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Council sets consistent 40 mph limit on Marketplace Avenue to reduce driver confusion
Summary
Based on a 24‑hour traffic and speed study showing inconsistent posted limits and crash patterns, the council approved an ordinance setting a uniform 40 mph speed limit on Marketplace Avenue from Burleson Street to Koehler's Crossing (7‑0).
City engineer Leon Barber presented a corridor study of Marketplace Avenue that found varying posted limits (30–45 mph) created driver confusion and enforcement difficulties. Staff measured 85th‑percentile speeds at five locations and reviewed crash data from 2021–2025, finding rear‑end, side‑swipe and angle collisions concentrated in two segments.
Barber recommended maintaining the 30 mph zone from I‑35 frontage to Burleson Street and establishing a consistent 40 mph posted limit from Burleson Street to Koehler's Crossing. Council members supported the change, with one councilmember recounting being stopped while legitimately confused by inconsistent signage and advocating for additional speed‑feedback signage near H‑E‑B exits. The council approved the ordinance as presented 7‑0.
What this does: the ordinance standardizes posted speeds along the Marketplace corridor to reduce speed variance among drivers and improve enforcement clarity; staff suggested additional measures such as speed‑feedback signs and improved sign placement to reduce the perception of speed traps.
