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TxDOT lowering speed limits on parts of U.S. 75, other Dallas roads

Speeds were lowered by 5 miles per hour on several busy streets after traffic studies.

Dallas drivers will soon see slightly lower speed limits on several busy roads.

The Texas Department of Transportation will lower speed limits by 5 miles per hour on a highway road segment and several city road segments following speed studies.

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Those include:

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Or with:

  • U.S. 75 from Mockingbird Lane to Woodall Rodgers Freeway - 65 mph
  • Great Trinity Forest Way from Bonnie View Road/Sunnyvale Street to Wadsworth Drive - 40 mph
  • Great Trinity Forest Way from Wadsworth Drive to Pemberton Hill Road - 50 mph
  • Great Trinity Forest Way from Pemberton Hill Road to C.F. Hawn Freeway - 40 mph
  • Ledbetter Drive from I-35E to Bonnie View Road/Sunnyvale Street - 40 mph
  • Buckner Boulevard from Edge Lake Drive to U.S. Route 175 - 40 mph

Dallas City Council members amended the Dallas City Code Wednesday to reflect the changes.

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Council member Paul Ridley said he asked TxDOT to conduct a speed study on U.S. 75/North Central Expressway after an NBC 5 news report of drivers exceeding 100 miles per hour on the highway. TxDOT increased speeds from 65 to 70 on U.S. 75 nine years ago to address congestion.

“I want to thank TxDOT for promptly conducting a speed survey and deciding this was a good thing for the city of Dallas,” Ridley said. “I’m very pleased today to support this item…to help ensure we’re meeting one of the goals of Vision Zero in keeping our drivers safe in District 14.”

The council committed to a goal of eliminating collision-related deaths and cutting severe injuries in half by 2030 through its Vision Zero initiative in June 2022. Dallas roads are among the deadliest nationwide for pedestrians, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with more than half of all Dallas crashes last year happening on city-operated roadways.

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Dallas is one of more than 45 cities nationwide to participate, though most cities have seen slow progress on reducing fatalities.

Recruitment issues, a lack of contractor bids and high costs have caused delays, transportation officials recounted in April.

Lowering speed limits will help move the needle on safety, council members pointed out.

“This actually addresses six of the top 10 deadliest roadways in our entire city, and there are several of them along the same stretch of the same road, so to see this be addressed, in my opinion, in a very proactive and aggressive manner …is going to hopefully save the lives of Dallasites,” deputy mayor pro tem Adam Bazaldua said.

Driver behavior also plays a role in reducing serious crashes, council member Paula Blackmon said.

“I want to encourage everybody, please drive the speed limit,” Blackmon said. “We want people to arrive safely and that’s something that you do control, so if you’re unsure, just go 30 miles an hour. Let people pass you. It’s okay.”

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