Published: June 20, 2008 08:59 am         

Speed limit raised on portion of MH 379

By Lacie Morrison
lmorrison@mineralwellsindex.com

Less than 24 hours after receiving approval from the Mineral Wells City Council, city crews posted new speed limit signs on the western portion of Municipal Highway 379 announcing the higher speed limit.

Mineral Wells Police Capt. Mike McAllester told the council members the department investigated the possibility of increasing the speed limit there after recently receiving inquiries. The portion of MH 379 in question was the brief stretch of road that was posted at 30 mph beginning at the intersection of U.S. Highway 281 South.

According to information presented to city council members, the police department reported 83 percent of the 204 traffic citations issued on MH 379 in 2007 were issued in that portion of the roadway. In 2008, the department has issued 78 citations thus far in that part of MH 379.

“We found there’s no safety issue [with increasing the speed limit],” he said. “The roadway is wide enough with improved shoulders, the sight line is adequate in all directions and there’s only one intersecting street.”

Over the last few years, the captain noted there’d been a few accidents but none were attributed to speed. He also pointed out that increasing the speed limit from 30 mph to 40 mph “would make it consistent with N.E. 23rd Street which is similar in size and usage.”

Mineral Wells Public Works Director Bobby Baker told the Index the new signs were installed Wednesday morning.

“There wasn’t an effective date with the council approval so we thought we’d get it done,” he remarked.

In other business, the city council appointed councilwoman Margaret Colton as the new mayor pro-tem.

The city council also:

• Denied a request by George Saxon for relief from the International Fire Code for his business, U Stuff It Storage. It was denied by a vote of 3-0-2. Council members Colton and John Ritchie abstained.

• Authorized the advertisement for sale of two half-lots of city-owned property in southeast Mineral Wells.

• Accepted an application with First State Bank for depository services. The council voted 4-0-1, with councilman Ritchie abstaining.