HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 03 - School ZonesMEMO TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BRUNO RUMBELOW, CITY MANAGER��`
MEETING DATE: AUGUST 2, 2011
SUBJECT: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE GRAPEVINE CODE OF
ORDINANCES CHAPTER 23 TRAFFIC, SECTION 23 -27 SPEED
LIMITS - SCHEDULES OF ADDITIONAL SCHOOL ZONES TO
CHANGE SCHOOL ZONE TIMES TO MATCH THE GRAPEVINE
FAITH CHRISTIAN SCHOOL SCHEDULE
RECOMMENDATION:
City Council to consider adopting an ordinance amending Section 23 -27, Speed Limits,
Schedules of Additional School Zones, to establish new school zone times for the school
zones surrounding Grapevine Faith Christian School to reflect the school complex's schedule
and take any necessary action.
BACKGROUND:
During a review of school zones throughout the City, staff became aware of several
discrepancies in the posted school zone times, school schedule, and ordinance for the four
school zones surrounding the Grapevine Faith Christian School at 730 East Worth Street.
The affected school zones are as follows:
• Austin Street from Cannon Street to East Worth Street,
• Cannon Street from Ruth Street to Austin Street,
• Ruth Street from the East Worth Street to Cannon Street, and
• East Worth Street from Austin Street to Ruth Street.
Staff met with school officials and determined that the facility in question includes both
elementary and junior high school grades. The regular school hours for the elementary
school are 8:00 AM to 3 :00 PM and for the junior high school are 7:45 AM to 3:15 PM.
Based on the City's typical practice used for all other school zones for determining the
effective times before and after the school's arrival and dismissal times, the school zones
times for this facility should be in effect from 7:15 to 8:30 AM and from 2 :30 to 3:45 PM.
These times are slightly different than any of the other existing school zones in the City,
requiring a new paragraph to be added in the ordinance.
Also, many of the existing school zone signs are old and somewhat faded. Therefore,
pending approval of this ordinance change, staff will replace all existing school zone signs in
this area with new signs listing the revised times. As part of this work, staff will also install new
signs for the State law prohibition of handheld cell phone use within school zones. These
signs are already in place at other existing school zones throughout the City.
Staff recommends approval.
MPlmp
July 22, 2011 (8:39AM)
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS AMENDING THE GRAPEVINE CODE
OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 23 TRAFFIC, SECTION 23 -27
SAME -- SCHEDULES OF ADDITIONAL SCHOOL ZONES,
ALTERING THE PRIMA FACIE SPEED LIMITS
ESTABLISHED FOR VEHICLES UNDER THE PROVISIONS
OF SECTIONS 167 AND 169 OF ARTICLE XIX, R.C.S. 6701 d,
UNIFORM ACT REGULATING TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAYS,
UPON THE BASIS OF AN ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC
INVESTIGATION UPON CERTAIN STREETS AND
HIGHWAYS, OR PARTS THEREOF, WITHIN THE
CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF GRAPEVINE AS SET
OUT IN THE ORDINANCE; AUTHORIZING THE ERECTION
OF TRAFFIC REGULATION SIGNS; REPEALING
CONFLICTING ORDINANCES; PROVIDING A PENALTY OF
FINE NOT TO EXCEED THE SUM OF FIVE HUNDRED
DOLLARS ($500.00) FOR EACH OFFENSE AND A
SEPARATE OFFENSE SHALL BE DEEMED COMMITTED
EACH DAY DURING OR ON WHICH AN OFFENSE OCCURS
OR CONTINUES; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE;
DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING AN
EFFECTIVE DATE
WHEREAS, Sections 167 and 169 of Article XIX, R.C.S. 6701 d, Uniform Act
Regulating Traffic on Highways, provide that whenever the governing body of the City shall
determine upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that any prima facie
speed therein set forth is greater or less than is reasonable or safe under the conditions
found to exist at any intersection or other place or upon any part of a street or highway,
with the City taking into consideration the width and condition of the pavement and other
circumstances on such portion of said street or highway, as well as the usual traffic
thereon, said governing body may determine and declare a reasonable and safe prima
facie speed limit thereat or thereon by the passage of an ordinance, which shall be
effective when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected at such intersection or
other place or part of the street or highway.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS:
Section 1. That Chapter 23 Traffic, Section 23 -27 Same — Schedules of Additional
School Zones of the Grapevine Code of Ordinances is hereby amended as follows:
Deleting the following from Section 23 -27 (a):
"Austin Street from the intersection of Cannon Street to the intersection of East
Worth Street.
Cannon Street from the intersection of Ruth Street to the intersection of Austin
Street.
Ruth Street from the intersection of East Worth Street to the intersection of Cannon
Street.
East Worth Street from the intersection of Austin Street to the intersection of Ruth
Street."
Adding the following to Section 23 -27:
"(e) The city manager shall have 20 mile per hour speed limit signs installed in
the designated school zones listed below, which are hereby designated 20
mile per hour zones during the times herein stated. The signs shall indicate
that the 20 mile per hour speed limit will be in effect on school days during
the hours of 7:15 a.m. through 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. through 3:45 p.m., or
during the times the school flashers are flashing.
Austin Street from the intersection of Cannon Street to the intersection of
East Worth Street.
Cannon Street from the intersection of Ruth Street to the intersection of
Austin Street.
Ruth Street from the intersection of East Worth Street to the intersection of
Cannon Street.
East Worth Street from the intersection of Austin Street to the intersection of
Ruth Street."
Section 2. That the City Manager, or his designee, is hereby authorized to have
the proper traffic signs erected, constructed, and placed at such points along said
highways, streets or alleys, or portions hereof under construction, maintenance or repair so
that travelers will be reasonably notified of said traffic regulations.
Section 3. That all ordinances or any parts thereof in conflict with the terms of this
ordinance shall be and hereby are deemed repealed and of no force or effect; provided,
however, that the ordinance or ordinances under which the cases currently filed and
pending in the Municipal Court of the City of Grapevine, Texas, shall be deemed repealed
only when all such cases filed and pending under such ordinance or ordinances have been
disposed of by a final conviction or a finding not guilty or nolo contendere, or dismissal.
Section 4. Any person violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in a sum not to
ORD. NO. 2
exceed Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) and a separate offense shall be deemed
committed upon each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
Section 5. If any section, article, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase or word in
this ordinance, or application thereto any person or circumstances is held invalid or
unconstitutional by a Court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect the
validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance; and the City Council hereby declares it
would have passed such remaining portions of the ordinance despite such invalidity, which
remaining portions shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 6. The fact that the present ordinances and regulations of the City of
Grapevine, Texas are inadequate to properly safeguard the health, safety, morals, peace
and general welfare of the public creates an emergency which requires that this ordinance
become effective from and after the date of its passage, and it is accordingly so ordained.
PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS on this the 2nd day of August 2011.
APPROVED:
ATTEST
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
ORD. NO. 3