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Tomball, TxDOT present proposed 35-mph posting and extended 20-mph school zone for 2920
Summary
TxDOT representatives presented a revised speed-zone proposal for 2920 at a Tomball City Council workshop, recommending a uniform 35-mph posted speed in built areas and a 20-mph school zone in front of school sites; council members asked for follow-up and the item may appear on a future agenda.
TxDOT representatives and Tomball staff presented a proposed change to posted speeds and school-zone limits on 2920 during the May 5 Tomball City Council workshop, recommending a uniform posted speed of 35 mph along a stretch of the road and a school-zone speed of 20 mph in front of nearby schools.
The change was described by Drew Huffman, director of public works for the city of Tomball, and TxDOT representatives who said the revised proposal reduced a previously proposed 40-mph segment to 35 mph and tightened the school-zone limit from 25 mph to 20 mph for the segment that runs past the new signal near Star Academy. TxDOT traffic engineer Gorang Pandit and TxDOT representative Roberto Lewis presented study findings and the strip map showing proposed limits.
Why it matters: council members said they opposed the 40-mph jump from a 30-mph zone in earlier proposals and supported a smaller, consistent posting. Huffman and TxDOT staff told the council that multiple speed studies were done over recent weeks to confirm the data used to set the proposed 35-mph posting and the 20-mph school-zone limit.
Key details presented at the workshop included: the proposal to post 35 mph from Chestnut to the 2978 intersection (described in the presentation as a consistent 35-mph segment), and a school zone reduced to 20 mph from Howard to the new signal in front of Star Academy. TxDOT said the school-zone posting would apply during school-zone hours and the posted speed would revert outside those hours.
Council members asked whether local schools had been notified; TxDOT staff said the city wanted to discuss the ordinance change with council before bringing it to affected schools. Council members also noted there is currently no school at some adjacent streets (a concern raised in earlier discussions), and the city and TxDOT said they would coordinate outreach as the ordinance and signage process moves forward.
Other council questions focused on driver behavior and network effects: several council members asked whether through-traffic would divert to parallel east–west corridors such as Medical Complex Drive if an extended school zone caused delays. TxDOT said its studies set speeds based on measured 85th-percentile speeds, crash rates, driveway density and development pattern; the department and city staff agreed to use radar trailers and traffic counters to monitor nearby routes if needed.
No ordinance or vote was taken at the workshop. TxDOT staff said signage could be installed quickly after city council approval and after the city completes the required ordinance change; presenters said the item could be placed on a future council agenda for formal action.
