• ►3. Speed Zone Studies
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Engineering and Traffic Investigation
    • ♦Interim Speed Limits for New or Reconstructed Highways
    • ♦Scope of Study
  • ►2. Determining the 85th Percentile Speed
    • ♦General Concepts
    • ♦Theory
    • ♦Statistical Rationale
    • ♦Speed Checks for Existing Highways
    • ♦Speed Checks for New or Reconstructed Highways
    • ♦Operation of Speed Check Stations
    • ♦Location of Speed Check Stations
    • ♦Measuring Speeds
    • ♦Recording Measured Speeds
    • ♦Calculating 85th Percentile Speed
    • ♦Recording the Information
    • ♦Incomplete Data
  • ►3. Developing Strip Maps
    • ♦Strip Map Blanks
    • ♦Scale for Strip Map
    • ♦Field Entry Data
    • ♦City Limits
    • ♦Schools
    • ♦Showing Crashes on Strip Maps
  • ►4. Speed Zone Design
    • ♦Zone Length
    • ♦Transitions
    • ♦Urban Areas
    • ♦Directional Differences
    • ♦Variation from 85th Percentile
    • ♦Blanket Lowering of Maximum Speed Limits
    • ♦Trial Runs
    • ♦Location of Regulatory Speed Limit Signs
  • ►5. Rechecks of Speed Zones
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Frequency of Rechecks
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►6. Environmental Speed Limits
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Existing Environmental Speed Limits
    • ♦New Environmental Speed Limits Prohibited
• ►4. Speed Zone Approval
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Regional Mobility Authorities and Regional Tollway Authorities
  • ►2. Approval Process
    • ♦Outside an Incorporated City
    • ♦Within an Incorporated City
    • ♦Adjacent Portions Within and Outside an Incorporated City
    • ♦Speed Zones Unacceptable to a City
    • ♦Filing of Strip Maps
    • ♦Transportation Commission Minute Order
• ►5. Application of Advisory Speeds
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Advisory Speed Sign Posting
  • ►2. Curves and Turns
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Objective
    • ♦Methods to Establish Curve Warning Advisory Speeds
    • ♦Direct Method
    • ♦GPS Method
    • ♦Design Method
    • ♦Ball-Bank Method
    • ♦Calculated Speed
    • ♦Selection of Car and Mounting of Bank Indicator
    • ♦Before Conducting Test Runs
    • ♦Calibrating Speedometer
    • ♦Zeroing the Bank Indicator
    • ♦Conducting Bank Indicator Test Runs
    • ♦Alternate Ball-Bank Indicator Test Run Method
    • ♦Selecting Speed for Posting
  • ►3. Intersections
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦View Obstructions
  • ►4. Narrow and One-Lane Bridges
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Placement of Signs
  • ►5. Descending Grades of Six Percent or Greater
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Determining Minimum Sight Distances
    • ♦Calculation
    • ♦If a Curve is Involved
  • ►6. Dips, Bumps, and Exit Ramps
    • ♦Dips and Bumps
    • ♦Exit Ramps
• ►A. Forms
• ♦B. Glossary

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Section 5: Private Road Speed Zones

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Introduction

In addition to setting speeds on highway routes, Transportation Code, Chapter 542, Section 542.006, requires the Texas Transportation Commission to establish speed limits and erect necessary signing on private roads under certain conditions.

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Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for speed zoning, a private road must:

• 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)
• be located outside of an incorporated area
• be patrolled or scheduled to be patrolled by a law enforcement entity.

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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.

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Procedure

Districts receiving inquiries concerning establishment of speed zones on private roads should proceed as follows:

1. Request that the petitioners submit the names and addresses of all owners and residents of property directly abutting the portion of route to be zoned at the time the petition is delivered to the district office and indicate on this list which property owners are agreeable to having signs erected on their property.
2. Does the private road meet the eligibility requirements described earlier in this section?
   • If yes, continue to Step 3.
   • If no, return the petition, and advise the petitioners as to the reasons it does not qualify.
3. Verify the ownership of all the parcels abutting the roadway under consideration. Have a majority of the owners signed the petition?
   • If yes, proceed to Step 4.
   • If no, return the petition, and advise the petitioners as to the reasons it does not qualify.
4. Determine if it is in the interest of the residents of the area and the public generally to establish speed restrictions. (The data required to determine the desirability of speed restrictions would include speed zone studies and strip maps, or other suitable plat or roadway layouts.) Also determine if any law enforcement currently does or will patrol the roadway.
5. Submit recommendation for or against the speed zoning along with results of the study to the Traffic Operations Division (TRF). NOTE: TRF will prepare the minute order to obtain Transportation Commission approval. Upon receiving Transportation Commission approval proceed to Step 6.
6. Erect the necessary signs and notify local enforcement authorities upon installation of the signs.
7. Inspect and maintain signs erected by TxDOT as necessary. (Signs placed by TxDOT are normally maintained by TxDOT.)

Petitions Rejected by the Transportation Commission. If the Transportation Commission rejects the petition, then the commission will hold a public hearing on the advisability of making the speed restrictions applicable. For more details, see Transportation Code, Section 542.006(c), (d), and (e).