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Council advances ordinances to lower speed limits on Highway 62, FM 3247 and create a school zone
Summary
The council gave initial approval to ordinances to reduce posted speeds on sections of State Highway 62 and FM 3247 and to designate a 35 mph school zone near Community Church; the measures are first readings and were presented in cooperation with TxDOT and based on traffic studies.
Orange ' The Orange City Council on Aug. 12 advanced three ordinances in their first reading that would lower posted speeds on state-maintained roadways and establish a school-zone speed limit.
Adam Jack, a city staff member working on traffic and public-works matters, presented the measures, saying they were coordinated with the Texas Department of Transportation and were based on traffic studies. "The northern section [of State Highway 62] was reduced from 75 miles an hour to 65 miles an hour," Jack said, describing the stretch from the city limit about a half-mile south to near 8 Gate Road. He also described a reduction along another portion of Highway 62 and other adjustments "for the purposes of safety, health, and general public welfare."
Nut graf: The proposed ordinances would change speed limits on stretches of state-maintained roadways inside the city's jurisdiction to lower limits backed by traffic studies and TxDOT coordination; one ordinance would also formally designate a 35 mph school-zone speed limit by the Community Church during school hours.
Details in the body: For FM 3247 (MLK Drive), Jack said the northern section from the Little Cypress Grove subdivision around the bend down to just south of Adams Bayou would be reduced from 65 mph to 60 mph for roughly two miles. From just south of Adams Bayou to just south of the I-10 frontage road, the speed would drop from 55 mph to 50 mph for about one mile. Jack also said staff discovered no existing ordinance covered the existing speed zone by Community Church and proposed establishing a 35 mph school-zone limit during school hours there.
Councilmembers thanked Jack and staff for coordinating with TxDOT and noted the measures came after previous unsuccessful efforts by the county. The measures passed their first reading motions and will return for subsequent readings as required by city charter and ordinance procedure.
Ending: The ordinances are in the early stage (first reading); if approved on subsequent readings they will change posted limits on the named stretches of Highway 62 and FM 3247 and add the school-zone designation.
