'We hadn't seen it': Speed limit changes in Houston prove controversial with local leaders

The Houston City Council approved speed limit changes to specific streets on Jan. 26. 

These changes surprised certain leaders in the area and will not be uniform across the streets that are having their speed limits changed. 

The new policies will lower the speed limit on some streets and increase it on others.

"If it were to come before council, it's quite likely that it would come through our committee through [the city's] Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee," Councilman and TTI Chairman Davis Robinson said. "Since we hadn't seen it, it really made me want to make sure I was on top of whatever I can find out TxDOT is working on."

Fourteen roadways will have altered speed limits, with five in particular set to have a higher one than existed previously. The Texas Department of Transportation asked for the changes, which surprised Robinson. Robinson said that his committee receives change requests before they're presented to the city council.

The roadways that will see a higher speed limit are: the Southwest Freeway feeder from West Loop 610 to Rice Avenue (from 30 mph to 45 mph), the Southwest Freeway feeder from Newcastle to West Loop 610 (30 mph to 45 mph), the Eastex Freeway feeder from the Reinhardt Bayou to Will Clayton Parkway (30 mph to 50 mph), the North Loop 610 feeder from Airline to Kelley (30 mph to 45 mph) and the Eastex Freeway from North Loop 610 to Kelley (30 mph to 45 mph). One area where the speed limit will be lowered is the Texas Highway 6 feeder near Interstate 10 which will have its speed limit lowered from 55 mph to 45 mph, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle. This is an attempt to slow traffic down on the dangerous road. 

The vote from the city council was unanimous, which surprised some observers, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle.