Commissioners lower speed limits on two Old Mill Creek Road segments after resident petitions and county speed study

Washington County Commissioners Court approved reduced speed limits on two adjacent stretches of Old Mill Creek Road on April 8, 2025, following petitions from residents and a county-conducted speed study.

County Road & Bridge staff member Mister Stultz presented results of a February–March speed analysis using an 85th-percentile methodology. Stultz said the longer section from South Berlin Road to Country Place West had an 85th-percentile speed of about 47 mph; he recommended posting 45 mph for that segment. For the shorter section from Country Place West to Farmers Road — roughly a quarter-mile with an S-curve and reduced visibility — Stultz reported an 85th-percentile value of 40 mph and recommended a 40-mph limit; he also reported an average (mean) measured speed of 36.43 mph for that short section.

Residents who filed petitions and attended the hearing urged lower limits for safety and quality-of-life reasons. Barbara Archer, a resident at 501 Country Place West Drive, described inconsistent posted signage and said drivers following GPS routes treat parts of Old Mill Creek as 60 mph where there is no posted limit. "I was pulled over by a deputy sheriff... I was going 45 miles an hour. He said, 'it's 60,'" Archer said, recounting an experience that led her to gather petition signatures. She also cited heavy trucks, motorcycles and high speeds near houses and a school bus route.

After public comment, the court voted on two separate motions. For the longer segment, a motion to set the limit at 45 mph passed by voice vote. For the shorter quarter-mile segment, the court approved a 35-mph limit; commissioners said 35 mph was a common-sense standard for that S-curve near houses and bus stops despite the engineer's statistical recommendation. Both actions were taken under the authority cited in the meeting packet pursuant to Texas Transportation Code §251.151.

Commissioners and staff acknowledged enforcement limits and the practicality of multiple short speed zones. Several commissioners said they favored a standard methodology but also sought to balance measured speeds with on-the-ground safety, particularly where homes and children are close to the roadway.

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The new posted limits will be installed by county road crews. Staff said they used data collected in February and March for the study and that enforcement will remain the responsibility of law enforcement agencies; commissioners also asked staff to coordinate signage placement so drivers see consistent limits approaching and leaving the modified sections.