New County Road Speed Limit Posed

Pct. 4 Commissioner Tom Muras proposed a blanket speed limit of 45 miles an hour on county roads. Muras made the proposal at a Commissioners Court meeting Thursday.

The Texas Transportation Code sets a prima facie speed limit of 60 miles an hour on FM roads and county roads. Local governing authorities such as the county commissioners court can set a lower speed limit for dangerous portions of roads, but the county must hold public hearings and vote on those changes. In addition, those sections of road must be marked with speed limit signs. Otherwise, the speed limit is 60 miles an hour.

Muras said speed on county roads wasn’t much of an issue in the past, when most of the county’s roads were gravel, since the rough roads dissuaded most people from driving too fast. But as the county began paving roads, Muras said people began driving faster.

“People need to understand that county roads were not built for 70 miles an hour, they weren’t engineered for 70 miles an hour,” Muras said.

Muras announced last week that he plans to retire at the end of the year. He asked the commissioners to consider his proposal after he steps down.

“I just wanted to put a bug in your ears, so maybe you’ll think about it in the future,” Muras said.

Assistant County Attorney Blake Watson said he was unsure whether the County could issue a single order setting a blanket speed limit on all county roads, but he said he would investigate the legal possibilities. Pct. 1 Commissioner Jason McBroom asked whether the blanket speed limit would have to be posted on all county roads. He said purchasing and posting signs on all county roads could prove costly.

“I’m not against your point,” McBroom said. “But you can’t just post it at the beginning of a road and the end. You have to post it at each intersection when they come on to the road so they know what the speed limit is.”

Chief Deputy Randy Noviskie of the Sheriff’s Office said vehicles traveling 50 miles an hour on county roads might appear to be driving too fast for the residents who live on those roads. But unless posted otherwise, he said deputies can only enforce the prima facie speed limit of 60 miles an hour.

“I think its something to look into, so see if we could do it,” McBroom said. “I’m not opposed to it. But if we have to put signs up on every road, I don’t know. I have over 200 roads in my precinct. If you’re talking about multiple signs on each one, it could be pretty pricey.”

Watson said he would investigate the proposal and return with his findings at a later meeting.