Thursday, December 5, 2024
A few Hood County residents took to the podium at a Hood County Commissioners Court meeting Oct. 8 to express their viewpoints about reducing the speed limit on a heavily-traveled roadway in the county.
The agenda item under consideration was whether to lower the current speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph on a section of Williamson Road, specifically from State Highway 144 to Contrary Creek Road.
While the agenda item was tabled to allow for more research, residents both for and against the change voiced their concerns regarding driver compliance and safety on the increasingly busy road.
In opposition of the change, Canyon Creek resident Zech Swendsen questioned what problem was identified to necessitate the reduction in the speed limit, as he pointed out Williamson Road has historically had a safe track record with minimal accidents reported.
“That's been the speed limit as long as I've lived there,” Swendsen said, who has lived in Canyon Creek since 2007. “The road has never been a problem for major accidents. It pretty much never shows up on the blotter for any issues, so why is this a problem all of a sudden?”
He also explained that a traffic study conducted in 2021 showed that 80% of drivers exceeded the 45-mph speed limit.
"Eighty percent of us do not care about that posted speed limit because it's kind of low and we drive that safely,” he said. “Currently, the biggest problem we have on that road is distracted drivers. We have that problem all over Hood County. If the Commissioners Court would like something to tackle, I would love to see you guys tackle distracted driving. That would save lives all over Hood County but right now, on Williamson, just leave that road alone, please. We've got bigger problems.”
Also in opposition was Peter Wolf, a long-time resident of Williamson Road, who expressed concerns about increasing traffic and the ineffectiveness of stricter speed limits.
“Creating new, stricter laws will not provide compliance with existing laws,” Wolf said. “People are not going to drive the speed limit just because you change it. They don't drive the speed limit now, and there are a lot of people that speed up and down this road.”
Wolf said one of the main issues besides the increase in new homes and traffic is the ongoing construction, as numerous contractors rush to their job sites daily. He also highlighted safety issues, such as a blind curve between State Highway 144 and Contrary Creek, suggesting that additional signage could address that problem more effectively.
“The biggest problem, as two previous speakers have said, is excess speed on that road, which can be taken care of with additional patrols if the sheriff's department has personnel that are available to patrol that road a few times a day, especially in the mornings during rush hour or the evening rush hour. I think that would considerably take care of the problem,” Wolf said.
Speaking in favor of the speed limit change is resident Steve Haines, who said both he and his wife are strong proponents of the 35-mph reduction, due to the safety concerns they have witnessed firsthand in their neighborhood.
"Has anybody tried to back a car out onto a two-lane road with people going 45 miles an hour?” he asked. “And I think most of them think that's the minimum speed. It is dangerous.”
Haines described the challenges of pulling out of his driveway onto Williamson Road and having to quickly accelerate to avoid oncoming traffic. He also recalled a recent near-collision when a car attempted to pass him as he was turning onto Lacee Court.
While putting out the trash one morning, Haines said he observed an SUV speeding past him at what he estimated to be around 70 mph, just feet away. He highlighted that a lower speed limit to 35 mph is essential for safety, especially with children in the area and delivery trucks struggling to navigate driveways due to fast-moving traffic.
“The delivery trucks that come down there every day, FedEx, Amazon, UPS, will not try to drive in the driveway, because they know it's impossible to back out to that road, because people are just coming so fast. It’s scary,” Haines said. “We think that changing the (speed limit) is a big safety issue."
Following speaker comments, Hood County Judge Ron Massingill asked Road Operations Director Donald Linney for his personal opinion regarding the speed limit reduction.
“Your Honor, both sides have valid comments on it, but to be honest with you, I'm leaning toward what the one speaker said — that they're going to drive, what they're going to drive,” Linney said. “We see it all over the county.”
Linney added that there haven’t been any fatalities reported around the area. However, he said there was a recent accident on State Highway 144.
Swendsen, whose neighbor was involved in the recent accident, highlighted that visibility issues and distracted driving were major factors in the collision. He described how his neighbor was having difficulty seeing over the tall grass at the intersection of Williamson Road and State Highway 144. As his neighbor inched forward to check for oncoming traffic, a woman in a car behind him noticed his brake lights and “gunned it” — ultimately colliding with the back of his vehicle.
"That intersection right there is more dangerous than Williamson as an entire road,” Swendsen said. “If we could request something, could we get a red light there? That would make Williamson safer and that would also take care of the ability to get off and on (the road) if there's traffic control at the intersection of Williamson and 144. That may be a better solution than trying to lower a speed limit that without enforcement will not matter.”
Precinct 2 Commissioner Nannette Samuelson suggested implementing a no-passing sign and a blind curve ahead sign to enhance safety and alert drivers to potential hazards along that stretch of Williamson Road.
Linney explained that implementing a no-passing zone would be challenging, as such signs are typically reserved for state highways requiring a 120-foot right-of-way. He also explained that the signs are large and that designated zones necessitate multiple signs on both sides of the road. He noted that while Williamson has a 60-foot right-of-way, the required sign dimensions and placement would complicate the process.
Although Williamson Road is in his precinct, Precinct 1 Commissioner Kevin Andrews said he’s only had a couple of people reach out to him in the last four years regarding any concerns — adding that none of them have been particularly “aggressive” about wanting to get something done.
“Nobody’s ever been real fired up, so it’s been relatively off my radar this entire time,” Andrews said. “I haven’t heard a cry about it, one way or the other.”
Samuelson said she’s heard suggestions from residents about possibly widening Williamson Road but explained that Hood County lacks the right-of-way needed in order to make that change. She also made the motion to table the agenda item so the court could conduct a traffic study and gather more information regarding accidents around that area.
“We can take another look at this to determine if this is something (we need to do),” she said. “I mean it is true that people are speeding now at 45 mph, so that doesn't necessarily mean they're going to slow down at 35 mph, so would that make a difference?”
Once more traffic information has been gathered regarding Williamson Road, the court will revisit the speed limit discussion at a later date.
