• ♦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

Chapter 4: Speed Zone Approval

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Section 1: Overview

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Introduction

Speed zones on the state highway system, including turnpikes under TxDOT’s authority, may be set by Transportation Commission minute order or by the city, depending on the circumstance (as shown in the following table).

Anchor: #i999160Authority to Set Speed Zones on State Highway System (including on turnpikes under TxDOT’s authority)

If the speed zone is...	Then it is established by...
outside a city	Transportation Commission minute order
inside a city	city ordinance or resolution or Transportation Commission minute order

This chapter covers the speed zone approval process for each of these circumstances.

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Regional Mobility Authorities and Regional Tollway Authorities

This chapter does not cover the speed zone approval process for turnpikes under the control of a regional mobility authority (RMA) or regional tollway authority (RTA). An RMA is an authority created under Transportation Code, Chapters 361 or 370, at the request of one or more counties and authorized by the Transportation Commission for the purpose of constructing, maintaining, and operating transportation projects. An RTA is an authority created under Transportation Code, Chapter 366, consisting of two or more counties for the purpose of acquisition, design, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of a turnpike project or system.

Speed zone approval for roadways under the control of RMAs or RTAs are set according to the conditions outlined in the following two tables.

Anchor: #i999179Authority to Set Speed Zones on Turnpikes under Control of an RMA

If the speed zone is...	Then it is established by...
outside a city	RMA order
inside a city	city ordinance or RMA order

Anchor: #i1001868Authority to Set Speed Zones on Turnpikes under Control of an RTA

If the speed zone is...	Then it is established by...
outside a city	RTA order
inside a city	city ordinance or RTA order