Transportation & Traffic

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Overview

The Transportation and Capital Improvements Department (TCI) is a community partner in planning, operating, and maintaining New Braunfels’ transportation network. Our goal is to provide a safe and efficient transportation system that supports livable neighborhoods and economic development in partnership with the community.

TCI is responsible for planning new transportation infrastructure improvements, designing and timing traffic signal systems, designing traffic signs and pavement markings, and responding to traffic requests and concerns. The TCI Department also acts as a liaison between the City and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and other local agencies.

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Submitting a Request

Requests for new signs, traffic signals, or other traffic controls require a careful engineering evaluation of existing conditions that justifies if installation is appropriate. Some of the most common requests include stop signs, no parking signs, and speed limit signs.

Please Note:

Speed humps are “nonstandard” traffic controls and are evaluated based on the Speed Hump Policy. More information on speed humps and how to submit a speed hump request is provided in the Neighborhood Traffic Management section.

Any citizen or neighborhood association may submit traffic requests and concerns for review by the Engineering Division and, if necessary, the Transportation & Traffic Advisory Board and City Council. Requests may be submitted by phone, email or mail below. The request should include contact information, intersection or street location, concern or specific request, and date/time of day of issue.

  • Phone: (830) 221-4275
  • Email: tci@newbraunfels.gov 
  • Mail: City Engineer, 550 Landa Street, New Braunfels, TX 78130

Traffic requests are evaluated in accordance with the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (Texas MUTCD) as specified by state law, local ordinance, and engineering practice. The evaluation and approval of a request is dependent on the type of request, meeting Texas MUTCD requirements, and City Engineer recommendation. Some requests require the collection of traffic data, review of crash history and Police Department input. Regulatory requests (e.g., stop signs, no parking signs, speed limit changes) may require a city ordinance and are processed through the Transportation & Traffic Advisory Board and City Council.

It is our goal to keep citizens informed through the traffic request process and allow for community input. Please contact us for an update on a request.

Learn More About

  1. Transportation & Traffic Advisory Board
  2. Neighborhood Traffic Management
  3. Parking by Permit

Transportation & Traffic Advisory Board

The Transportation & Traffic Advisory Board is a seven-member board appointed by the City Council to serve in an advisory capacity to the City Council on matters relating to transportation and traffic issues. These issues include: vehicles for hire; emergency warning systems and evacuation routes and procedures; stop signs, school zones, no parking zones and other traffic control devices; street and bridge improvements; tuber exits; and any other transportation related matters referred by City Council. The Transportation & Traffic Advisory Board typically meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month at City Hall.

Traffic Control Devices

A traffic control device is a sign, signal or pavement marking used to regulate, warn or guide traffic placed by the authority of a public agency having jurisdiction. To be effective, a traffic control device should meet five basic requirements:

  1. Fulfill a need;
  2. Command attention;
  3. Convey a clear, simple meaning;
  4. Command respect from road users; and
  5. Give adequate time for proper response.

The legal and engineering requirements for traffic control devices are specified in the Texas Transportation Code, Texas Administrative Code, City of New Braunfels Code of Ordinances and the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (Texas MUTCD). The Texas MUTCD provides established criteria for signs, traffic signals and pavement markings. The decision to use a device should be made on the basis of either an engineering study or the application of engineering judgment.

  1. Speed Limits
  2. Traffic Signals
  3. Stop Signs
  4. Children at Play Signs

Speed Limits

Speed limits on Texas roads, including City of New Braunfels streets, are generally set by statute (TEX. TRANSP. CODE § 545.352). The statute includes the following speed limits:

  • Street in Urban District – 30 miles per hour
  • Alley in Urban District – 15 miles per hour

The speed limit on most city streets is 30 miles per hour unless designated by ordinance and posted. A city may lower the state-mandated speed limit by performing an engineering and traffic investigation and determining that the state-mandated speed limit is unreasonable or unsafe for that road. The only instance in which a city may lower a speed limit without a traffic study, to as low as 25 miles per hour, is if the road is in an urban district, is less than four lanes, and is not a state highway.

Requests to reduce or increase speed limits are evaluated in accordance with State law and the Texas MUTCD. Speed limits on city streets are set by the 85th percentile method, which represents the speed the majority of drivers will be traveling at or below. Other factors that may be considered when establishing or reevaluating speed limits are the following:

  • Road characteristics, shoulder condition, grade, alignment, and sight distance;
  • Roadside development and environment;
  • Parking practices and pedestrian activity; and
  • Reported crash experience for at least a 12-month period.

There are many opinions on the effect of lowering speed limits; however, research and local experience show that there is no guarantee that a speed limit will have any effect on driving behavior. Motorists tend to drive at speeds they feel comfortable with regardless of speed limit signs. Enforcement and street design are most effective in reducing speeds.

Please remember that observing speed limits means more than driving faster or slower than the posted speed. It means driving to conditions. For instance, when it is raining or foggy, when ice is on the road, when traffic is heavy, when road construction is ahead, when pedestrians or bicyclists are near the road, adjust your speed accordingly.